Promoting Value of Dong Van Karst Plateau

Together with the efforts of relevant sectors and agencies at all levels, Management Board of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark has been determined to complete the assigned tasks in the construction and development of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark according to the criteria and recommendations of the Global Geopark Network.

For its part, the Management Board has advised holding meetings of the Provincial Steering Committee; organised a signing ceremony of coordinated regulation between the Management Board and 4 districts in Dong Van Karst Plateau and collaboration programmes with other sectors in conservation, construction and development of Dong Van Karst Plateau; advised building plans to implement Decision 01/KH-BCD of the Steering Committee; advised building plans to implement Decision 310/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the implementation of the master plan and other documents of the Provincial Committee and Provincial People's Committee to direct the construction and development of Dong Van Karst Plateau 2013 and plans to build and develop Dong Van Karst Plateau 2014 with the content and tasks specified to each sector towards re-evaluation of the membership of Dong Van Karst Plateau in the Global Geopark network 2014.

Promoting the achievements in construction and development the Dong Van Karst Plateau in recent years, in 2013, the coordination activities between sectors and management levels in protection and conservation of heritage and raising awareness of the community is among key tasks of the Management Board. The Management Board has actively coordinated with the branches and localities to implement propaganda activities, raising awareness about Dong Van Karst Plateau in all communication channels possible to spread knowledge about Dong Van Karst Plateau to people from all social strata. In particular, the Management Board, in collaboration with concerned agencies, successfully organised a ceremony announcing Dong Van Karst Plateau’s Master Plan in Hanoi, and collaborated with the Provincial Radio and Television Station to make long term reportage and video clips about Dong Van Karst Plateau in two languages namely Vietnamese and the local dialect with English subtitles. Thereby, it could present the image of Dong Van Karst Plateau to friends at home and abroad. At the same time, the Management Board also managed to attract investment into Dong Van Karst Plateau in the exploitation of valuable heritage and tourism development. The Management Board signed the agreement "Official Partner of Global Geopark" with Binh Minh 3 JSC in the exploitation of medicinal plants for the development of tourism in Dong Van Karst Plateau.

Coordination activities to conserve and conduct scientific research on Dong Van Karst Plateau have brought positive results such as completing assessment report of cultural values and biodiversity of 15 heritage clusters in Dong Van Karst Plateau; collecting and verifying science content of Brachiopoda in Ma Le for the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to submit it to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the recognition as a national heritage; in coordination with the Institute of Science, Geology and Mineral to conduct an investigation, survey, zoning boundaries to locate the markers for the four heritage cluster in the Global Geopark area; planning to zone heritage boundaries phase II; and building urgent conservation projects for heritage sites at risk.

In coordination with localities, the Management Board has coordinated with the districts in the area in building and putting into operation the Information Centre.

In the last months of 2013, the Management Board actively built and consulted the National Committee of UNESCO Vietnam, Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources for the (draft) plan to welcome and work with a reassessment team of the Network Group to submit to the provincial people’s committee; and coordinated with UNESCO Office in Hanoi to complete the training of human resources through training for tourism management tool.

With constant efforts, the image of Dong Van Karst Plateau has been spread and it is becoming an attractive destination for tourists. At the same time, efforts to promote and advertise the province are attracting the attention of the investment community to exploit and promote the value of the unique heritage of Vietnam.

From the results obtained, as well as new tasks in 2014, the Management Board continues to cooperate with authorities to organize effective communication activities to raise awareness about Dong Van Karst Plateau and develop tourism with the involvement of people in diverse forms towards more objects in a particular region as Dong Van Karst Plateau. The Management Board also strengthens the design, construction panel system to introduce the heritage and traffic guide system in 2 language Vietnamese and English. It also continues zoning and demarcation of geological heritage clusters, enhances the training of human resources and coordinates exchanges of experiences with members in the network as well as other international organizations. The Management Board boosts image promotion and introduces the Dong Van Karst Plateau to attract investment and develop tourism, and consults the province to implement Dong Van Karst Plateau construction and development plan of the province to meet the criteria and recommendations of the Global GeoPark Network for the re-evaluation of membership of the network of Dong Van Karst Plateau, and gradually make this place a national tourist centre in the coming years.