ADVANCING THE FOREST MANAGEMENT AT NAM CAT TIEN PROTECTION FOREST

In March 2025, Nam Cat Tien Protection Forest Management Board, in collaboration with partners including Center for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD), organized a training course: “Data Management and Patrol Reporting Using the SMART Tools.” The training was conducted for staff at Nam Cat Tien Protection Forest. The objective of the course was to introduce the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART Tools) and its applications in patrol management, reporting, and support for forest survey and biodiversity monitoring programs. This initiative aims to enable the Management Board to develop and operate a comprehensive and sustainable management system based on the SMART Tools.

During the training course, CCD experts provided participants with comprehensive guidance on the SMART Tools, including procedures of designing data models, setting up patrol activities, developing data collection protocols, and managing data input and reporting within the SMART system.

The program also included hands-on field sessions, where participants practiced collecting information using the SMART Mobile application on smartphones and updating the data into the SMART Desktop system. In addition, participants were guided through the processes of data synthesis, report generation, error correction, and finalizing databases and reports in accordance with the requirements set by the Management Board.

CCD has been actively collaborating with various forest management units in Đắk Nông Province — including Ta Dung National Park, Nam Nung Nature Reserve, Nam Tay Nguyen Forestry Company, and Dak Ntao Forestry Company — to develop and standardize management systems based on the SMART Tools. These efforts are aimed at enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of forest management, patrolling, forest protection contracting, and biodiversity conservation initiatives.