COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY--BASED BASED CONSERVATION CONSERVATION

OF THE HOANG LIEN MOUNTAIN OF THE HOANG LIEN MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMECOSYSTEM

Hoang Lien MountainsHoang Lien Mountains

CHINA

Muong La

ConservationConservation valuevalue

2. High levels of biodiversity: plants, birds and amphibians

1. Relatively large areas of natural habitats:montane and rare submontane forests

3. Globally threatened species:

TaiwaniaVietnamese Salamander

Beautiful Nuthatch Western Black Crested Gibbon

Rufous-necked Hornbill

Phayre’s Leaf Monkey

HuntingForest Fire

Selective LoggingNTFP collection

Project AimProject Aim

‘Pilot collaborative and sustainable approaches to biodiversity and landscape conservation of the Hoang Lien Mountain forests, which contribute to enhanced livelihoodsof people living in the area’

Result Areas:Result Areas:

1. Alternative buffer zone livelihood pilots

2. Co-management of Protected Areas

3. Landscape-level Interventions

LandscapeLandscape--level Interventions`level Interventions`• BOTTOM-UP TECHNICAL-BASED APPROACH:

- MAB original envisaged- trans-boundary workshop (China, Laos & Vietnam)- inter-commune (-district/-province) regulations on forest protection for PAs- inter-district/-province/-PA biannual operationalreviews (community rangers)

• DISCONTINUED MID-TERM:• - MAB abandoned after cost-benefit analysis

- over ambitious piloting new, grassroots-level models and harmonizing with inter-provincial/-national planning- learnt lesson from other projects - inter-provincial/-national interventions v. challenging in Vietnam! (compartmentalized government structure)

Participatory ‘Protected Area’ development• Zonation & demarcation - PLUP• Gazettement – contributions to investment plans• Operational Management Planning - contributions to OMPsParticipatory ‘Protected Area’ functioning • Community ranger forces – biodiversity, community outreach,

law enforcement and fire control• Village-level regulations on forest protection – negotiated

agreement• Inter-commune regulation on forest protection and

management Participatory ‘Protected Area’ decision-making• Co-management of protected areas – new institutional

structures & mechanisms to facilitate joint decision-making

• Livelihood pilots identified through integrated VDP

StrategyStrategy

Main Achievements Main Achievements -- LivelihoodsLivelihoods• Medicinal plants – potential for significant income generation;

SME already independently replicated

• Cattle fodder - potential for improving livestock (inc. fish!) biomass & health (income), in addition to reducing free-range grazing

• Demonstrated need for genuine sharing of responsibilities and benefits from (real incentives for) management natural resources inside SUFs (community forestry)

• Demonstrated positive impact on external structures (local government attitudes/behaviours) but not processes (legislation and development agencies/projects/programmes)

Main Achievements Main Achievements -- ConservationConservation

• New (zoned) ‘PAs’ developed through participatory processes, including Vietnam’s first SHCA as a new model of institutional co-management

• Stabilization of Vietnam’s last viable population of the globally EN western black crested gibbon (and significant reduction in hunting pressure - 30-50 %)

• Sustainable institutional and financial adoption of community-ranger forces

• Participatory approach to in situ conservation that put community-based principles into practice

Main Lessons LearntMain Lessons Learnt

• Win-win scenarios difficult to identify

• The enabling environment for significant livelihood benefits (natural resource tenure) from PAs still not present in Vietnam

• Challenge is to target natural asset improvement through the development of community forestry within PAs

• Need to forge strategic partnerships: environment and development

• Landscape-level interventions now possible by building on (linking) effective community based models at individual PAs

THANK YOUTHANK YOU