Bio-diversity

The project will be carried out in Loc Tri Commune, one of the 11 communes in the buffer zone of Bach Ma National Park, in Phu Loc District, Thua Thien Hue Province. Bach Ma National Park was established in 1991, and situated in the northern part of Truong Son mountain range and in the two districts of Phu Loc and Nam Dong, Thua Thien Hue Province. Bach Ma National Park, together with Hai Van special use forest in Thua Thien Hue Province and Ba Na Nature Reserve in Quang Nam Province constitutes an unbroken transact from the coast to the border with Lao PDR. This bioregion contains an extremely diverse range of habitats and species of evergreen subtropical and tropical monsoon forests. Some species are rare and endemic to the area, such as black-crested blue pheasant Loplura imperalis, white-crested blue pheasant Loplura edwasdsi, eyed-pheasant Rheinardtia ocellata and peafowl. Bach Ma is the area where there is the highest rainfall in Vietnam (the annual rainfall is from 3,000mm to 3,500mm). The forest also plays a vital role in conserving and supplying water resources for a wide range of users in Quang Nam, Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue Provinces. In addition, the region is very close to UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites (Hue City, Hoi An and My Son). Conservation and sustainable use of biological resources of the Bach Ma National Park is therefore identified as a national priority in the Vietnam National Biodiversity Action Plan. The main causes of deforestation and ecosystem degradation in the Park are a combination of many factors, such as bombing and use of herbicides as defoliants during the war, heavy logging, forest fires, high level and large scale of illegal exploitation for both timber and non-timber products (leaf, rattan, honey and firewood collection) which provide the main source of cash income for community in all communes in the buffer zone. This has impacted on the biodiversity and placed pressures on the management and protection of the natural resources of the Park. The current situation requires a combination of changes in the management system and project initiatives in the buffer zone for effectively conserving the Park natural resources in general and biodiversity in particular. The project will contribute to conserving the biodiversity of the Park through developing an integrated buffer zone development and conservation model which promotes the role and responsibilities, and the involvement and participation of local authorities and communities, and enhancing the co-operation with the Park management board in managing and protecting the Park. The project expects to contribute to the implementation of the potential macro GEF project on biodiversity conservation of the green corridor of Bach Ma National Park, the Hai Van special sue forest and the Ba Na Nature Reserve which has been initiated and developed by the World Bank-GEF Vietnam, through creating favourable conditions for the macro GEF implementation by raising awareness and appreciation on the Park of the local authorities and community, and enhancing the co-operation in the Park management and protection between the Park management board and the local authorities and the community. In addition, it will provide the lessons learned on the ways to diversify income sources for the community living in the core and buffer zone, reducing their overexploitation of the Park natural resources. The project will also join the effort of the international commentates, including UNDP Vietnam as well as the Government in contributing to alleviating poverty of the community in the project area while conserving the biodiversity.

Vietnam