Local communities must be involved in nature conservation withinbiosphere reserves and at World Natural Heritage Sites in Vietnam toensure biodiversity is protected.
That was the conclusion ofenvironmental experts attending a workshop in Hanoi on March 9 organisedby the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) on conservation strategies for Vietnam.
A biosphere isestablished to conserve biodiversity by protecting natural resources. Itwas noted at the seminar that in many protected areas, wildlifeconservation typically involved prohibiting or limiting the use ofnatural resources on which local communities rely for their livelihoodfor generations.
This approach poses a significant threat to localresidents, who are often forced to leave their home to seek employmentopportunities elsewhere. In addition, many traditional practices arebeing threatened by current conservation practices, the seminar heard.
Thatis why the impacts of resource-management decisions on locallivelihoods must be considered. A more sustainable approach, theparticipants agreed, is to engage the local communities rather than getthem to "stand there as a guard to protect the areas".
KatherineMuller-Marin, UNESCO representative to Vietnam, said: "Many localcommunities live in and around biosphere reserves and world heritageareas and have rich inter-generational knowledge about the sustainableuse of natural resources.
"That's why it's important that thetraditional knowledge of communities living near such sites issafeguarded and integrated into local livelihood developmentinitiatives."
Vo Chi Trung, from Vietnam Man and BiodiversityNational Committee, said it is not until recently that we have realisedthe importance of local ingenuity in conservation. Although it was firstmentioned two decades ago, its application has been insignificantbecause such wisdom has not effectively translated into policies.
"Whenit comes to the effective use of natural resources, local people knowbest." He cited the example of U Minh Melaleuca forest where in theupper part there has been numerous fires, while in the lower sectionthere has been very few.
"The secret for this remarkable fact is thatin the lower U Minh bee keepers rely on the Melaleuca trees. They knowvery well how the wind changes and can help to very effectively preventforest fires," he said.
He said local people should be enlisted toprotect the local environment rather than forest rangers because theyknew the local environment best.
This view was echoed by Nguyen ManhHiep, from the Directorate of Forestry's Nature ConservationDepartment. He said local residents should be closely involved inprotecting the natural environment because there are only 10,000 forestrangers in the country but 40 million people whose lives depend onforests for their livelihood.
From September 2009 to June 2012, aUNESCO-led pilot project in four biosphere reserves in Ca Mau, HaiPhong, Dong Nai and Nghe An was designed to encourage local communitiesto develop non-timber forestry products and practise eco-tourism andparticipate in planning and zoning within buffer zones./.
That was the conclusion ofenvironmental experts attending a workshop in Hanoi on March 9 organisedby the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) on conservation strategies for Vietnam.
A biosphere isestablished to conserve biodiversity by protecting natural resources. Itwas noted at the seminar that in many protected areas, wildlifeconservation typically involved prohibiting or limiting the use ofnatural resources on which local communities rely for their livelihoodfor generations.
This approach poses a significant threat to localresidents, who are often forced to leave their home to seek employmentopportunities elsewhere. In addition, many traditional practices arebeing threatened by current conservation practices, the seminar heard.
Thatis why the impacts of resource-management decisions on locallivelihoods must be considered. A more sustainable approach, theparticipants agreed, is to engage the local communities rather than getthem to "stand there as a guard to protect the areas".
KatherineMuller-Marin, UNESCO representative to Vietnam, said: "Many localcommunities live in and around biosphere reserves and world heritageareas and have rich inter-generational knowledge about the sustainableuse of natural resources.
"That's why it's important that thetraditional knowledge of communities living near such sites issafeguarded and integrated into local livelihood developmentinitiatives."
Vo Chi Trung, from Vietnam Man and BiodiversityNational Committee, said it is not until recently that we have realisedthe importance of local ingenuity in conservation. Although it was firstmentioned two decades ago, its application has been insignificantbecause such wisdom has not effectively translated into policies.
"Whenit comes to the effective use of natural resources, local people knowbest." He cited the example of U Minh Melaleuca forest where in theupper part there has been numerous fires, while in the lower sectionthere has been very few.
"The secret for this remarkable fact is thatin the lower U Minh bee keepers rely on the Melaleuca trees. They knowvery well how the wind changes and can help to very effectively preventforest fires," he said.
He said local people should be enlisted toprotect the local environment rather than forest rangers because theyknew the local environment best.
This view was echoed by Nguyen ManhHiep, from the Directorate of Forestry's Nature ConservationDepartment. He said local residents should be closely involved inprotecting the natural environment because there are only 10,000 forestrangers in the country but 40 million people whose lives depend onforests for their livelihood.
From September 2009 to June 2012, aUNESCO-led pilot project in four biosphere reserves in Ca Mau, HaiPhong, Dong Nai and Nghe An was designed to encourage local communitiesto develop non-timber forestry products and practise eco-tourism andparticipate in planning and zoning within buffer zones./.
