5.1 Synopsis
The buffer zone imposes restrictions on the livelihood activities of many of the communities who reside there. Restrictions in terms of land available for agriculture, use of forest resources and constraints on the development of settlements as well as inefficiencies and inequalities in collaborative approaches to forest management which are intended to benefit all parties and provide a public good are not providing the expected benefits to all parties to the agreement.
Topography place many of the buffer zone communities at a disadvantage in economic terms as well as accessing basic services, often resulting in a high dependency on forest resources, higher levels of poverty and food insecurity. Cold wet winters present challenges to livestock rearing.
The diverse ethnic make-up of the buffer zone communes creates different challenges and opportunities in relation to forest management due to their different tenure, cultural approaches to farming and common pool resources management and gender equality. Furthermore, the rich cultural diversity presents tourism opportunities if developed sensitively. However, there is a very high livelihood dependency on activities which are illegal according to the forestry regulations.
Policies and plans to promote collaborative management and establish PES systems face challenges in their effectiveness of meeting the twin goals of ecosystem resilience and livelihood security, possibly with high transaction costs and inefficiencies and inequalities in the costs and benefits of managing forests.
A focus on intensification of farming and production is replacing some traditional farming practices which may be more resilient in terms of ecosystem goods and services. However, a failure to recognise and account for these ecosystem goods and services creates an apparent inefficiency in the traditional, mixed, methods of farming leading to their replacement by intensive approaches to farming and the loss of ecosystem services.
Access to financial and material resources for livelihood development are restricted within the buffer zone communities and there are significant barriers to local communities entering unfamiliar markets (e.g. tourism) or developing non-agricultural income-generating activities and adding value to existing agricultural produce. Similarly, policies intended to protect the landscape prevent farmers from achieving the full economic potential of their farms. In effect the costs of landscape protection are internalised and the benefits while any benefits are externalised. Women, especially those in ethnic communities are particularly disadvantaged and there is considerable out migration to nearby urban centres.
The SGP packages (community development, community outreach and conservation awareness) are designed to support capacity building within the local communities and direct financial and technical assistance to farmers, resource users and through a mix of market-orientated and resource management approaches by:
- Building local community capacity in collaborative management planning, in particular using existing community organisational structures;
- Raising awareness of the natural values and potential economic benefits of the AHP;
- Strengthening community-led approaches to forest management;
- Market led approaches to product (agricultural and NTFP) development intended to capture greater value at the commune level and reduce transactions costs by shortening value chains;
- Increasing the language skills, particularly for women of ethnic minorities to allow them to participate in the formal economy and have better access to services;
- Providing micro-packages to support individual initiatives and address specific micro-barriers to developing income generating initiatives;
- Raising awareness of the impact of climate change and enabling local level planning for mitigation and adaption;
- Upgrading and building resilience into traditional farming systems.
Gender equality is an important and cross-cutting objective of the ACB SGP and SG interventions will be specifically geared towards supporting women and women’s groups in all aspects of the small grant packages.
5.2 Economic Profile
5.2.1 Formal Economic Activities
In the buffer zone of CMRNP, the formal economic activity is still not well-developed and managed. Among the buffer zone communes, Ro Koi and Mo Rai communes have the Cooperatives but they are still on small-scale. Noticeably, in Mo Rai commune, there are five (5) OCOP products (One commune-One product) recognized by the PPC as three-star, including Green-skinned grapefruit, Mango, Taiwan guava, Tangerine and Dried bamboo shoots. Mo Rai commune has a Cooperative (namely Doan Ket Truong Xuan) with total area of 17 hectares of fruit trees, and revenue reaches 200 million VND/year. Since 2020, TH Group has started a dairy project and a high-tech milk processing factory in Mo Rai commune, which is a condition and an opportunity to promote the commune’s livestock industry to develop in the future.
5.2.2 Informal Economic Activities
In the buffer zone of CMRNP, poor households and ethnic minorities account for high proportion. In the buffer zone, farming is the main production activity providing the main income source for local community. The main crops include annual crops (e.g., rice, maize, cassava, vegetables, beans) and perennial crops (e.g., coffee, rubber, Litsea sp., fruit trees) (Figure 11). The key informal economic activities (source: Data from interviews in 2021; 97 households) are described in the Table 13 below.
Table 13. Key information of local community in buffer zone of CMR NP
| ID | Variable | Information |
| 1 | Ethnic minority | 23 |
| 2 | Average number of family member | 5 |
| 3 | Average number of labours in family | 3 |
| 4 | Monthly income | 4.6 million VND (~ 200 USD) |
| 5 | Main income source | Agricultural production: 93% Other works: Free workers, rubber tapping, small trader, grocery seller |
| 6 | Household status | 26.5% of poor and near poor households: |
| 7 | Living house status | 21.4% of makeshift houses |
| 8 | Time of food scarce | Scarcest from January to May |
| 9 | Measures to overcome food scarce | Borrowing from relatives and neighbours: 51.4 % Selling crops: 8.1 % Selling livestock: 10% Exploiting NTFPs: 5.4% |
| 10 | Rice area | 46% of households have rice field Average area per household: 962 m2 |
| 11 | Rice productivity | 607.7 kg |
| 12 | Coffee area | 42.8% of households have coffee land Average area per household: 4892 m2 |
| 13 | Cassava area | Average area per household: 9275 m2 |
| 14 | Income from cassava | 23.1 million VND/year |
| 15 | Rubber tree | Average area per household: 4969 m2 |
| 16 | Income from rubber tree | 62.4 million VND/year |
| 17 | Income from NTFPs | 115,000 VND/year |
| 18 | Distance to area of NTFPs | 6 km |
| Figure 11. Agricultural production in buffer zone of CMRNP |
5.2.3 Non-economic Livelihood Activities
The buffer zone of Chu Mom Ray National Park has 23 different ethnic groups with different cultural characteristics, languages, forming a unique picture of ethnicity and culture. The diversity of customs, festivals and different community activities constitute a source of cultural materials. Local people often participate in non-economic livelihood activities such as traditional festivals, Xoan dance, worshiping ceremony (Rice field god-worshipping ceremony, opening paddy grain warehouse ceremony) and cuisine activity.
5.2.4 Key Livelihood Issues and Challenges
Advantages and disadvantages of economic and social conditions in the buffer zone of Chu Mom Ray National Park are described below.
- Advantages
The buffer zone communes have an abundant workforce, sufficient to meet the needs of performing annual silvicultural works, coordinating forest protection and FPF patrols. People’s intellectual level is increasing gradually and local people are somewhat aware of the role of forests in social life. Therefore, the proportion of people who agree to support forest management has also increased.
- Disadvantages
In the buffer zone, the people’s life is still difficult and the education level is still low. The farming practices of the local people have not been developed and often face with several difficulties (Figure 12). The ability to apply scientific and technical knowledge in production and business is still limited.
| Figure 12. Difficulty in agricultural production in buffer zone of CMRNP |
| (Data from interviews in 2021) |
Local people’s income is mainly from agricultural production and forest products. The process of economic and social development in the buffer zone area creates pressure on forest resources and biodiversity of CMRNP. Currently, the prices of forest products are increasing, the population is large, the production land is not enough, so the hunting and trading of wild animals, the exploitation of timber and non-timber forest products, grazing in the bordering areas of the park will be increasingly complicated. It is estimated that 20.4% of local people in buffer zone do not know the border of the park, and due to complexity of different minority groups, 70.4% of local people do not care about the permission for NTFPs collection in the core zone. They are still inactive in show opinion in forest protection activity with Management Board of CMRNP (94.8%) (Table 14)
The park needs to coordinate with local authorities to come up with solutions to support livelihood development, select appropriate livelihood development activities. The local government and the Management Board of the park will review and supplement the development of a convention with each community to protect the forest.
Table 14. Awareness of local people in buffer zone in forest management and protection
| ID | Variable | Information |
| 1 | Contract for forest protection | 42 people for each contracted community 4-7 people in a protection team |
| 2 | Satisfy with payment for forest protection | 43%: Satisfaction 55%: Have no idea |
| 3 | Show opinion in forest protection activity with Management Board of CMR NP | 94.8 %: Not yet |
| 4 | Knowing the manager/owner of forests | All households think that the managers are CMR NP and communal people committee |
| 5 | Allowing to collect NTFPs in the core zone | Not know: 70.4% Not allowed: 19.4% Allowing: 10.2% |
| 6 | Village/commune regulation on forest protection | Not know: 73.4% Have regulation: 27.5% |
| 7 | Knowing CMRNP regulation | Know: 88.7% |
| 8 | Knowing CMRNP border | Not know: 20.4% |
| 9 | Effect of CMRNP regulation and border on local people livelihood | No effect: 69.3% Not know: 28.5% |
(Data from interviews in 2021, 97 households)
5.2.5 Non-governmental and Civil Society Initiatives and Support
The information on support from Non-governmental (NGO) and Civil Society (CSO) Organizations in the buffer zone of CMRNP is limited. Local people in buffer zone have get benefits from the following project and program supported by international NGOS.
- Project of Supporting and taking care of the poor health in the Northern mountainous provinces and the Central Highlands (HEMA): The project has contributed to improving access to quality health services for the poor; help village health workers reach people in the most difficult to reach areas. The project has trained more than 3,000 village health workers. More than 90% of children under 1 year of age are fully vaccinated; nearly 200,000 people are supported by the project with medical examination and treatment costs.”
- Program of Supporting immunization services for Vietnam’s Expanded Immunization Program, 2008-2011″ funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
- Project of building community capacity in development initiatives funded by the Government of Ireland: There were 831 community initiatives on climate change adaptation livelihood models, child protection, nutrition, clean water and sanitation, bringing benefits to more than 100,000 people, of which 55% are women and 8% are disabled. The project trained for 27 commune monitoring boards and 231 village development boards and community groups on community development methods, knowledge of farming and livestock, promoting gender equality.
- The project “Emergency support to overcome drought and saltwater intrusion in the South-Central region, Central Highlands and Mekong Delta” is funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
5.3 Women and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC)
Women and children, especially from ethnic minority are the most vulnerable groups under a global change (Figure 13). In buffer zone of CMRNP, ethnic minorities and female labour account for about 64.2 and 49,8%, respectively. Women have fewer opportunities than men with respect to education employment, decision making and social activities. For instance, just 4% of survey households show that women have right of decision making in family. Women are often overworked with many works such as cultivation, daily family work and NTFP collection. It is crucial to increase the implementation of women’s and children’s rights, focusing on (1) maternal and child health and nutrition care and (2) gender education.
| Figure 13. Woman and children in buffer zone of CMR NP |
5.3.1 Women and IPLC Challenges
- Challenges on women right
Ethnic minority women are more disadvantaged than men in all aspects, from division of labour in the family to their voice in the family and community. This has created a gender model in families and communities that tends to increase men power, whether in patriarchal or matrilineal societies (e.g., Ede, Gia Rai and M’Nong ethnic groups). As a result, ethnic minority women are at risk of being physically and/or mentally harmed. For instance, customary law of Gia Rai people allows a woman whose husband has died to marry that husband’s grandchild. The strictness of this customary law has caused many women to fall into unhappiness, suffering from the age difference with their husband.
Similar to many mountainous regions in Vietnam, local people in Chu Mom Ray National Park are challenging with many gender inequalities such as vulnerability of certain female-headed households to poverty; women working longer hours than men and for less pay; women’s limited access to resources and job; and poor representation in decision-making process (ADB 2005).
- High poverty rate, low education and health care
Local people, especially ethnic minority groups in the buffer zone of CMRNP have high poverty rate. For instance, in Ya Xier commune, the poverty rate is currently over 16%. They also have low rate of education (e.g., in Bo Y commune, the rate of students graduating from secondary school is under 98%.). In Sa Thay district, the number of kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools met national standards was less than 50, 60, 30%, respectively.
Local people tend to live in the most remote and least accessible communes, thus health care in their villages and communes is often very poor. For instance, in Sa Loong commune, the rate of stunting in children over 19%; In Bo Y, the rate of underweight malnutrition in children under 5 years old is over 15%; In Ro Koi commune, the rate of malnourished children is over 10%. On average, in Kon Tum province, pregnant women with ≥3 antenatal check-ups (%) in 2012 was 62.7% and pregnant women under management in 2010 was only 66.0% (UNICEF, 2014)
- Challenges indigenous knowledge and culture
The traditional knowledge of ethnic minorities is, however, facing challenges and in danger of disappearing. Since the knowledge exists in the form of information that is handed down through generations, or is exchanged between communities, much of that valuable knowledge is in danger of being lost over time.
5.3.2 Opportunities
Vietnam Government has also implemented several programs with aim at reducing poverty rate at national scale, especially the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction in the 2021-2025 period (Decision No. 90/QD-TTg dated 18/01/2022), and Action Framework for reforming mechanisms and policies to support the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period 2021-2030 (Decision 277/QD-TTg dated February 25, 2022). Vietnam Government has issued and amended several laws and policies to ensure the basic rights of women and children in the country. For instance, fundamental rights of women and children are defined in Law on marriage and family (2014), Law on Gender Equality (2006), Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code No. 100/2015/QH13 (2017), Children Law (2016), Labour Code (2019) and Education Law (2019).
At provincial level, Kon Tum province has detailed 5-year plan for socio-economic development that will help improving the living condition of local community. For instance, the province targets to reduce the poverty rate by 3-4%/year. Kon Tum province has a high priority on education. The province focuses on school construction since the main problem in the education sector are deficiencies in existing school facilities or outright lack of facilities. For instance, constructing boarding schools to accommodate minority students who live in remote areas to attend conventional schools. Kon Tum province targets to increase the proportion of schools meeting the national standards is about 50% at preschool, 70% at primary school, 50% at junior high school and 55% at high school by 2025. The province also focuses on improving health care services. For instance, the province will make effort to reduce the mortality rate of children under 5 years old to under 51‰; the rate of children under 1 year old to under 32.5‰; and the rate of stunting malnutrition of children under 5 years old is under 34%. Policy support provides the crucial opportunities in socio-economic development for local people in buffer zone of CMRNP.
5.4 Conservation Challenges
5.4.1 Species of Conservation Significance
CMRNP has 192 endangered plant species with high economic and conservation values and 112 rare and endangered species listed in the Vietnam Red Book and IUCN Red List that need to prioritize for conservation. The endangered species with conservation significance have been focused by Chu Mom Ray National Park (Table 15).
In the park, the Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecotourism (CBCE) is responsible for wildlife rescue and care. However, it is facing challenges in wildlife rescue and care because the park has no veterinarian and its staffs is lack of knowledge and experiences in this field. Thus, enhancing capacity of CMRNP’s staffs in wildlife rescue and care, and biodiversity conservation is needed.
Table 15. Biodiversity conservation focus in CMRNP in the period of 2021-2030
| ID | Biodiversity conservation focus |
| 1 | Additional investigation of distribution characteristics; actual exploitation, use value for and conservation of gene sources with 03 species of Paphiopedilum callosum and Paphiopedilum appletonianum and Paphiopedilum dianthum |
| 2 | Investigating the status of endangered and rare turtles and proposing solutions to preserve endangered, precious and rare turtles at Chu Mom Ray National Park. |
| 3 | Investigating the situation of distribution, use and proposing solutions to preserve and develop some rare medicinal species under the forest canopy at Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 4 | Investigating the status quo and proposing solutions to preserve and develop the gene source of the Stone gecko (Drynaria bonii) in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 5 | Investigating the status quo and proposing measures to preserve Cibotium barometz in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 6 | Investigating the status quo and proposing measures to preserve Coscinium fenestratum in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 7 | Investigating the status quo and proposing measures to preserve Fibraurea tinctoria in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 8 | Investigating the current state of distribution, proposing solutions to preserve the population of scrubbing species (Pygathrix nemaeus, Pygathrix nigripes, Pygathrix cinerea) in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 9 | Investigating the current state of distribution, proposing solutions to preserve Cephalotaxus manii Hook.f in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 10 | Investigating the situation and proposing solutions to preserve some rare reptiles at Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 11 | Investigating the status quo, determining the distribution area; number of species, the value of use for 03 species of Dalbergia cochinchinensis, Dalbergia oliveri and Pterocarpus macrocarpus in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 12 | Investigating the current status and proposing solutions to preserve freshwater fish systems in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 13 | Survey the species composition and update the list of insects in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 14 | Investigating the species composition and biological characteristics of some high-value large mushroom species in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
| 15 | Construction of seed forests to provide precious seedling gene sources endanged plant species in Chu Mom Ray National Park |
Source: SFMP, 2021
5.4.2 Effects of Agriculture on Biodiversity
Over 20 years (1975-1995), natural forests of the Vietnam decreased by 2.8 million ha and the loss of natural forests has still continued, mainly due to land use conversion (Duc 2019). In Central Highlands, deforestation is directly caused by shifting cultivation for annual crops and expansion of coffee, rubber trees and other perennial crops over agricultural lands (Cochard et al. 2017; Meyfroidt et al. 2013). Similar to other regions in Vietnam, deforestation induced by agriculture production leads to the loss of habitat and biodiversity in CMRNP.
The use of agrochemicals (e.g., pesticides and herbicides) is one of the main threats to agrobiodiversity. Herbicides destroy the vegetation that forms the basis of a living organism’s food chain. Pesticides widely used in agriculture cause a serious threat to important soil organisms and biodiversity. In the Central Highlands, however, the information on the impacts of agrochemical on biodiversity is very limited.
5.4.3 Natural Resource Issues
The big issue in natural resource management in CMRNP is the loss of forest resources due to illegal logging and hunting, overexploitation of NTFPs, forest fires, forest encroachment and agricultural expansion. Meanwhile, the park has faced difficulties in forest management and protection such as extreme working condition and less jurisdiction in handing violations. Some agricultural lands of local people are located in special-use forests, leading to difficulties in forest protection and fire prevention and fighting. Benefit-sharing mechanism of PFES for local people is still not well-developed, which may lead to potential conflicts among communities.
5.4.4 Barriers to Sustainable Use
In the buffer zone of CMRNP, the main barriers to sustainable use of natural resources are briefly described as follows:
- Pressure from socio-economic development is the main barrier for sustainable use of natural resources in CMRNP in specific and in Central Highlands in general. For instance, Cochard et al. (2017) has showed that deforestation in the Central Highland is mainly induced by crop expansion (e.g., coffee, rubber, pepper) and associated immigration and population growth.
- Regulations on sustainable use of forest resources (e.g., NTFPs) and benefit-sharing among local communities in buffer zone of CMRNP are still not well-developed. This may lead to difficulty in handing violations and conflicts between local communities.