Promoting Community-based Conservation Initiatives in Vietnam

Along with the population growth and pressure from the human needs, natural ecological systems in Vietnam such as forests, wetlands and coastal mangrove forests… have been cleared, fragmented and degraded. Accordingly, not only biodiversity and ecological values have been lost, but many traditional cultural values of communities associated with nature have also been eroded.

With that context, on December 20-21, 2018, PanNature in collaboration with Dak Lak Union of Science & Technology Associations organized the workshop: “Promoting community-based conservation initiatives that contribute to preserving cultural and ecological diversity in Vietnam” in order to create opportunities for communities’  in Dak Lak. 

The workshop aims at:

• Discussing the current status of natural areas which were protected by communities, including customary forests, water-sources-protecting forests , wetlands, etc.
• Discussing the models and criteria for community conserved areas;
• Recommending policies, mechanisms for community empowerment to conserve natural areas beyond the official protected areas system;
• Proposing policies to support communities, including policies on financial mechanisms, and benefit sharing.

The workshop was attended by nearly 70 delegates from state agencies, research institutions, civil society organizations and communities representatives.