The SFMP aims to protect the intact genetic resources of rare and precious flora and fauna, biodiversity, watershed protection forests, build infrastructure serving training, scientific research and environmental education, and develop ecotourism. Therefore, the SFMP focuses on 9 key contents including: continuing to implement existing forest protection plan, forest development plan, forest fire prevention and fighting plan, plan of scientific research, training and human resource development, organism conservation and development plan, eco-tourism development plan, plan of socio-economic and infrastructure development in the buffer zone, and vehicle and equipment procurement plan.
3.1. Vision
The sustainable forest management plan (SFMP) of KKKNP in the period of 2020-2025 , with a vision to 2030, aims to:
- Protect intact genetic resources of endemic and endangered flora and fauna species and newly discovered species that are at risk of extinction.
- Protect the biodiversity of forest ecosystems, including primary forest vegetation, especially lowland subtropical evergreen moist forest vegetation with unique flora of broadleaf – coniferous mixed forest.
- Protect protection forests for river and stream systems, ensuring environmental security and sustainable development.
- Build infrastructure and technical facility serving training, scientific research and environmental education; develop ecotourism to contribute to socio-economic development and create jobs for local residents.
3.2 Management Objectives
The main management objectives SFMP plan are as follows:
- Socio-economic development
- Participate annually in the provision of forest environmental services with a total forested area of 41,913.78 ha, with an average unit price of about 401,273 VND/ha.
- Increase revenue from leasing the forest environment to develop eco-tourism with an area of about 1,500 hectares.
- Increase revenue from self-organizing other ecotourism, resort and entertainment services, scientific research activities and participate in the provision of forest carbon services.
- Environmental protection
- Maintain forest cover over 94.28%.
- Manage and protect the current forest area well and develop forest ecosystems through silvicultural measures.
- Conserve biodiversity, especially endemic and endangered species.
- Protect watershed protection forests for river and stream systems in the region, ensure environmental security and sustainable development.
- Meet the needs for job and livelihoods from the forest of the community living near the forest.
- Raise the people’s awareness of protecting forest resources, eliminate shifting cultivation and illegal exploitation of forest resources.
3.3. Key Threats to AHP Natural Values
The natural values of KKKNP are facing threats from anthropogenic and natural disturbances, mainly from illegal logging, forest encroachment, and forest fires.
- Illegal logging and forest encroachment
Most of the people living near the forest are from ethnic minorities and rely on the natural resources to maintain their livelihood as well as land area for agriculture production. This has resulted issues of forest encroachment for cultivation, illegal exploitation and transportation of forest products. Statistics results show that up to 95.6% of households use forest land for agricultural and forestry production. In which, the percentage of households using forest land to grow crops such as: cassava (accounts for 96.7%), litsea glutinosa C. B. Rob (accounts for 7.8%), corn (accounts for 3.3%), and coffee (accounts for 3.0%) (Oanh N.T, 2015). The ration of forest protection force of KKKNP and the management area is large, thus illegal exploitation of forest products is hard to control (Annex 5). In addition, support tools for suppressing violators are still weak.
- Forest fires
The dry season in the park usually lasts 6 months a year, from November to April. The strong dry monsoon makes the vegetation layers dried that increases the risk of forest fires. In addition, the forest area of Kon Ka Kinh National Park is intertwined with the shifting cultivation areas of the local people, thus the risk of forest fires is very high in the dry season.
3.4 Responsibilities of AHP
This section presents the responsibilities and obligations of the KKKNP as well as the issue of managing activities.
3.4.1 Forest management and protection, and biodiversity conservation
Activities relate to management and protection of forests and biodiversity conservation of KKKNP can be found in detail in the Annex 6, however, the park has still faced issues such as
- Locals understanding of forest protection law and awareness of protecting the natural values of the park is low.
- Encroachment of forest land for cultivation
- Low efficacy of village forest protection groups in preventing illegal activities and handle forest protection violations
- Risk of forest fires in dry season. The forest area under the park’s management is intertwined with the swidden production area of local people.
- Limited capacity of AHP staff (professional education) on biodiversity conservation. Thus, it leads to the limitation on effectiveness of the work of wild animal rescue and biodiversity conservation.
- Capacity of local forces for forest management and protection and forest fire prevention and fighting is still weak and the local forces expresses its passivity.
- Lack of incentives to encourage and engage locals in forest management and protection and forest fire prevention.
- Lack of investment in forest fire protection drills and training.
3.4.2 Management of planted forests
Role of KKKNP:
- Plant new forests on un-forested land, giving priorities to native tree species.
- Take care of trees that have been planted but have not yet become forests.
- Carry out forest enrichment in places where trees are unevenly distributed.
3.4.3 Management of ecotourism, resort and entertainment
In 2017, the KKKNP developed the masterplan for ecotourism development. The masterplan provides basic information and development strategy for ecotourism development in the KKKNP until 2020, vision towards 2030. The park is now working to upgrade the masterplan for the the period of 2020 – 2025, vision towards 2030. The number of visitors going to KKKNP is still small due to limitations in tourism management activities in the park, lack of infrastructure and human resources for tourism, and lack of close association with tour operators.
3.4.4 Management of community service activities
Community service activities in KKKNP include:
- Contract a part of the forest area for the hamlets/villages to manage and protect.
- Support for socio-economic development in the buffer zone according to the Government’s Decision No. 24/2012/QD-TTg.
- Build pilot models of agricultural and forestry promotion in buffer zone communes.
- Support to plant scattered trees, build green boundaries for the planning area of agricultural production.
- Raise public awareness of forest protection and management in the buffer zone.
- Support for training, restoring traditional handicraft and indigenous culture.
3.4.5 Management of payment for forest environmental services and leasing forest environment
KKKNP implements forest environmental services according to (1) Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP dated November 16, 2018 of the Vietnamese Government on detailing the implementation of some tasks of Forestry Law and (2) Decision No. 748/QD-UBND dated December 6, 2019 of Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee on promulgating regulations on on payment for forest environmental services in Gia Lai province.
3.4.6 Disseminating and educating the law on forest management, protection and development
Dissemination and education of the law on forest management, protection and development in KKKNP include the following main activities:
- Disseminating the policies and laws on forest management, protection and development.
- Providing guidelines on how to burn and clean up fields safely and forest fire prevention and fighting.
- Encouraging households that have swidden fields near the forest to sign a commitment on forest fire safety, and not encroaching on forest land.
3.4.7 Monitoring changes of forest resources and biodiversity
This is an activity implemented in accordance with Directive No. 32/2000/CT-BNN- KL dated March 27, 2000 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on assigning forest rangers to organize monitoring changes in forest land. Through a comprehensive and continuous forest survey, KKKNP has provided sufficient information on the quantity, quality and trends of the forest changes in relation to other socioeconomic activities. This is a basis for formulating strategies and plans for rational use, protection and development of forest resources, and socio-economic development in the region.
3.5 Status of the sustainable forest management plan
Currently, the SFMP of KKKNP is waiting for the approval by PPC.
3.6 SFMP Budget
The capital needed for the implementation of the SFMP is expected to be 342,505.11 million VND. The capital allocation is as Table 3. The capital will be used for the implementation of the specific activities as Table 4. Details of the budget for specific activities of SFMP can be found in Annex 8.
Table 3. The fund sources for SFMP from 2020 to 2030
| ID | Fund source | Amount (Million VND) |
| 1 | Central budget | 110,889.90 |
| 2 | Local budget | 1,800.00 |
| 3 | Forest environmental services | 153,145.21 |
| 4 | Other capital | 76,670.00 |
| 4.1 | International funding | 14,070.00 |
| 4.2 | Joint venture, Investment cooperation | 62,600.00 |
| Total | 342,505.11 |
Table 4. The capital for implementation of the specific activities from 2020 to 2030
| ID | Activities | Amount (Million VND) |
| 1 | Existing forest protection | 123,571.00 |
| 2 | Forest development | 12,262.70 |
| 3 | Forest fire prevention and fighting | 6,500.56 |
| 4 | Scientific research, training and human resource development | 16,370.00 |
| 5 | Creature conservation and development | 10,655.20 |
| 6 | Eco-tourism development | 50,500.00 |
| 7 | Socio-economic development in the buffer zone | 27,883.65 |
| 8 | Infrastructure development | 74,762.00 |
| 9 | Vehicle and equipment procurement | 20.00 |
| Total | 342,505.11 |
3.7 Existing Investments and Support
The existing infrastructure items of KKKNP had a total investment of 43,587 million VND (1.904.608 USD) (Annex 9). All of this capital came from the state budget. The existing infrastructure of the park are briefly described below:
- Works for management: These works have an investment capital of 25,915 million VND with such items as the office of the Management Board, the forest protection station, the system of notice boards, information signs, and internal patrol road.
- Works serving forest fire prevention and fighting: The total investment capital for forest fire prevention and fighting works is 6,693 million VND with such items as forest fire watchtowers, forest fire forecasting tables, forest fire fighting water tanks and dams.
- Works for scientific research: These works have an investment capital of VND 7,365 million with items such as the office of the Biological Rescue Center, the Museum of Flora and Fauna and the Botanical Garden.
- Works for ecotourism integrated with environmental education: These works have an investment capital of 3,614 million VND with items such as the office of the Ecotourism Center combined with environmental education, works of eco-lodges, rest stops on eco-tourist routes and notice boards on tourist routes.
3.8 Existing Arrangements for Access to AHP Resources
According to the Forestry Law in 2017, KKKNP can provide 5 types of forest environmental services (see section 2.5.2. above). Currently, KKK NP can only provide 2 services including “Protect soil, limit erosion and sedimentation of lakes, rivers and stream beds” and “Regulate and maintain water sources for production and social life”.
In recent years, the policy of payment for forest environmental services (PFES) has been an important financial resource contributing positively to the management and protection of forests and biodiversity conservation in KKKNP. From 2015 to 2020, the revenue from payment for forest environmental services that was granted to KKKNP is 68,817.6 million VND, including:
- Paying for households contracted to protect forests and provide forest environmental services: 27,536.029 million VND. AHP keeps 10 % of the collected PFES as administrative fees.
- Contributing to increasing incomes and improving livelihoods for 26 communities with nearly 772 Bahnar ethnic minority households living in the buffer zone.
- Creating revenue (39 billion VND after tax) for the Park to carry out other forest management and protection activities such as patrolling, hunting loggers and protecting forests; contracting labors to protect border areas, building forest guard stations, purchasing equipment for forest protection, etc.
3.9. Existing Measures and Mitigations
3.9.1 Solution for management and human resources
In order to improve the management and strengthen human resources, KKKNP will rearrange the organizational structure to suit the qualifications and expertise of each staff member. In addition, the National Park will focus on training the existing staffs to improve their professional qualifications and attract human resources to participate in the management activity.
3.9.2 Solutions for coordination with stakeholders
In the coming time, KKKNP will coordinate closely and promptly with forest owners, functional agencies and local authorities in forest management and protection. The park will be resolute with those who violate the Forest Law. At the same time, KKKNP will attract the community participation in forest management and protection and payment for forest environmental services.
3.9.3 Solutions on science and technology
KKKNP will apply information technology in management and monitoring of forest resources and regularly update the situation of forest protection. In the coming time, the park will build a forest fire warning system and a communication system for forest fire prevention. The park will focus on promotion activity and media to introduce biodiversity and landscape values of the park to tourists and researchers.
3.9.4 Solutions on capital sources and mobilizing investment capital
Investment capital for forest development KKKNP will be based on state budget. The park will increase revenue from forest environment leasing services for eco-tourism, resort and entertainment business. In addition, the park will promote capital mobilization and investment linkages from domestic and international investors.