PhD Scholar

Cooperation between protected area authorities and local stakeholders in management of protected areas in the Northeast of Vietnam.

E-mail: Chieu.Hoang@anu.edu.au

Currently, management of all protected areas (Special Use Forests) in Vietnam is carried out by state forestry agencies. Management of these forests is facing difficulties that result in degradation of forest resources. One of the important factors that cause such difficulties is unplanned extraction of forest resources by local people.  Indigenous people living inside and around protected areas are carrying out much of this extraction. Generally, they are poor farmers who depend heavily on forest resources for their daily needs. However, they have not been involved widely in the protected area management.  In such situation, by studying three categories of protected areas (National Parks, Natural Reserves, and Historical and Cultural Heritage Sites) in northern Vietnam, this research aims to develop effective approaches of co-management between protected area authorities and local stakeholders in management of protected areas in order to gain the balance between conservation objectives and local people’s needs.