2:51:56 PM | 7/27/2005
Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park is a natural art community with rich and diversified biological system. It is the nature heritage of not only Quang Binh province, but also of Vietnam and the world.
Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park is the ecological zone of Truong Son Range, which has been evaluated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as one out of 200 world largest ecological zones playing the protection role for the forest ecological system of the neighbouring limestone mountains in the southeast region. In 2003, UNESCO recognised Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park as the world nature heritage with natural criteria: "Phong Nha - Ke Bang is the remarkable type reflecting the main development periods in the earth history, containing the evidences on the life and ongoing geological processes having the meaning in the formulation of topographic and geomorphology characteristics".
The IUCN calls Phong Nha - Ke Bang a hotspot for its biological diversification with more than 1,800 types of plants and animals including 96 species written in the world Red Book. Especially, in the recent years, the presence of newly discovered animals in Vietnam has added new species to the wildlife.
Acknowledging the importance of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and the urgency in the management and development of this nature reserve, the People’s Committee of Quang Binh province has introduced many active solutions like successful implementation of Vietnam- Germany forest planting project (KFW2) with the planed area of 8,784.7 hectares in the territory of 3 districts Quang Trach, Bo Trach and Le Thuy. However, the management and development of this national park are facing many difficulties.
The first difficult is the socio-economic pressure from the local population community in 13 communes of 3 districts: Quang Trach, Bo Trach and Le Thuy. Undeveloped infrastructure, backward production, poverty, low people’s knowledge level and hard climate conditions have badly affected the life of local people including the majority living on the natural resources exploitation. Furthermore, the attention to nature preservation and the people’s awareness in exploiting, managing and using the natural resources are still limited affecting the sustainable exploitation.
The second difficulty is Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park borders Hin Nam No National Park (in Lao), therefore, the cooperation in protection management and information exchange between the two parks is very important. However, up to now, the cooperation still exists in the commitments. From the above-mentioned practical problems, the People’s Committee of Quang Binh province would like to receive the support for implementing the Project of management and sustainable preservation of natural resources of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park for multiplying the achieved results. Especially, the focus is given to handling the main problems arisen from the buffer zones for limiting the intervention from local community. Because, the settlement of this nuclear issue will certainly ensure the sustainability of Phong Nha - Ke Bang world nature reserve.
Meeting these wishes, from 13th to 18th of June 2005, the KTW-GTZ Mission consist of Doc. JENS MACKENSEN, project director, Doc. ULF BAUM, high-rank technical consultant of KFW and Mr. HERBENRRT CHRRIS, Chief Technical Advisor of GTZ held the meeting with provincial People's Committee of Quang Binh and relevant agencies and branches of the province and district as well as the Management Unit of the National Park and the representative from the Planning and Investment Ministry. They also took the field surveys and discussed with the commune and village representatives.
The inside people have acknowledged the necessity of the project goals of preserving the natural resources and biological diversification - the endemic ecological system in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. The management and development of the world nature heritage is not the only matter of concern. In addition, acknowledging the close relations between the preservation and the development of surrounding rural areas, the relevant parties have agreed that the investment will be carried out at the same time in both kernel and buffer zones for providing better means of subsistence in order to ensure the sustainable development of the National Park.
Therefore, the meeting participants have agreed to approve the project on sustainable management of natural resources of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. Its implementation will be carried out in June of 2006 at the latest.
The main project contents focus on the issues of preserving and upholding the value of the national park. Firstly, it is to enhance the capacity for the Management Unit and improve the capacity of local community in developing and implementing the agro-forestry and fishery production plans. Secondly, it is to strengthen the legal education, forest patrol, protection, biological diversification check and border cooperation for reducing the forest destruction and illegal wildlife smuggling. Thirdly, it is to develop the infrastructure serving the life of people in the buffer zones and forest protection of the kernel zones.
With good contents and objectives, we believe that the project of management and sustainable preservation of the natural resources in Phong Nha - Ke Bang national Park will be successful. Phong Nha - Ke Bang nature reserve will be sustainably developed contributing to enhancing the tourism effect as well as improving the life quality of local people in particular and Quang Binh people in general.
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