Promoting the potential and advantages of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve

(Baonghean) - With its value in biodiversity and cultural identity, Western Nghe An has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve (WBR). This is considered a milestone in the achievements of forest and environmental management, protection and preservation of cultural identities of ethnic groups by local people and authorities. To continue to preserve and promote the potential and advantages of the WBR, many solutions are being implemented...

Located in 9 mountainous districts (Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Que Phong, Tan Ky, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong) with a total area of ​​1.3 million hectares, the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve is the largest Biosphere Reserve in Southeast Asia, a green corridor connecting 3 core areas including: Pu Mat National Park, Pu Huong Nature Reserve and Pu Hoat Nature Reserve.

Sa mu dau - a heritage tree hundreds of years old in Pu Mat National Park. Photo: TDN

According to survey data, the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve is a conservation area with a diverse and rich flora and fauna with many endemic species listed in the Vietnam and World Red Book. There are currently 2,500 species of higher plants, more than 1,000 species of animals, including many rare species of animals and plants such as: Saola, large-antlered deer, gaur, tiger, leopard, sa mu, po mu, lim, sen, tau, doi... It is the intersection of the flora and fauna systems of the South and North Truong Son in the primeval forests with an altitude of 1,000 - 2,000m. In addition, the fact that almost the entire forest ecosystem in the Biosphere Reserve is preserved and conserved intact with a coverage of nearly 80% is an opportunity for conducting research on climate change.

In October 2010, the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment certified the hundreds of years old Sa Mu Dau tree in Pu Mat National Park, about 70 meters high, 23.7 meters in circumference and 5.5 meters in diameter, as a "Vietnam Heritage Tree" that needs to be preserved. Along with its outstanding value in terms of biodiversity, the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve also has special value in terms of ethnic cultural identity, typically the place where more than 1 million people of 7 ethnic groups live. Of which, the O Du ethnic group has the smallest population among the 54 ethnic groups and only exists in Nghe An, and is facing the risk of losing its language, with only 2 people who know their mother tongue and both are old and weak; the Thai, Mong, and Kho Mu ethnic groups have a long history of unique cultural traditions preserving many customs, practices, folk songs, folk dances, crafts, cuisine, costumes, and house architecture. The harmony between natural landscape and human not only creates an attractive cultural space of the North Truong Son region but also poses a great responsibility for the Party Committee, government and specialized sectors to perform well the three functions of the Biosphere Reserve: Conservation of diversity, socio-economic development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, support and maintenance of cultural traditions, research, monitoring and environmental education.

This is something that all levels, sectors, and provincial leaders are very concerned about and have made very wise decisions. That is, after UNESCO recognized Western Nghe An as a World Biosphere Reserve, the Forestry sector advised the Provincial People's Committee to strengthen direction in forest protection and management, put the management boards of protective forests, special-use forests and conservation areas and the forest rangers into active and effective operation. Thanks to that, special-use and protective forests have been basically well protected and developed. Relevant levels and sectors have also implemented programs and projects to restore traditional cultural festivals such as: Hang Bua Festival (Quy Chau), Chin Gian Temple (Que Phong), Van - Cua Rao Temple (Tuong Duong), Vac village (Thai Hoa); folk songs, folk dances, Thai script; developing community tourism associated with promoting the cultural identity of the Thai ethnic group in Chi Khe, Yen Khe, Mon Son communes (Con Cuong). In particular, at the end of 2013, the Provincial People's Committee established a Management Board under the direct responsibility of a Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the participation of departments, branches and sectors: Agriculture & Rural Development, Natural Resources & Environment, Culture - Sports & Tourism, Provincial Border Guard Command, Nghe An Forestry Sub-Department, People's Committees of 9 Western districts, Management Board of Pu Huong, Pu Hoat Nature Reserves and Pu Mat National Park.

The establishment of the Management Board has created a premise for connecting and organizing activities to promote the potential, advantages and values ​​of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve. Although it has only been in operation for 1 year, under the condition that all members hold concurrent positions and have not been equipped with working facilities, thanks to the assignment of tasks and specific working mechanism, the Board has built and implemented a number of important results such as: Establishing and putting the secretariat into operation, identifying 6 key strategic contents that need to be focused on, including: Building communication documents, environmental education for the subjects; organizing promotion, building a database on the Biosphere Reserve; project to exploit and promote advantages, especially the strategy for developing eco-tourism associated with nature and cultural conservation in the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve.

Thi Khac Luong at the Hang Bua Festival in 2014. Photo: Tran Ngoc Lan

However, due to financial and time constraints, the Management Board has only been able to implement part of the plan so far. Specifically, it has coordinated with Nghe An Newspaper and the Provincial Radio and Television Station to organize special topics and articles to promote the image, potential and advantages of the Biosphere Reserve; build an electronic information page with the domain name: sinhquyennghean.vn. At the same time, the Secretariat has connected and proposed scientific tasks through the Vietnam MAB committee, including the "Research topic on conservation of Puxailaileng ginseng" in conjunction with the Vietnam Nature Reserve to conduct 3 field surveys to collect samples for DNA analysis. Initially, 2 species of the Panax genus in need of conservation have been identified; Project "Application of remote sensing technology (GIS) and chip tracking for elephant population conservation in Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve" and "Application of management information system (MIS) in effective management of databases in current World Biosphere Reserves in Vietnam"; linking with the Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism to include in the plan "Building an ecotourism development strategy based on the national cultural identity of the Biosphere Reserve" according to Decision No. 2355, dated December 4, 2013 of the Prime Minister on approving the socio-economic development project of Western Nghe An to 2020; building a dossier and calling for investment in the project "Conservation & development of Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve", in the list of "National key projects calling for foreign investment to 2020" of the Prime Minister in Nghe An.

To improve operational efficiency, promote the potential and advantages of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve, the Project Management Board has proposed that the State should issue legal documents regulating the organization, functions, tasks and scope of activities for the Biosphere Reserve Management Boards; build channels to promote brands and attract investment in biosphere reserves. In addition, the Management Board has outlined a number of activities in 2015, focusing on promoting information, propaganda, images, potential advantages; attracting conservation projects and investment development projects for the districts of Western Nghe An.

In the long term, according to Mr. Dang Xuan Minh, Director of the Forestry Sub-Department, Head of the Secretariat, affirmed: “The reserve needs to aim at a channel of information and propaganda on the conservation and development of values ​​of cultural characteristics, geographical indications of heritage values, cultural and ecological tours and tourist attractions; a channel to attract investment in programs and projects related to the Biosphere Reserve for sustainable development, protection of resources & environment, culture, biodiversity and legal policies; build a conservation and development fund from non-state budget sources to support research and application of science and technology, sustainable models in the West; build a list of proposals for labeling local brands…”.

However, the difficulty that the Management Board is trying to overcome is that the capital source for coordinating and implementing the 2015 program plan is still very limited. Without further support, the activities of the Biosphere Reserve will hardly make a breakthrough.

Hai Yen