Located in the southwest corner of the Mekong Delta, the Ha Tien Plain is a shallow basin where floodwaters pool to create vast grasslands. In response to several failed attempts to convert the plain for Eucalyptus forestry, rice cultivation, and shrimp aquaculture, a partnership between conservationists and a local village community has demonstrated that its resources can be sustainably managed for both environmental and economic gain.

TheD? án b?o t?n ??ng c? bàng Phú M? (Phu My Lepironia Wetland Conservation Project) has successfully conserved a 2,890-hectare area of wetlands rich in Lepironia grasses, and has trained local community members in sustainable harvesting techniques. Value-added secondary processing enables community members to transform dried grass stems into high-quality handicrafts. Incomes for more than 2,000 farmers have increased by as much as 500 per cent, and awareness of the value of the local wetland ecosystem has grown considerably.