Vietnam - US cooperation joins hands to protect forests

Late last year, I had the opportunity to stand on the towering peak of Bach Ma National Park, one of the few places in Vietnam where the majestic Truong Son range stretches out, starting from the north and stretching out almost all the way to the coast.

Despite its breathtaking landscape, the area faces a host of challenges, including illegal logging, wildlife poaching, and a warming planet that increases the risk of forest fires. Damage to Bach Ma National Park will impact local communities as well as those living in Hue and Da Nang.

Bach Ma National Park plays an important role

Hope to continue recording rare species

That is why the U.S. Mission to Vietnam, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is committed to being a strong partner with Vietnam’s central and local government agencies, community leaders, and local environmental experts in the effort to protect and restore this beautiful, globally significant landscape.

In Vietnam, we have supported the installation of more than 1,200 camera traps in 21 protected areas in eight provinces across the country, forming the largest wildlife monitoring camera trap network in Southeast Asia. Over the past four years, these camera traps have recorded more than 1 million images, resulting in 120,000 wildlife sightings. These data are both worrying and optimistic. On the one hand, they show that wildlife populations are declining across the country. On the other hand, they confirm that these areas still have relatively high levels of species richness and endemism.

Vietnam is home to one of the world’s highest numbers of endemic species. Rare species such as the great antelope and the sun bear have also been spotted by camera traps, some of the few sightings in the country in the past 20 years. We hope that our collaboration will lead to further recordings of Vietnam’s rare species in the coming months, including possibly the Saola, one of the world’s rarest large mammals and one that is rarely photographed.

Ms. Aler Grubbs (middle) during a field survey at Bach Ma National Park.

We have partnered with national park rangers to improve their ability to identify and track wildlife migration routes using smartphones, helping them combat poachers. US government support has helped deploy the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) in protected areas across Vietnam, including Bach Ma, and trained rangers in how to use the system.

SMART allows rangers to simplify data collection through a user-friendly smartphone interface, allowing for real-time observations and rapid responses to emerging threats. SMART enhances law enforcement and assists park managers by providing insights into evolving threats and conservation needs. USAID’s partnership with the Forestry Administration (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam) has helped roll out the SMART model nationwide, increasing SMART patrols across all sites, thereby improving Vietnam’s baseline wildlife database.

We are working with communities around Bach Ma National Park and other protected areas across the country to expand economic opportunities through tourism and other sustainable small businesses to ensure households can support themselves economically while protecting animals and conserving the surrounding landscape.

USAID has also supported more than 300 conservation-friendly businesses run and owned by women in Vietnam, helping them adopt sustainable practices and improve their business leadership and management skills, contributing to sustainable forest management across the country. One of these businesses is the Huong Xuan Cooperative in Hoa Binh. USAID support has helped the cooperative develop a line of high-quality shampoos made from medicinal plants – an example of local sustainable development in harmony with the local ecosystem.

Win-win situation

We all benefit greatly from Vietnam’s diverse landscape. Protected areas including forests and national parks are home to wildlife and healthy ecosystems, which provide us with essentials such as clean air and water. Forests are the planet’s most effective carbon sinks, protecting us from the impacts of climate change and are a vital part of our daily lives; providing shelter and economic opportunities as well as products we use every day such as paper and wood, even medicines and cosmetics.

SMART simplifies data collection through a smartphone interface

We don’t always see nature’s contributions with our own eyes: the sense of relief we feel when we climb to the top of a mountain and look out over the valley below; the awe we feel when we see a wild creature in its natural habitat; the majesty we feel when we look up at a forest canopy that has taken hundreds, even thousands of years to reach that height. We often forget how much we depend on wild nature for everyday needs such as: air quality, water and climate regulation, prevention of soil erosion and natural hazards, and pollination for agriculture and wildlife.

Near the top of Bach Ma there is a bell for world peace. All who follow this path are invited to ring the bell for peace and remind us that Mother Nature cares for us, connects and inspires us all, no matter where we come from or what language we speak.

Our cooperation to protect Vietnam’s forests and natural areas is helping to build a foundation for an ever-expanding partnership between our two countries. I am very proud of the work we are doing together, preserving and protecting Vietnam’s forests for today and future generations.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/hop-tac-viet-my-chung-tay-bao-ve-rung-1852403201819571.htm