Viet Nam is the easternmost country on the Indochinese Peninsula. It is situated in the tropical region, however, due to differences in latitude and the marked variety in topographical relief, Viet Nam’s climate tends to vary considerably for each region. The north has a tropical monsoon climate with four distinctive seasons, and temperatures in the south are less varied permitting only dry and rainy seasons.
Viet Nam is considered to possess a uniquely high level of biodiversity and supports the highest endemism in the Southeast Asian continent. The country is famous for its recently discovered species such as, Saola and many species of endemic birds, amphibians, invertebrates and vascular plants.
To date, the only protected area system to have been decreed by the government of Viet Nam are Special-use Forests (SUFs), which mainly comprise terrestrial forest sites but also include a small number of wetland and marine sites. The history of the SUFs system started with the establishment of the country’s first protected area at Cuc Phuong in 1962. This system now consists of 152 sites covering 7.2% of Viet Nam’s natural area. Following Forestry Law and other related legislations, the SUFs come under IUCN management categories: Ia, II, IV, V and VI. Viet Nam also has very diverse and large areas of wetland habitat, which are among the most threatened habitats and support some of Viet Nam’s most threatened species. A number of sites in Viet Nam have been designated under global conventions and some of these sites have also been decreed or proposed as national protected areas. Currently, Viet Nam has 9 Ramsar sites, all of which are designated Special Use Forest’s (SUFs); 9 Biosphere reserves; 5 ASEAN Heritage parks (all SUFs); 2 World Natural Heritage sites, and 1 World Mixed Heritage site.
| Site Name | WDPA ID | Country | Region | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Côn Đảo National Park | 303038 | Vietnam | East Asia | Candidate |
| Van Long Nature Reserve | 303045 | Vietnam | East Asia | Listed |
| Pu Mat National Park | 61595 | Vietnam | East Asia | Candidate |
| Cát Tiên | 303072 | Vietnam | East Asia | Candidate |
| Cuc Phuong National Park | 7878 | Vietnam | South East Asia | Candidate |
Mr. Dzung had spent most of his career with the Forest Protection Department in Viet Nam, which is the country’s leading agency in forest protection and conservation. Before his retirement in 2014, he used to serve as Head of Natural Conservation Division and later as Director of the Forest Protection Department. During his career, Mr. Dzung had been extensively engaged in forest/conservation policy development and implementation. Mr. Dzung was appointed as Chair of Viet Nam National Park and Protected Area Association since 2012.
Mr. Dzung graduated from the Department of Forest Sciences, Technical University Dresden, Germany as Diplomforstenginieur and later obtained Master in Environmental Management and Development degree from the Australian National University.
Dr. Ha started working on biodiversity conservation and Protected Area management since 1999, after he graduated from Vietnam National University of Forestry. Ha had his MSc in International University of Andalucía, Spain in 2003 and PhD on Biology in Vietnam’s Academy of Science and Technology in 2008. Dr. Ha used to work for Central Institute for Natural Resources Management and Environmental Studies (CRES) as a researcher until 2015, for USAID’s Combating Wildlife Trafficking Programs as Program Manager and Coordinator from 2015 to 2017; and for Center for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD) as strategic advisor from 2017 to date. Dr. Ha is also an executive member of Vietnam’s National Park and Protected Area Association (VNPPA) and an advisor of Vietnam’s Man & Biosphere Programme under Vietnam’s UNESCO Committee. With his experience, knowledge and enthusiasm in supporting an effective protected area system in Vietnam, he was voted as Co-chair for Vietnam EAGL.
Mdm. Truong is a Thai ethnicity who has more than 20 years working with a number minority ethnic groups in mountainous areas of Vietnam. Mdm. Truong and her organization, CSDM, has backstopped an ethnic minority networks called Vietnam Indigenous Knowledge (VTIK) composed of around 2,000 members from 11 ethnic groups of Vietnam. With the leadership from Mdm. Truong, CSDM has been acting in a number of activities to empower minority ethnic groups in people-led development; protecting and promoting indigenous knowledge, culture and language; encouraging ethnic minority people to assert their rights on land tenure, collective rights on community forest and natural resource management for sustainable livelihood and maintaining biodiversity; and facilitating ethnic minority to promote FPIC and their full and effective participation in forest protection and REDD processes. Mdm. Truong and CSMD is working hard to strengthen indigenous community organizations and facilitate them to network with national, regional and international organizations for advocacy on indigenous peoples rights at different levels.
Pham Hong Long is an Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University in Hanoi. He graduated from Vietnam National University in Hanoi before receiving his Master’s degree in Malaysia and PhD’s degree from Rikkyo University in Japan. His major teaching and research areas are ecotourism, community-based tourism, sustainable tourism development, responsible tourism, environment and tourism resources, tourism laws and policies, state management for tourism, and tourism in Southeast Asia Countries. He is an editorial board member of International Journal of Tourism Sciences and a member of steering committee of Critical Tourism Studies – Asia Pacific. He is also a leading consultant in sustainable tourism, community-based tourism and ecotourism in protected areas in Vietnam for international organisations such as British Council Vietnam, KOICA, GIZ, USAID, ILO and JICA.
Prof. Chu Hoi received BSc in marine geo-chemistry (1974) in University of Hanoi, and the PhD in Natural Science in University of Warsaw, Poland (1984); professorship from 1996 and awarded High-Level Researcher title by the Government of Vietnam in 2001. His main active areas include coastal marine governance policy, relating to marine pollution management, integrated coastal management (ICM), marine protected area (MPA) and marine spatial planning (MSP) etc. Prof. Chu Hoi is a champion in the establishment and development of Marine Protected Area network for Vietnam.
Before back to lecturing in University of Natural Sciences, Hanoi, Prof. Chu Hoi used to serve as Director of Haiphong Institute of Oceanology (1989-2001), Director of Vietnam Institute of Fisheries Economics and Planning (VIFEP) (2002-2007), and Deputy Administrator of Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI) (2008-2012). He was also acting as Chairman for ASEAN-COST Sub-Committee on Marine Sciences and Technology-SCMSAT (1998-2001), ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment-AWGCME (2001-2011). Prof. Chu Hoi is also a member of Steering Committee of Global Ocean Forum (GOF) from 2004 until now, Chief Editor and then Member Editorial Board of several National Journals in Vietnam on marine science and technologies, and member of the Editorial Board of Elsevier International Journal on Ocean & Coastal Management (2005-2010). Prof. Chu Hoi has participated in a number of national, regional and international fora and events on coastal and marine affairs and environment. He was a former national focal person of PEMSEA, COBSEA, IUCN MFF and is a member of National Advisory Committee for the UNDP GEF-SGP Vietnam.
Having BSc in 1977 and PhD in 1986 from Hanoi National University, Prof. Tri is a leading mangrove ecologist and biologist in Vietnam. He was awarded full professorship in 2010 as one of first professors in biology of the country. Prof. Tri taught biology in Hanoi University since late 1970s, just after his graduation, until recently. In 2012, he was appointed as President and Secretary General of Vietnam Man and Biosphere National Committee. In this field, he successfully supported nomination of 9 biosphere reserves in Vietnam. Although retired from teaching now, Prof Tri is still leading a number of researches to promote sustainable management of Vietnam national biosphere reserves network. Prof. Tri has been also acting as member of a many international affiliations (e.g. UNESCO/MAB World Network, International Society for Mangrove Ecosystem-ISME, and Coastal Resources Network-TERRA etc.) and providing technical advisory for many donor projects and initiatives including SARCS/ WOTRO/ LOICZ projects, Oxfam UK etc.
Thai founded Save Vietnam’s Wildlife in 2014 after nearly a decade fighting for wildlife conservation in Vietnam.
In 2005 he joined the Asian Pangolin Conservation Program based in Cuc Phuong National Park: first as volunteer and then as program coordinator. After success in rescuing and rehabilitating pangolins, Thai was then responsible for all activities related to the captive management of carnivores and pangolins as the captive manager at CPCP. Thai has carried out many research projects both in captivity and in the wild, resulting in him co-authoring many published papers in international scientific journals.
He was chosen as one of 40 wildlife heroes in the Wildlife Heroes book, published in the United States in 2012 and in 2016 he was awarded the prestigious Future for Nature Award. He is also Vice-Chair of the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group. Thai’s success has stemmed from his devotion to threatened species backed by solid scientific research.
Thai has a Master of Science (Environmental Science) and Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management and Development from the Australian National University, and a Graduate Certificate in Durrell Endangered Species Management from the University of Kent and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Dr. Quyet is one of the leading field biologists in Vietnam and is pleased to be a member of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group. He is best known for his work on the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus), one of the most endangered primates in the world. He has extensive field experience across Vietnam, and in addition to working on primates, he has co-authored papers naming three new snake species. He is an extremely talented photographer and enjoys using beautiful nature photos to inspire others to be interested in conservation. Quyet received the the 2014 Sabin Prize for Excellence in Primate Conservation.
Started working with CRES since it’s establishement in 1985, Dr. Thang is now responsible for biodiversity conservation of CRES, especially wetland biodiversity and conservation. He is representative of CRES for IUCN Vietnam as it’s organizational member.
Dr. Hoang Van Thang graduated form Unveristy of Hanoi in 1981 as a Bachelor of Biology, where he worked for 5 years as lecturer assistant. He joined CRES in 1985 as one of the first staffs of the centre. He then took his Master Degree on Environmental Planning from SPEA, Indiana Unviersity, USA in 1996 as a Fulbright Scholar. He got his PhD degree in 2005 from Hanoi University of Science of Vietnam National University on Ecology (wetland concentration). He became the Vice Director then Director of CRES since 2006 to 2016. In 2017, he was assigned as Director General of VNU-CRES till January 2019.
Mr Trinh was one of very first people working in MPA in Vietnam and one of the founding members of Vietnam MPA Network.
Dr Trinh obtained his bachelor in biology at Da Lat University (Vietnam), master degrees of water and land resources management at International Environmental Hydrolic Unvierstiy (Holland) and South Carolina University (US), and PhD degree of human ecology (co-management) at University of Social Science and Humanities (Vietnam). He has been working for the Cham Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA), Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, Viet Nam since it was established in 2003. His professional work focuses on community-based management on environmental and natural resources in the MPA. He has participated in community education programs on marine protected areas, garbage management, biosphere reserve management planning. Trinh is also teaching as a guest lecturer for several courses on community based environmental management, environmental planning, and river mouth ecological systems in different universties in Vietnam.
Dr. Duc graduated from the National University of Forestry, Vietnam in 1999, where he later completed his M.Sc. degree in 2003. Duc gained PhD in Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, in 2015.
Dr, Duc used to work for several international environmental organizations in Vietnam before being a professional freelance consultant. His clients included organizations such as FAO, USAID, IUCN, WWF, FFI, SNV, GFA, JIA, SA, etc. Duc also works for private clients in Vietnam related to FSC FM, FSC CoC, Due Diligence and Supply Chain Analysis.
In his employment history, Dr. Duc worked to promote natural forest conservation in different areas relating to policy advocacy, biodiversity conservation, law enforcement, sustainable forest management, FSC forest certification, legal timber trade, supply chain analysis, green development and transform the global marketplace into a force for saving the world’s valuable and threatened species and forests.
Graduated from Hanoi Agricultural University more than 50 years ago, Madam Hien first worked as a Lecturer and Researcher in Hanoi Agriculture University. In late 1990s, soon after earnt her second MSc. on Agriculture from University of Sydney, Australia, Hien worked for few international and national NGOs with a new focus in the rural community development and poverty reduction. In 2004, Hien founded the Centre of Research and Development in Upland Area (CERDA) and has been acting as Director of CERDA to date. Hien has rich experiences in a number of topics including community development, gender equity, climate change, especially REDD+, forest land tenure, community based organiztion development, ethnic minority rights and tradition knowledge conservation etc. Madam Hien is also a welknown activist who is representing women, mountainous farmers, ethnic minority people and other highly-vunerable groups in many policy debates such as PFES, REDD+ at national and regional and international levels.a
