By Michael Tatarski Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed a decision this month to fully retain Tien Hai Nature Reserve, in a rare example of environmental protection winning over development in the Southeast Asian country. Located in the northern coastal province of Thai Binh, the reserve gained attention in 2023 after the provincial government announced a plan to remove protection from almost 90% of the area. This would have reduced the reserve area from 12,500 to 1,230 hectares (nearly 31,000 to just over 3,000 acres) to open up space for a proposed residential, resort and golf c…