NINH BÌNH — A project on Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation (VFBC) has made a significant impact at Cúc Phương National Park after five years of implementation, according to Việt Nam’s Forestry and Forest Protection Department.

Beyond providing vital resources for forest protection and management, the project has helped establish a modern conservation governance framework, strengthened community participation and laid the groundwork for sustainable development.

Deputy Director of Cúc Phương National Park Vũ Văn Dũng said that the VFBC has been one of the most significant support programmes for nature conservation efforts at Cúc Phương in recent years.

“The project was carefully designed to address the areas where Cúc Phương most needed support,” he said. “These ranged from forest protection and management, biodiversity conservation and strengthening law enforcement capacity to supporting communities in the buffer zone, as well as environmental communication and education.”

Representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in a working session with the management board of Cúc Phương National Park. — Photo courtesy of Cúc Phương National Park

Between 2021 and 2025, the project carried out 91 activities at Cúc Phương, 85 of which were completed, representing a completion rate of 93 per cent. The total value of investment into the project reached nearly US$655,000, equivalent to 79 per cent of the funding allocated to the national park.

Yet the project's greatest achievement lies beyond monetary value. It delivered tangible improvements to conservation, strengthening forest protection and management and gradually standardising biodiversity patrol and monitoring systems.

It also helped enhance the skills of park staff through structured training, funded conservation equipment upgrades and fostered greater awareness and responsibility among local communities about safeguarding the forest.

The project provided more than 350 training opportunities for staff at Cúc Phương National Park, covering sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, SMART patrols, wildlife monitoring and modern conservation management tools.

One of the VFBC's most significant achievements has been helping to modernise the park's management approach, Dũng said.

While many activities previously tended to rely on conventional patrol methods, management practices are now being progressively standardised, with greater use of technology, data-driven decision-making and modern monitoring tools.

One key achievement has been the strengthening of the park's biodiversity monitoring system. A network of 37 camera traps was installed across Cúc Phương, recording over 4,513 nights and capturing 4,373 independent images of wild animals.

“This provides invaluable scientific evidence for adaptive management and long-term conservation,” Dũng said. “Field monitoring has shown that many biodiversity indicators continue to remain positive, while a number of rare wildlife species are still being recorded in their natural habitats.”

Alongside forest protection and biodiversity conservation, the VFBC has placed a strong emphasis on linking conservation with community development.

According to the park's leadership, this is one of the project's defining strengths, as it addresses all three pillars of modern conservation simultaneously: forest protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods for communities living in the park's buffer zone.

Through environmentally friendly livelihood models, the development of non-timber forest products, community-based ecotourism and community participation in forest protection, the project has helped create jobs, increase household incomes and raise awareness of the value of forest resources.

Specifically, the initiative provided direct support to 280 households across four buffer zone communities to develop medicinal plant value chains, while 31 households in Bản Khanh joined a community-based tourism initiative.

In total, 330 people benefited from livelihood support and employment opportunities, exceeding the project's original target by 177 per cent.

“More importantly, local people are no longer simply beneficiaries of conservation efforts. They are gradually becoming active partners in managing, protecting and enhancing the value of the forest,” Dũng noted. “That provides a crucial foundation for ensuring conservation remains effective over the long term.”

A visitor at Cúc Phương National Park in butterfly season. VNA/VNS Photo Đức Phương

According to the Cúc Phương National Park management board, the achievements of the VFBC will serve as a foundation for future conservation efforts.

In the coming years, the park will step up the application of science and technology in conservation, expand environmental education, strengthen the recovery of endangered and rare species, and develop Cúc Phương into a national centre for sharing expertise in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, release and nature conservation.

The VFBC project was a joint initiative between the Government of Việt Nam and the United States Agency for International Development that was implemented from 2021 to 2025. It aimed to promote sustainable forest management, conserve biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.

In Việt Nam, the project was carried out in areas of high biodiversity value, including Cúc Phương National Park. — VNS