Training workshop on strengthening capacity for staffs of Protected Areas on sustainable development in the context of natural disaster risks and climate change

From 25-27 September 2019, the Center for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD) under the instruction of Mr. La Quang Trung – Integrated Conservation and Development specialist and Mr. Bui Tien Dung – Community Forestry specialist delivered a training course on improving capacity for 25 protected area staff on sustainable development in the buffer zones of protected areas (PA) in Bidoup-Nui Ba national park, Lam Dong province. This is one of activities of the project “Integrating biodiversity conservation, adaptation to climate change and sustainable forest management in the Trung Truong Son landscape” (the BCC-GEF project). Trainees are representatives from six protected areas including Sao La Nature Reserve (NR) and Song Thanh NR of Quang Nam province, Phong Dien NR and Sao La NR of Thua Thien Hue province, and Dak Rong NR and Bac Huong Hoa NR of Quang Tri province.

The training workshop focused on sharing and discussing information on:  i) Sustainable development in PA’s buffer zones; ii) Conflicts between nature conservation and development: Solutions; iii) Successful livelihood development models in PAs; iv) Finance for sustainable development in PA’s buffer zones: Payment for forest environmental services, payment from forest allocation for protection, and funding from the private sector and international projects; v) Sustainable development in the context of climate change and disaster risks; and vi) Lessons learned from JICA project in Bidoup-Nui Ba national park. Participants were also taken to the field to visit two sustainable income models in the buffer zone of Bidoup-Nui Ba national park.

At the end of the training, all participants understood basic principles of sustainable development in the buffer zone, livelihoods models, mobilization of financial sources for sustainable development in buffer zones of PAs, and how to protect their development achievements against natural disasters and climate change.

CCD is coordinating with other partners and donors to strengthen capacity for protected areas’ personnel and local communities on nature conservation. With their capacity strengthened, protected area’s staff then could facilitate better collaboration amongst stakeholders and the involvement of local communities in sustainable forest management and livelihood development, which take into account natural disaster risks and climate change to contribute to the country’s efforts on poverty elimination and archive global sustainable development goals.

Photo 5: Visiting the captive cow model of Mr. Pang Ting Ram of Co Ho ethnic group