Buffer Zone Management in Vietnam

Page 1 of 30 IUCN - THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION - VIETNAM PROGRAMME BUFFER ZONE MANAGEMENT IN VIETNAM D.A. Gilmour and Nguyen Van San March 1999 A Study conducted by IUCN Vietnam with funding support from SDC CONTENTS Preface iii Acronyms and abbreviations iv 1 Executive summary 1 1.1 Policy settings and policy evolution 1 1.2 Result of the study 1 1.3 Guidelines for buffer zone management 2 2 Introduction 6 3 Study methodology 7 4 Background to buffer zone management 9 4.1 Conservation - development linkages -- an international perspective (Adapted 9 from Gilmour 1998) 4.2 Protected area management in Vietnam 13 4.2.1 Evolution of policy affecting forest conservation and protected areas 13 4.2.2 Institutional setting for protected area and buffer zone management 16 4.2.3 Current approaches to delineation of buffer zones 18 4.2.4 International support for protected area and buffer zone management 19 4.2.5 Results of 1997 buffer zone workshops 19 5. Results of the Study 21 Page 2 of 30 5.1 Definition of buffer zones 21 5.2 Socio-economic situation in the buffer zones 23 5.3 Conservation status of the National Parks 23 5.4 Conservation status of the buffer zones 23 5.5 Development activities in the buffer zones 24 5.6 Institutional arrangements for management of the buffer zones 25 5.7 Perceptions of different stakeholders about National Parks and buffer zones 25 6 Draft guidelines for buffer zone management 26 6.1 Definition of buffer zones 26 6.2 Delineation of buffer zones 26 6.3 Focus of development activities in buffer zones 27 6.4 Participation of local communities in buffer zone planning and management 27 6.5 Institutional arrangements for buffer zone planning and management 28 6.6 Other issues of relevance to buffer zone management 28 6.6.1 Migration 28 6.6.2 Law enforcement 28 6.6.3 Sustainable harvesting of natural resources 28 6.7 Working definition of buffer zones 29 7 Conclusions 30 8 References 31 9 Appendices 34 Appendix 1 List of protected areas in Vietnam 34 Appendix 2 Information framework used to guide data gathering 38 Appendix 3 Ba Vi case study 40 Appendix 4 Bach Ma case study 54 Appendix 5 Cat Tien case study 66 Appendix 6 List of key government Laws, Decrees and Decisions related to 84 protected areas in Vietnam PREFACE In Vietnam, buffer zones are routinely added when the boundaries of protected areas are delineated on maps or in management plan proposals. However, there is generally little clarity regarding the explicit objectives that should apply to land use in buffer zones, and how their management can add benefit to the protected areas. In addition, there is often uncertainty and confusion among the various actors regarding the institutional arrangements that need to apply so that buffer zones can fulfil their role. More particularly, buffer zone planning tends to be top down, with little consultation with rural communities living in the zones, with the result that buffer zone activities have the potential to alienate local Page 3 of 30 communities. While there has been a great deal of discussion about buffer zones and their management, there are few, if any, working models of effective buffer zone planning and management in Vietnam. During the past two years there have been two workshops that have begun to explore key buffer zone issues such as: definition of buffer zones; the nature of development activities in buffer zones, and the relationship between buffer zones and the protected areas that they surround. This project, which is supported financially by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, was planned to build on these previous initiatives and take the dialogue further with a systematic analysis of several field sites. The set of draft guidelines at the end of this report is one of the major outcomes of the project, and it is hoped that they will be the basis for developing regulations for buffer zone management. During the study many people contributed freely of their time and experience, and this is gratefully acknowledge. While in the field the study team was helped and supported fly National Park staffs at Ba Vi, Bach Ma and Cat Tien. The team was impressed with the dedication of these staff and their willingness to discuss problems and issues openly and constructively. It is hoped that the results of the study will be a positive step in contributing to Vietnam's protected areas being afforded the protection that is critical for them to survive into the futures Nguyen Ba Thu Hans Friederich Director, Forest Protection Department Country Representative Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development IUCN Hanoi Hanoi Acronyms and Abbreviations AREA Association for Research and Environmental Aid asl. Above sea level BZ Buffer Zone CTNP Cat Tien National Park CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CRES Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies DLA Department of Land Administration DOSTE Department of Science, Technology and Environment E Endangered/Taxa in danger of extinction EC European Committee FIPI Forest Inventory and Planning Institute FFI Flora and Fauna International FPBs Forest Protection Branches FPD Forest Protection Department Page 4 of 30 FSIV Forest Science Institute of Vietnam GDF General Department of Forestry GOV Government of Vietnam Ha/ha Hectare IUCN The World Conservation Union MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MOSTE Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment MOF Ministry of Forestry MPI Ministry of Planning and Investment NFAP National Forestry Action Plan PAs Protected Areas PAFDs Provincial Agricultural and Forestry Departments R Rare/Taxa with small world populations and is at risk SFEs State Forest Enterprises SNV Netherlands Development Organisation SPC State Planning Commission T Threatened/Species which are Endangered, Rare UNDP United Nations Development Programme V Vulnerable/taxa believed likely to move into the "Endangered" category VBA Vietnam Bank of Agriculture WB World Bank WFP World Food Programme WWF World Wide Fund for Nature 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Policy settings and policy evolution Policy for the management of protected areas in Vietnam needs to be seen in the context of policy for overall socioeconomic development. This has evolved considerably in recent decades. Following reunification in 1975, policy focused on expanding the agricultural land base within a centrally planned economy. State Forest Enterprises were mandated to maximise the exploitation of forests to mobilise capital for development. Substantial areas of forest were converted to agricultural land, and much of the remaining forest became severely degraded. A network of protected areas was established across the country between the 1960s and the 1980s to ensure permanent protection of Vietnam's biodiversity. However, by the mid-1980s it became recognised that forest degradation was occurring on an alarming scale both in the protected areas and across the landscape as a whole. The focus of policy began to shift towards embracing a conservation ethic along with the primary emphasis on economic development. This was accompanied by the radical renovation of the economy associated Page 5 of 30 with the move from a centrally planned to a market economy. In response to the degradation occurring in protected areas, buffer zones were proposed as a mechanism to shield the protected areas from exploitation by surrounding populations. At the present time, butter zones are regularly added to protected areas in planning documents and maps. However, there is still considerable confusion about many aspects of buffer zone management. For example: What are the management objectives for buffer zones? Who has authority to take management initiatives? How can buffer zone management contribute to the conservation of both the protected areas and the buffer zones? What are the best ways of involving buffer zone communities in buffer zone initiatives? There are no clear policies to address these questions. 1.2 Results of the study Case studies were carried out in the three National Parks of Ba Vi, Bach Ma and Cat Tien to explore the reality of conditions in the buffer zones, and in particular, the interactions between buffer zone communities and the natural resources in both the buffer zones and the parks. The findings revealed that there was no certainty about how buffer zones should be delineated. In some cases commune boundaries were used, while in others physical boundaries such as roads were used. This provided some confusion and uncertainty about whether people living inside and outside the boundaries of the buffer zones should be treated differently. Even more problematic was the situation in Cat Tien where the boundary of the park itself is not clearly defined and has been shifted several times. People do not know whether they live inside or outside the park. The role of State Forest Enterprises in buffer zone management is ambiguous. In general, they have a dual role of both carrying out forest management and supporting socioeconomic development of those people living in the areas under their control (many of whom are present or former workers of the Enterprises). In Bach Ma and Cat Tien the establishment of new economic zones after 1975 resulted in an influx of government sponsored and spontaneous migrants. In all cases there are dense populations living in the butter zones and the people rely heavily on the collection of timber and non-timber forest products for their livelihood support. Most people are impoverished, and have few alternatives to using the forests in this way. This has resulted in severe degradation of forests in both the buffer zones and the parks, in spite of the best efforts at law enforcement by park authorities. Most district and commune officials recognise the importance of buffer zones managed to reduce the pressure on the resources in the parks.

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