BACH MA NATIONAL PARK
( Project VN0012 )
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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