Today, June 21, Cat Tien National Park officially received the IUCN Green List title recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) after a comprehensive assessment process with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Biodiversity Conservation Component of the Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Project (VFBC).
Thus, Cat Tien National Park is the 72nd protected area in the world to achieve the IUCN Green List title.
“Cat Tien is the first national park in Vietnam to be awarded the IUCN Green List. This recognition demonstrates our commitment to nature conservation and biodiversity conservation in Vietnam,” said Pham Xuan Thinh, Director of Cat Tien National Park.
Asia accounts for 50% of the number of national parks and protected areas recognized as Green List globally. Vietnam is one of the first countries in Asia to join the Green List (since 2015), along with China and South Korea.
Mr. Pham Xuan Thinh (right), Director of Cat Tien National Park, received the IUCN Green List certificate awarded to Cat Tien National Park. Photo: PV
To achieve the IUCN Green List status, Cat Tien National Park has spent many years of continuous efforts, starting with the assessment of conservation measures, including the protection of endangered species and the preservation of the diversity of the ecosystem here. The park has carried out projects to restore biodiversity monitoring, restore habitats and conserve species.
Environmental education programs and initiatives have been implemented to raise awareness of the importance of protecting natural resources, while local community members are also involved in conservation activities, providing them with opportunities to develop sustainable livelihoods.
Furthermore, Cat Tien National Park has strengthened its management activities by enhancing its monitoring and enforcement capabilities; applying science and technology in wildlife patrolling and monitoring. The park’s staff are regularly trained to enhance their professional capacity to effectively manage and protect the area.
The holistic approach has played a key role in Cat Tien National Park's success in being nominated to the IUCN Green List, setting a high standard for protected areas in Vietnam and extending its influence further afield.
“Cat Tien National Park achieving the IUCN Green List status is an important milestone not only for national parks and nature reserves but also for the conservation community in Vietnam. The achievement demonstrates the commitment of the VFBC project to nature conservation and biodiversity in Vietnam,” said Mr. Vu Van Hung, Director of the VFBC Project, Forestry Project Management Board (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), the unit assigned to be the project owner.
Cat Tien National Park has done a very good job of preserving biodiversity. Photo: Tang A Pau.
Accordingly, the Biodiversity Conservation Component of the USAID-funded VFBC project has supported Cat Tien and 20 other project sites to conduct the largest-ever biodiversity survey in Vietnam; build capacity, invest in technology and equipment; establish community-based forest patrol and snare removal teams; and establish a collaborative management mechanism to enhance community participation in conservation, which is the basis for promoting effective management, achieving successful conservation outcomes, and ensuring that people living near the national park are actively involved in conservation-related decision-making.
Meanwhile, Mr. Van Ngoc Thinh, General Director of WWF-Vietnam, said: “Achieving the Green List title is a clear demonstration of the remarkable progress in management that Cat Tien National Park has achieved in the past two years, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and USAID. The Green List sets out the most stringent criteria for evaluating conservation activities and management of protected areas. Therefore, compliance with these criteria will help protected areas measure the progress and impact of activities, thereby identifying future conservation priorities.”
The IUCN Green List is a set of global standards for recognizing protected areas that have achieved successful nature conservation outcomes. The standards provide a verification process that ensures that sites meet and maintain 17 criteria and 50 indicators, divided into four areas: good governance; good design and planning; effective management; and successful conservation outcomes.
The Green List assessment process is conducted by an independent panel of assessors, with close oversight by IUCN. The Green List standards remain globally consistent but are adapted and applied to local contexts. The Green List standards are used to analyze governance gaps so that managers can identify solutions to improve management through performance outcomes.
“Achieving Green List status is not just about pursuing a title, but also about a long-term commitment and perseverance. In fact, two of the three Green List titles in Southeast Asia belong to Vietnam (Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve was recognized in 2021), demonstrating the determination of the Vietnamese Government to raise the standards of protected area management. We look forward to continuing to work with other protected areas to complete their Green List dossiers by the end of 2025,” said Mr. Jake Brunner, Director of IUCN Lower Mekong Region.
The IUCN Green List is a global standard for identifying protected areas that have achieved successful conservation outcomes. It provides a verification process that ensures certification of areas that meet a set of 17 global criteria, assessed using 50 indicators covering four components: good governance, good design and planning, effective management and successful conservation outcomes.
Source: https://danviet.vn/khu-rung-nam-giua-3-tinh-dong-nai-lam-dong-binh-phuoc-co-nhieu-loai-dong-vat-hoang-da-vua-nhan-mot-danh-hieu-quy-20240621103529135.htm
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