Despite its location in an area of special economic cooperation with high rates of growth, the communities of CMRNP buffer zone still have a high dependency on forest resources. Topography and forest protection restrict the access to agricultural land. Therefore, the buffer zone presents a number of additional challenges to the AHP management with a focus of attention on special use forests. Ethnically, it is not a homogenous area with significant differences in ethnic make-up, cultural norms and practices, access to goods and services, infrastructure and a diversity of land uses and ownership types.
Topographically, it is diverse, with differing access to agricultural land and livelihood opportunities and differing types of forest designation which have varying constraints on communities’ abilities to utilise forest resources for their livelihoods.
There is a multiplicity of authorities and non-state stakeholders in the buffer zone but there is little in relation to CSO or private sector support to buffer zone communities. Inequalities and inefficiencies in the policy and regulatory framework appear to make it hard to effectively implement forest management policies and systems leading to a continual degradation of protection and production forests, despite their formal protected status. In many instances this results in a focus on the exploitation of NTFPs without sufficient attention to their sustainable management. The system of forest management, in particular special use forests, still needs to be worked out and operationalised between the AHP management and the local communities.
While finance is a challenge to addressing the weaknesses in the management of the socio-ecosystem it is not the only barrier. Issues relating to common pool resources and community governance, the modalities of the Contracts between AHP and communes, also appear to be at play; creating a mismatch between the existing socio-cultural institutions and the modern government norms. The dissonance between informal resource tenure, a mix of common and private property regimes and the formal policy and regulatory framework.
The impacts of climate change are likely to be experienced most at this level, the communes, in terms to loss of livelihood, water provisioning, catastrophic events such as landslides, floods, droughts and wild fires, and damage to infrastructure.
The buffer zone of CMRNP covers an area of 88,925.62 ha in the area of 8 communes and 1 town (Bo Y, Sa Loong, Ro Koi, Sa Nhon, Sa Son, Mo Rai, Ya Xier, Sa Thay town) in Sa Thay and Ngoc Hoi districts of Kon Tum province (Figure 10). The buffer zone area is managed by communal authority of buffer zone communes. The organizational structure of the People’s Committees of communes, wards and townships.
4.3.1 Description of Communities
In 2020, the total population in the buffer zone communes of Chu Mom Ray National Park is about 52,880 people, the population density is about 59 people per km2. Previously, the communes in the buffer zone were located in the new economic program area, so the ethnic composition was quite diverse. Currently, there are about 23 ethnic groups living in the buffer zone of the Park, of which the majority are Kinh (37.8%), Xo Dang (23.1%), Gia Rai (14.6%) ) and Muong (8.5%). Ya Xier commune has the highest proportion of ethnic minorities (89.4%), followed by Sa Son commune Ya Xier commune has the highest proportion of ethnic minorities (89.4%), followed by Sa Son commune (84.0%) and Mo Rai commune (79.2%). At the end of 2019, the buffer zone of the Park has about 13,328 households, of which ethnic minorities account for about 64.2%. The buffer zone currently has about 29,556 people of working age, of which the proportion of women is about 49.9% (Table 11).
Ethnic minorities in the region all have their own characteristics in terms of customs, festivals, community activities and still continue to maintain their own activities and customs. Some ethnic minorities such as Ro Mam, H’Lang and Brau are among the few remaining ethnic groups in Vietnam with unique cultural traditions.
Figure 10. Chu Mom Ray National Park, its forest type and buffer zone.
Table 11. Population and labour in buffer zone communes of CMRNP by the end of December 2019
| ID | Administrative unit | Total number of households | People | Labour | ||||
| Total | Kinh | Other Ethnicities | Total | Male | Female | |||
| A | Sa Thay District | 8,027 | 32,621 | 15,508 | 18,123 | 17,561 | 8,733 | 8,828 |
| 1 | Sa Son | 655 | 2.256 | 1.584 | 674 | 1.316 | 667 | 649 |
| 2 | Sa Nhon | 1.007 | 3,167 | 3.446 | 240 | 2.020 | 1,069 | 951 |
| 3 | Ro Koi c | 1.447 | 5,330 | 534 | 4,983 | 3,247 | 1,640 | 1,607 |
| 4 | Mo Rai | 1.536 | 5,248 | 1,635 | 3,619 | 2,536 | 1,442 | 1,094 |
| 5 | Ya Xier | 1,530 | 5,538 | 429 | 5,109 | 2,588 | 1,141 | 1,447 |
| 6 | Sa Thay town | 1.852 | 11,082 | 7,880 | 3,498 | 5,854 | 2.774 | 3,080 |
| B | Ngoc Hoi District | 5,301 | 19,736 | 4.228 | 15,508 | 11,995 | 6,099 | 5,896 |
| 1 | Bank Y | 2,287 | 6,613 | 3,262 | 3,351 | 5,510 | 2,835 | 2,675 |
| 2 | Dak Kan | 1.330 | 8,473 | 8,473 | 2,200 | 1,111 | 1,089 | |
| 3 | Sa Loong | 1.684 | 4,650 | 966 | 3,684 | 4.285 | 2,153 | 2,132 |
| C | Total | 13,328 | 52,357 | 19,736 | 33,631 | 29,556 | 14,832 | 14,724 |
4.3.2 Stakeholders
The key stakeholders at locality that would be involved in planning and implementing the interventions on biodiversity and livelihoods in the CMRNP and buffer zone are briefly described below.
- Management Board and staffs of the CMRNP: The managers and staffs of CMRNP have been responsible for establishing and upgrading development plan and regulations. Closely collaborating with them for their support in information/data collection, defining baseline status, and priority/interventions identification and implementation.
- People’s Committees: People’s Committees from provincial to local levels are important stakeholders in the assignment with respect to policies, rules, regulations, planning and implementation.
- Forest Protection Department (FPD): FPD is responsible for forest protection and management at provincial level.
- Farmers’ Union: Farmers’ Union from provincial and local levels plays an important role in agricultural activities and farmer’s livelihood development in within and adjacent areas of AHPs. Comments and recommendations of Farmers’ Union will be very helpful for identifying needs and suitable interventions for livelihood development of local communities.
- Women’s Union: Women’s Union is a socio-political organization that is mandated to protect women’s legitimate rights and strive for gender equality. Gender perspectives and related-factors need to be considered during planning and implementation processes to ensure the success in community development. Thus, closely working with Women’s Union from provincial to local levels is crucial for identifying suitable interventions.
- Provincial Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (PCEMA): This is a specialized agency under the Provincial People’s Committee, with the function of advising and assisting the Provincial People’s Committee in performing the function of state management for ethnic affairs. The PCEMA organizes the implementation of policies, programs, schemes, projects, and pilot models of investment in particular socio-economic development, to support for ethnic minorities in border and remote areas.
- DARD and DONRE: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE) of Kon Tum and Gia Lai provinces are responsible for development of policies and plans relating to rural development and natural resources and environmental protection in the project sites. Closely collaborate with them for their support in information/data collection and decision-making process in planning and implementation phases of the project.
- CSOs and private sectors: Consulting with CSOs and private sectors within and outside the buffer zones is also important to understand local community concern, by which identifying suitable interventions.
4.4 Local Customary Laws, Local Conventions/Social Norms
At present, Chu Mom Ray National Park has signed a commitment with the majority of people and communities in the buffer zone on not exploiting forest products, illegally hunting animals, and not violating forest protection and prevention work. In the period 2021-2030, the park will continue to develop commitments to protect special-use forests in accordance with current laws, in the direction of clearly defining the responsibilities of village communities and local authorities in coordinating forest protection. The Park will develop regulations on sustainable exploitation of NTFPs in the ecological restoration and administrative services subdivision.
4.5 Land Use Plan and Status of Buffer Zone
Forest land in Chu Mom Ray National Park is only classified into two types including special-use forest and production forest, thus the park has no protection forest land.
In 2020, CMRNP has a total area of about 56,257.2 ha located in 8 communes and 1 town in 2 districts of Sa Thay and Ngoc Hoi. The Park has a plan to reduce the area of the park by 333.85 ha, so by 2030, the park will have a natural area of about 55,923.3 ha (Table 12). The reduced area includes 317.35 ha according to Document No. 1716/UBND-NC dated May 27, 2021, considering the adjustment and reduction of forestry land in CMRNP and 16.5 ha for provincial road DT674 and other specialized land. The total area of special-use forest of the park planned by 2030 is about 55,131.16 ha (increasing 547.56 ha compared to 2020).
Table 12. Land-use plan in CMRNP for the period of 2021 – 2030
| TT | Land type/forest type | Area (ha) | Note | |||
| 2020 | 2030 | Up or down | Change | |||
| Total natural area | 56,257.16 | 55,923.31 | -333.85 | -333.85 | ||
| 1 | Agricultural land | 56,253.35 | 55,817.57 | -435.78 | ||
| 1.1 | Forestry land | 56,250.62 | 55,814.84 | -435.78 | ||
| 1.1.1 | Production forest land | 1.667.02 | 683.68 | -983.34 | ||
| – | Forested land | 1.479.10 | 665.26 | -813.84 | ||
| – | Land without forest | 187.92 | 18.42 | -169.50 | -1.65 | Roads |
| 1.1.2 | Special-use forest land | 54,583.60 | 55.131.16 | 547.56 | ||
| – | Forested land | 52.811.96 | 53,892.44 | 1,080.48 | -93.06 | Border post |
| – | Land without forest | 1,771.64 | 1,238.72 | -532.92 | -242.47 | Border post, roads, cultivated land |
| 1.2 | No including in 3 forest types planning | 2.73 | 2.73 | |||
| – | Forested land | 2.73 | 2.73 | |||
| – | Land without forest | |||||
| 2 | Non-agricultural land | 3.81 | 105.74 | 101.93 | ||
| 2.1 | Specialized land | 3.81 | 8.78 | 4.97 | +3,4; -0.07 | Border post, Mo Rai Station |
| 2.2 | Waterbody | 96.96 | 96.96 |
4.5.3 Production forests
The planned production forest land of CMRNP by 2030 is 683.68 hectares (decreasing by 983.34 ha compared to 2020). The reduction in area is due to the plan to convert production forest to ecological restoration zone (sub-plot 663) and from ecological restoration zone to production forest (sub-plot 576 and 580a). Production forests in the park are mainly used for planting medicinal herbs under the forest canopy, combined with protection, and contributing to environmental protection.
4.6 Traditional Knowledge Relating to Nature and Biodiversity and the Benefit Sharing
Local people, especially ethnic minority groups in mountainous and remote areas have a diverse indigenous knowledge for daily activity and production that help them live harmoniously with nature. Traditional knowledge about agriculture (technique of intercropping, livestock production, plant breeding), human health care (by traditional remedies), use and management of natural resources (e.g., land protection, irrigation, water management), education (oral knowledge, local languages) has significant effects on socio-economic development, conservation of natural resources and biodiversity (Hung, 2017).
Currently, there are 23 ethnic groups living in the buffer zone of the park with 13,328 households, of which ethnic minorities account for about 64.2%. Ethnic minorities in the region all have their own characteristics in terms of customs, festivals and community activities that are expressed in the forms of (1) the Gong culture and (2) Epic story and (3) traditional genetic resources (Hung, 2017). They also have diverse knowledge of harvesting and using forest products (e.g., fruit, vegetable, medical plants, hunting animal) and breeding and cultivation. According to Cu (2015), local people in the Central Highlands in general and in buffer zone of the park in specific have used 610 plant species for medicine, 247 species for vegetables, 47 species for handicraft production, 39 species for dyeing, 43 species of poisonous plants, 73 species of plants flowers and ornamental plants and more than 20 species of wine yeast. Regarding experience of using animals, there are 133 species used for food, 17 species used as medicine, 01 used for dyeing and 9 species are used for ornamental purposes. The indigenous knowledge helps them sustainably using and protecting forest resources.