Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve - Complex of natural and cultural heritages
The Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve with its biodiversity, containing many rare species of flora and fauna, attractive natural landscapes and unique cultural features has created one of the largest reserves in Southeast Asia.
UNESCO has just recognized the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve with an area of 1,303,285 hectares located in 9 mountainous districts (Con Cuong, Anh Son, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop, Tan Ky, Thanh Chuong).
Including Pu Mat National Park and 2 nature reserves Pu Huong, Pu Hoat and the entire upper basin of Ca River with 3 important tributaries Hieu River, Nam Nom River and Nam Mo River, Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve converges many flora elements, is a place where geographical and plant elements intertwine.
Pu Mat National Park is the core area, considered the largest and most typical natural forest area with the richest and most diverse flora in Vietnam with 2,500 species of plants, 130 species of large mammals, 295 species of birds, 54 species of amphibians and reptiles, 84 species of fish, 39 species of bats, 305 species of butterflies, 14 species of turtles, and thousands of other insect species. Of which, 68 rare species are recorded in the Vietnam Red Book.
Kem Waterfall - One of the attractive tourist destinations
at the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve.Photo: Hoang Vinh
Pu Huong and Pu Hoat Reserves are core zones 2 and 3, smaller in area than Pu Mat National Park, but here there are also all types of vegetation and animals present in Pu Mat. Pu Hoat Reserve alone has recorded 600 species of higher plants, of which 30 species are listed in the Vietnam Red Book; 193 species of vertebrates, 8 rare species of reptiles; discovered 45 species of animals, accounting for 25% of the total number of animals nationwide...
In addition, there are secondary rocky mountain forests that are less affected, still retaining many intact and rugged features, common species such as: nghien, sen mat, tram nui, goi nui... Animals have rare species such as: golden cash chicken, peacock, white pheasant, red hornbill, mountain goat, gaur, red wolf, leopard, white-cheeked gibbon.
The entire area of Pu Mat National Park and the two Pu Huong and Pu Hoat Nature Reserves belongs to the Truong Son mountain range ecological zone (the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the international organization WWF World Wildlife Fund determined and officially announced in June 2003).
The potential for ecotourism development in the whole region is quite diverse and rich. Tourists can explore the unique landscape values from Pu Huong, Pu Hoat, and to Pu Mat, from the Pu Hoat-Pu Pha Lang-Pu Nhich-Pu Pha Nha mountain ranges extending down to Pu Khang, Pu Huong with peaks over 1500 meters high, connecting each other on the Ca River basin to the north; the Xai Lai Leng, Pu Den Din, Pu Mat, Cao Veu ranges on the Ca River with many peaks over 1000 meters high and many beautiful waterfall landscapes such as: Kem waterfall, Sao Va waterfall, Ban Bia waterfall, Muoi waterfall.
Not only has a unique natural landscape but also with the terrain characteristics of the semi-mountainous arc, creating cultural values of ethnic minorities with the characteristics of the western mountainous region, a biodiverse area associated with the cultural diversity of ethnic groups, notably the unique indigenous cultural values of the Thai and Hmong communities and the origin value of the O Du ethnic group with the smallest population and a brilliant culture at the junction of the Nam Non-Nam Mo-Ca rivers, which is in the poorest state, showing signs of physical degradation and living conditions.
The establishment of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve is significant in establishing a corridor for the conservation of diverse habitats of valuable animal species (Biodiversity in the North Truong Son). In particular, this is a very important legal basis for the goal of sustainable development.
This development is based on the enhancement of activities in three basic areas: Biodiversity conservation, economic development to increase income, poverty reduction for local communities, and contribution to solving social problems. The field of biodiversity conservation in the three protected areas will receive special attention from the central and local authorities as well as international conservation organizations.
Support activities, investment in propaganda to raise people's awareness, to the construction and development of technical economic infrastructure to promote socio-economic development of the region will be strengthened and planned better and better, especially the electricity system, roads, schools, and stations will be fully invested. Cultural institutions in residential areas and villages are increasingly cared for and built.
Agricultural and industrial extension work is focused on, gradually helping people grasp and widely apply technical advances in intensive production of crops and livestock, effectively exploiting the potential of land, climate, landscape and environment to rapidly develop commodity products, types of cultural tourism, increase income, and actively contribute to the work of zoning, planting and protecting forests.
State management activities on forests and mineral resources, such as: preventing deforestation, timber exploitation and hunting, are increasingly tightened, contributing effectively to the conservation of endangered species of flora and fauna and rare genetic resources that are only distributed in this environment, thereby making biodiversity conservation more and more effective.
The strictly protected natural values and cultural and human values of the Pu Hoat-Pu Huong and Pu Mat inter-zones will contribute to enhancing the overall efficiency of conservation of the Ca River headwater basin in the western mountainous region of Nghe An - the rare values of a complex of massive and magnificent natural and cultural heritages not only of Nghe An - Vietnam but also of the world community.
However, to protect and promote the value of this Biosphere Reserve, authorities at all levels and relevant departments need to focus on propaganda so that local people can clearly see its position and great importance to human survival, especially the local residents.
From there, we will promote our role and responsibility to further promote the work of planting, protecting and preserving forests as well as the natural environment and landscape. The focus is on preventing illegal logging, exploitation of forest products, and indiscriminate forest burning, limiting and eliminating the risk of forest fires and forest destruction.
Literary Association