To make Nghe An forests meet Green List standards
For localities with large forest areas such as Nghe An in particular, developing forest economy and combating climate change is an inevitable trend to build a green economy and a circular economy. In particular, meeting the Green List standards for nature reserves and national parks is very important.
For localities with large forest areas such as Nghe An in particular, developing forest economy and combating climate change is an inevitable trend to build a green economy and a circular economy. In particular, meeting the Green List standards for nature reserves and national parks is very important.
The Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 523/QD-TTg dated April 1, 2021, stated: "Forests are both a resource and a particularly important means of production, capable of regeneration, a great asset and resource of the country, and an important element of the ecological environment, contributing to natural disaster mitigation, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation...".
Nghe An is one of the important provinces in the North Central region, with a total natural area of 1,648,997.2 hectares; forest and forestry land account for more than 70% of the province's natural area, of which 789,933.97 hectares are natural forests, and most of them are located in the Southwest region.
In 2007, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve (WBR) as a world biosphere reserve, and is the largest biosphere reserve among 11 world biosphere reserves in Vietnam with 1,299,795 hectares, located within the administrative boundaries of 9 mountainous districts and in the upper basin of the Ca River. The core area of the biosphere reserve is 3 special-use forests, including: Pu Mat National Park, Pu Huong Nature Reserve, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve.
This is an area with a high level of biodiversity with rich species, ecosystems and genetic resources of animals and plants. Currently, in the Western Biosphere Reserve, more than 3,600 plant species belonging to 1,184 genera, 205 families have been recorded; hundreds of rare medicinal herbs. Regarding animals, 39 orders, 131 families, 480 genera, with 942 vertebrate species and more than 1,000 insect species have been recorded. Of these, 34 species are in the Vietnam Red Book 2007; 20 species are on the list of species at risk of degradation and extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2021 regulations. In addition, 56 species are protected under Decree No. 84 (regulations on the management of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals and the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
“With the diversity and richness of flora and fauna, large areas of natural forests, and efforts to protect natural resources by the entire political system, in Nghe An, in addition to Pu Mat National Park, Pu Huong and Pu Hoat Nature Reserves are both on the list of eligible areas to be proposed for IUCN to evaluate and recognize the Green List”, said Mr. Vo Cong Anh Tuan - Head of Science and International Cooperation Department of Pu Mat National Park.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List is a set of global standards that recognize protected areas that have achieved conservation outcomes. The standards provide verification procedures and award certification to areas that meet and maintain 17 criteria and 50 indicators, divided into four areas: good governance, good design and planning, effective management and successful conservation outcomes.
Unlike other designations such as World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves, the IUCN Green List supports the successful conservation of Protected Areas and Nature Reserves by certifying, incentivizing and building capacity to achieve concrete impacts across legal, cultural, social, geographic and ecological dimensions.
This helps to provide international standards for management effectiveness that are quantitative, consistent and cover all aspects of conservation by area.
A Protected Area or Nature Reserve will achieve IUCN Green List certification after achieving equitable and effective conservation outcomes for people and nature.
Areas that are Green List certified often experience increased tourism, which contributes to the local economy. At the same time, it helps ensure the harmonization of sustainable development activities. Being on the IUCN Green List opens the door to international cooperation, knowledge exchange and access to funding for national and local nature conservation projects.
Currently, there are more than 20 areas in the world recognized as being on the Green List. Vietnam has made encouraging progress in biodiversity conservation and joining the IUCN Green List demonstrates its commitment to global environmental sustainability. Vietnam has participated in the IUCN Green List program since 2016.
Currently, there are 10 Protected Areas and Nature Reserves in Vietnam participating in the Green List program, including: Cuc Phuong National Park, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vu Quang National Park, Bach Ma National Park, Dong Chau - Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve, Song Thanh National Park, Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park, Cat Tien National Park, Pu Mat National Park and Con Dao National Park. After a meticulous assessment process lasting 2 years, Van Long is the first protected area in Southeast Asia to be certified with the Green List in (2019). This is the first protected area in Vietnam to achieve this title. In December 2023, Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai) was recognized as meeting Green List standards.
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Mr. Le Anh Tuan - Director of Pu Mat National Park said that the unit is currently in the process of implementing the criteria of the Green List Standards. Being recognized as a Green List will help Pu Mat National Park in particular and Nghe An's forest resources in general to be raised to international standards.
Currently, every year, along with the mechanisms and policies of the Central Government, the authorities at all levels in Nghe An are also carrying out activities to manage, conserve nature and biodiversity in the core zone, buffer zone, and transition zone of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve, especially Pu Mat National Park.
Most recently, on February 28, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued the Plan for environmental management and protection of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve, period 2023 - 2027, with a vision to 2030. Among the many goals set out, the contents of economic development and environmental protection are given special attention. And these are also important criteria for the reserve and national park to be recognized on the Green List.
The plan of the Provincial People's Committee sets out specific economic goals: Focus on sustainable development, building ecological economic models through socio-economic development activities, effectively and sustainably exploiting and managing natural resources, and unique traditional cultural values of the community. Especially promoting the multi-use value of forest ecosystems, paying for forest environmental services, and trading carbon credits. Developing eco-tourism, landscapes, developing non-timber forest products and medicinal herbs under the forest canopy, associated with biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation.
The plan also sets out the goal of promoting the value of biological resources, forest ecosystems, traditional cultural values, indigenous knowledge, etc. to create more livelihoods, increase product value and improve income, contributing to the implementation of the national strategy, international commitments on green growth, sustainable development, towards a low-carbon economy. First of all, it is necessary to improve the effectiveness of the Forest Environmental Services Payment Program and implement the Forest Carbon Credit Payment Program; conserve, develop and sustainably exploit medicinal plants; conserve indigenous plant and animal varieties with scientific and economic value, etc.
At Pu Mat National Park, according to the plan of the Provincial People's Committee, the unit also coordinates with the locality and functional sectors to carry out periodic monitoring and assessment activities on environmental changes and natural values that need to be protected and preserved. Review and hand over to local authorities to manage and use residential land and production land for people living in the buffer zone of the national park. Implement a program to monitor two species of bears, the Asiatic black bear and the Asiatic sun bear, using camera traps (2024-2026), a program to monitor the serow species (2025-2027), etc.
The IUCN Green List Committee's assessment process includes three stages: the Registration stage, the Candidate stage and the Green List stage. Each stage is independently assessed by the Expert Assessment Group for the Green List (EAGL) and independent assessors. Currently, Pu Mat National Park is in the Candidate stage. To be recognized as a Green List, in addition to the efforts of the national park's staff, it also requires the participation of the entire political system in implementing mechanisms and policies as well as implementing activities to protect forests, conserve nature, and promote the value of potential treasures in economic development and combating climate change./.
