As of 5 February 2018, Joint Venture of Asian Management and Development Institute (AMDI) and Center for Biodiversity and Biosafety (CBB) concluded all in-depth field visits and consultations at project areas under the contract of "Assessment of the potential climate change impacts on biodiversity corridors" – Project "Greater Mekong Sub-region Biodiversity Conservation Corridor, Phase 2" (BCC Project). Following the last in-depth field visit to Quang Tri province, these two fieldtrips were conducted to Nature Reserves inside Central Annamites including Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces – the other two project sites.
The field visit to Thua Thien Hue province was organized in the mid of January, 2018 with a general objective of collecting input information on biodiversity, hydro-meteorology, climate change, and verifying collected information. The consultant team travelled to two project districts including Nam Dong and A Luoi which have two Nature Reserves namely Phong Dien and Sao La - A Luoi. The project locations in Thua Thien Hue province generally has a disadvantageous natural characteristics with complex terrain, unstable temperature and precipitation. Under the impacts of climate change, natural disasters such as heavy rain, floods, flash floods and hoarfrost more frequently strike the locations, affecting local residents’ daily life and production - especially the Ta Oi ethnic minority living around the Nature Reserves within the project sites and surrounding areas. Biodiversity and natural resources conservation activities have witnessed a remarkable progress in implementation. Besides, livelihood activities of local people have not posed any seriously impacts on the protected areas over recent years.The wildlife hunting and trapping have increased at the Sao La - A Luoi Nature Reserve, however, fortunately come back to a controllable condition in recent time.
Some photos of the second field visit to Thua Thien Hue province:
Visiting A Tep Forestry Protection Station - Sao La – A Luoi Nature Reserve
Interviewing villagers in Phong My commune (Phong Dien district)
and A Roang commune (A Luoi District), Thua Thien Hue Province
Following the field visit to Thua Thien Hue province, the expert team consulted and worked with sub-departments at the locality of BCC project in Quang Nam province, including the Project Management Unit of Nam Giang district and three Nature Reserves namely Sao La - Quang Nam, Song Thanh and Ngoc Linh.
A specimen of Muntjac – at Sao La Nature Reserve – Quang Nam province
Through these field visits, we acknowledged that forest cover area percentage under project areas in Quang Nam is much higher than in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Tri provinces. Target species for the study including Red Shanked Douc Langur, Crested Gibbon, Giant Muntjac, Crested Argus, Edward’s Pheasant, Oriental Pied Hornbill and Phoenix are recorded the appearance. Besides, some other plant species are also recorded on the survey trail. Biodiversity conservation has been strengthened recently. Livelihoods of ethnic minorities (mainly Ca Dong and Co-ho ethnic people group) in the project areas have been significantly improved, so the exploitation of forest products and forest animals’ hunting will be no longer considered as the main way to earn their living. As a result, forest protection gains many positive results. Regarding hydro-meteorology, in a recent time, the impacts of heavy rains on the protected and target areas have resulted in serious landslides in these areas.
Field visit to Song Thanh Nature Reserve
Interviewing Ca-dong ethnic group in Tra Nam commune, Nam Tra My district, Quang Nam province
The three in-depth field visits to Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces have played an important role in providing essential inputs for consultants to develop the report of “Assessment of the potential climate change impacts on biodiversity corridors”.
Linh Chi