BACH MA NATIONAL PARK


( Project VN0012 )


W


ithin the boundary of Bach Ma National Park, in the central highlands of Vietnam, are the country's wettest and lushest rainforests. In its heyday during the French colonial period, the park's highlands were a favourite summer resort, offering spectacular montane scenery and views, and pretty waterfalls. The spectacular and pretty landscape still exists. Although portions of the 22,000ha park were severely affected by defoliants sprayed during the Vietnam War and logging, these are now slowly recovering due to concerted planting programmes and reforestation efforts instituted by the local and central authorities.


Today, Bach Ma's forests still contain over 500 recorded flora species, including several valuable timber species such as the Shorea thorellii and Fokienia hodginsii, and endemic species.


There are at least 55 species of mammal present in the park. These include the clouded leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa ), leopard ( Panthera pardus ) and light­cheeked gibbon ( Hylobates concolor gabriellae ). Bach Ma also has a rich bird life - some 300 species can be found here, and they include endemic species such as the Annamensis Hill Partridge ( Arborophila merlini ).


Nearly 78,000 people live around the park. Many still depend on the forests for subsistence. Consequently, the park is faced with problems of logging, uncontrolled collection of firewood, cutting of vegetation for construction materials, hunting, fishing, and livestock overgrazing. In addition, the forests risk being cleared for farming.


WWF's project seeks to involve local communities and other affected parties in protecting the park. The primary goal is to develop and implement a natural­resource management programme, with full participation by the people living in or near the park. WWF hopes that the programme will at the same time improve the quality of life of these people, and thus become a model to be replicated elsewhere in Vietnam.


The organization is also helping local authorities review the management plan they prepared in 1990. Other project activities include helping the authorities develop an ecotourism plan and other sustainable community development schemes, training park protection staff, and collecting data on the park's animal and plant life.




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Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature