Ninh Thuan (VNA) – Measures are being carried out toconserve biodiversity at the Phuoc Binh National Park, which is home to a largenumber of rare fauna and flora species that face grave threats from climatechange and human impacts.

The Phuoc Binh National Park covers nearly25,000 ha in Bac Ai district, in the south central province of Ninh Thuan, andis between 300-2,000 m above sea level.

The park is currently home to 1,321 plantspecies, including 36 endangered species named in the Vietnam Red Data Book and58 on the list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Additionally, 327 animal species have been foundin the park, including 50 in the Vietnam Red Data Book and 29 on the IUCN list.Notably, Phuoc Binh habours four mammal species indigenous to Indochina, namelythe yellow-cheeked gibbon, the black-shanked douc langur, the Owston’s palmcivet, and the giant muntjac.

It is also one of the 63 bird sanctuaries in the country, with the biggest populationof gaurs and deer among protected areas in Vietnam, according to the park’smanagement board.

This park is now a popular destination forresearchers, students, and tourists.

However, its natural resources have been greatlyaffected by climate change and human activities in recent years. Prolongedwater scarcity has made forest conservation and development moredifficult. 

Meanwhile, the park’s inaccessible terrain andcontiguity to Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces have also challenged the fightagainst violations of forest resources. Additionally, a large number ofresidents in the park’s buffer zone still rely on the forest to earn theirliving.

Faced with these facts, Director of the PhuocBinh National Park Nguyen Cong Van assured that biodiversity conservation hasalways been a focal task of the park’s management board. 

Each year, they coordinate with Vietnamese andforeign organisations to survey flora and fauna species. They have also built abotanical garden to collect and introduce rare plants, while working withrelevant agencies of Ninh Thuan and Lam Dong provinces to cross-breed gaurs tocreate a species with select characteristics of wild gaurs, such as toleranceto harsh weather conditions.

At present, the park is implementing severalprojects to conserve the lingzhi mushroom, the “Phuoc Binh lonely banana” (enseteglaucum), and some rare orchid species.

Van noted that the management board has alsoworked with local authorities to support locals to improve their livelihoodsand living standards so as to ease the pressure on the park’s naturalresources.

They have assigned the protection of certainforest areas to local households, developed commercial forests, and createdconditions for locals to take part in eco-tourism services. Communications havealso been increased to disseminate the state’s laws and policies on forestprotection.

These activities have helped reduce climatechange and human impacts on the Phuoc Binh National Park, he added. –VNA