ADVANCING BIODIVERSITY MONITORINGAND CONSERVATION FOR CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK

Within the framework of the project “Conservation and Development of Biodiversity resources of Forest ecosystems in Cat Tien National Park” funded by AFoCo, Center for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD) coordinated with Cat Tien National Park to (i) assess training needs, (ii) develop training programs and materials, (iii) organise training courses for staffs of the Park.

In December 2021, CCD and Cat Tien National Park organized trainings for more than 60 technical staffs and forest rangers on forest protection as well as biodiversity monitoring skills. Through courses, experts from CCD share updated information on laws/regulations of forest, biodiversity protection; methods and techniques to monitor biodiversity, wildlife populations and endangered species; introduction of new equipment and tools for wildlife and biodiversity monitoring; planning for a monitoring program focus on the park’s iconic species such as the endangered primates, pheasants, ungulates and crocodiles in Cat Tien National Park. The courses not only covered the key infomation and methodology but also allowed trainees to on-site practice with specialized equipment such as drones, automatic recorders, camera traps together with SMART and QGIS software to aid their forest protection and biodiversity monitoring efforts.

By obtaining the updated information and sufficient skills to monitor the ecosystems and biodiversity, the staffs are more capable to manage and mitigate impacts human activity and climate change, thus preserve and restore Cat Tien’s forest. In the following years, CCD will continue its support to Cat Tien National Park in implementing more advanced training programs, and provide technical support to the park to monitor all important species and nurture its ecosystem and biodiversity.