[Report 9. Full report 1.9 MB. pdf format]

Executive Summary

Ke Go proposed nature reserve is located in Huong Khe, Cam Xuyen and Ky Anh districts, Ha Tinh province. It comprises a 24,801 ha area within one of the largest remaining blocks of broadleaf evergreen forest in the level lowlands of central Vietnam. The proposed nature reserve encompasses a representative sample of the lowland forest habitats which formerly extended throughout the coastal plains of central Vietnam but which have now been largely cleared for agriculture. These forests of central Vietnam are a biodiversity "hotspot": the Annamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area (EBA) (ICBP 1992). The conservation importance of the Annamese Lowlands EBA is reflected by the fact that five bird species have their global ranges confined to this area. When established, Ke Go Nature Reserve will aim to conserve the populations of two of these species, Vietnamese Pheasant Lophura hatinhensis and Imperial Pheasant L. imperialis, which are confined to the northern part of the EBA. The proposed boundary of the nature reserve includes all the known localities in Ha Tinh province for these critically endangered species.

The topography of most of Ke Go proposed nature reserve consists of gently undulating hills below 300 m. Almost the entire area is forested but has been logged and undisturbed primary forest is virtually absent. While the hill tracts support logged primary forest, the more accessible lowland areas support secondary forest formations of varying successional stages. To date, 46 species of mammal, 270 species of bird and 562 species of plant have been recorded in the proposed nature reserve. Ke Go proposed nature reserve also conserves populations of 10 species of birds and 10 species of mammals considered globally threatened (IUCN 1996). The high species diversity and levels of endemism within Ke Go proposed nature reserve make its conservation a priority of international importance.

The forest of Ke Go proposed nature reserve has previously been classified as production forest and, as a result, has been subject to commercial logging for a number of years. However, the commercial timber value of the forest has declined significantly, to the extent that commercial exploitation is now of dubious economic viability. Within the proposed nature reserve, commercial timber extraction by Ky Anh II and Ha Dong Forest Enterprises continues in only a few forest areas adjoining the border with Quang Binh province.

Although there are no human settlements inside the proposed nature reserve, villagers from seven adjacent communes utilise forest resources, including timber, palm leaves and rattans. Local people engage in these activities in order to alleviate shortfalls in food production and to generate cash income.

Much of the proposed nature reserve lies within the watershed of Ke Go reservoir, which provides irrigation to villages in Cam Xuyen district. It should be noted, however, that the reservoir is of no conservation value and lies outside the boundary of the proposed nature reserve. In addition, watercourses throughout the south-eastern part of the proposed nature reserve drain into the watershed of the Gianh River, the major river system in northern Quang Binh province. Hence, preservation of forest cover within the proposed nature reserve is of great economic importance to the surrounding agricultural areas. The proposed nature reserve also has some potential for environmental education and promoting publc awareness. The proposed nature reserve is, however, considered to have low potential for tourism.

The nature reserve’s principal aim and management actions should centre on wildlife conservation, particularly the conservation of Vietnamese Pheasant and its habitat. To be successful, priority must be given to reconciling these management objectives with current resource use by local villagers within the nature reserve.

The aforementioned reasons provide the justification for the area to be designated a nature reserve rather than a national park. The nature reserve will be created by the amalgamation of 5,905 ha currently managed by Ha Dong Forest Enterprise, 11,385 ha currently included in Ke Go Watershed Protection Forest (WPF) and 7,511 ha currently managed by Ky Anh II Forest Enterprise. This management plan proposes to divide the core zone of the nature reserve into two areas: a strict protection area of 20,537 ha and a forest rehabilitation area of 4,264 ha. These areas were identified on the basis of their biodiversity, the current condition of the vegetation and present land-use. It is proposed to establish the headquarters on the south-eastern boundary of the nature reserve, in Ky Thuong commune. Five new guard stations will be constructed and two existing guard stations upgraded.

Ke Go proposed nature reserve and the surrounding forests form part of one of the largest blocks of lowland forest in central Vietnam. This entire forest area is under state ownership and under the jurisdiction and management of the Ha Tinh provincial Forest Development (FDD) and Forest Protection Departments (FPD), either as production forest or as WPF. Much of the forest area surrounding the proposed nature reserve is also subject to various levels of exploitation by villagers from adjoining communes.

It is rare in Vietnam for a protected area to be adjacent to or contiguous with other forest areas, as is the case with Ke Go nature reserve. The absence of adjacent forested areas often seriously compromises land-management options in the surrounding buffer zone. In this respect, Ke Go nature reserve presents a unique opportunity to develop management strategies for the sustainable development of the entire forest block. To ensure the long-term viability of the nature reserve and the surrounding forests, it is important that forest management in the buffer zone be sustainable and compatible with the aims of the nature reserve.

Long-term viability of the nature reserve will also require the revision of the existing management plans for Ha Dong, Ky Anh II, Cam Xuyen and Tuyen Hoa Forest Enterprises. Priority management recommendations for these forest enterprises should include: (a) an immediate moratorium on all logging in those forest compartments which border the nature reserve; (b) strict adherence to a 30-year felling cycle and rigorous attention to regulations governing the minimum diameter at breast height (DBH) of felled trees in all forest compartments; (c) a prohibition on the establishment of permanent settlements; and (d) a hunting ban. It is additionally proposed that reforestation with non-indigenous species be phased out and that further reforestation in the forest enterprises and Ke Go WPF be undertaken using locally obtained seeds from native tree species.

More difficult to reconcile will be the extraction of timber and non-timber forest products, from the nature reserve and surrounding forest areas, by villagers from the seven adjoining communes. In the proposed buffer zone, 35% of households are not self-sufficient in rice production. The situation is particularly severe in Cam Son commune, where 65% of households do not produce sufficient rice for their own consumption. Most of these households compensate for this shortfall by collecting and selling forest products. Villages with the highest degree of dependency on the nature reserve should be targeted first for rural development projects. The provision of assistance and resources should be conditional on the villagers recognising the nature reserve and pledging to discontinue non-sustainable activities that contribute to the decline of wildlife and the deterioration of natural habitats. Rural development projects that could be considered include: (a) introduction of higher yielding rice varieties and fertilisers; (b) improvements to the irrigation system; (c) introduction of and training in new agro-forestry practices; (d) small-scale infrastructure projects, such as wells, bridges and hydro-electricity generators; (e) road improvement; (f ) increased teacher-pupil ratios, improved teachers’ working conditions and upgraded school buildings and educational materials; and (g) credit schemes.

Before implementing any rural development projects, participatory rural appraisals (PRAs) must be conducted in the targeted villages to more accurately assess the needs and aspirations of the communities concerned. It is envisaged that this consultation process would result in project proposals which could be bilaterally funded and jointly implemented by development NGOs in collaboration with local institutions. Indeed, this management plan recommends the establishment of a nature reserve advisory committee, consisting of representatives from the village to the provincial level, as well as central government bodies and NGOs that are involved or interested in the progress of Ke Go Nature Reserve. This committee would work together with the nature reserve management authority to revise and then implement the management plan, in addition to developing and initiating activities in the buffer zone.

The creation of Ke Go Nature Reserve will have numerous and varied benefits. It will conserve the world’s only known population of Vietnamese Pheasant as well as populations of Imperial Pheasant and other endemic and globally threatened species. It will protect a significant part of the watershed of Ke Go reservoir, thereby safeguarding the supply of water for irrigation of agricultural land in Cam Xuyen district. The introduction of a sustainable system of forest management throughout the nature reserve and buffer zone area could ensure a constant supply of forest products for local people.

The establishment of Ke Go Nature Reserve will fill an important gap in the protected areas system of Vietnam and, by addressing an issue of international conservation concern, will assist Vietnam to fulfil its obligations under the Convention on Biodiversity.

[Report 9. Full report 1.9 MB. pdf format]