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Viet Nam - German cooperation project strengthens biodiversity conservation
Than Sa-Phuong Hoang Naturreservat von oben/ một phần quang cảnh trên cao nhìn xuống trong tuyến đường liên xã tại Thần Sa, © GIZ/Binh Dang
After four years of implementation, the „Programme on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Forest Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Viet Nam, Phase II, 2018-201“ held its closing workshop today. Mr. Tran Quang Bao, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Viet Nam Administration of Forestry, and Ms. Helene Paust, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, were co-chairs of the workshop.
The project has contributed to strengthening biodiversity conservation both at the policy level and on the ground in protected areas, where its aim is to ensure local communities benefit from the sustainable management of forests and the natural resources they produce.
Over 100 participants attended the event both on site and online, including representatives of government agencies from national and local levels, protected area management boards, research institutes, international development partners, and civil society organisations.
Special-use and protection forests cover an area of 6,858,735 hectares, around 46.7% of Viet Nam’s total forest area. The preservation of these forests has, now more than ever, become a matter of preserving the livelihoods of the millions of people who live in and around them.
Mr. Tran Quang Bao, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST), also applauded the achievements of the project: „Specifically, the project has supported the development of the Forestry Law as well as documents guiding the implementation of laws related to special-use forests and protection forests.“
The Project Director, also Director of VNFOREST’s Department of Protected Area Management, Mr. Đoan Hoai Nam, highlighted the project’s contribution to the 2021 nationwide roll-out and standardisation of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), an effective method for protected area patrolling and management. „The standardised data model, national guidelines and training curriculum are ready for application at the 33 sites currently using SMART in Viet Nam. With the project’s support, we have strengthened cooperation between protected area management boards, government agencies, and non-government organisations,“ he said.
„The project has demonstrated successful approaches for the sustainable management and financing of protected forests at national level and at four pilot sites: Cat Tien National Park, Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park, Than Sa- Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve, and Tram Tau Protection Forest. These experiences are available for others to learn from and improve upon,“ said Ms. Anja Barth, GIZ Chief Technical Advisor of the project.
Viet Nam and Germany are building on over 45 years of fruitful cooperation. With the project coming to an end, both countries are looking to the future. „I hope we can continue our cooperation in the area of natural resources management and biodiversity conservation, for the benefit of nature and for the well-being of the people. Viet Nam has proposed a focus on a mix of forest and aquatic ecosystems. We are looking forward to working with our Vietnamese partners to develop this idea further,“ said Ms. Helene Paust.
The project is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.