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Establishing Marine Protected Areas in Vietnam - a Capacity Building Approach

James Hall and Bui Thi Thu Hien

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, TOWNSVILE, AUSTRALIA

Theme: TH2

This contribution will examine the status and development of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Vietnam, and review the contributions of the Vietnamese Government, NGOs, and the donor community, to the establishment of a national system of MPAs. Vietnam's 3200 km coastline hosts a wide range of coastal and marine ecosystems. Over 11000 marine species have been recorded including 350 species of hard corals, marine turtles and dugong. Coastal and marine resources provide the population with significant economic benefits including seafood, energy, tourism, recreation and coastal protection. At present there is no legal basis for MPAs in Vietnam and only three legislated protected areas have marine components (Cat Ba NP, Con Dao NP and Ha Long Bay). The Government of Vietnam intends to develop a national system of 15 marine protected areas by the year 2010, and has prepared draft legislation providing for their declaration and management. The first of these, the Hon Mun Pilot MPA, was developed in cooperation with IUCN and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks Authority (GBRMPA), with primary funding from the Global Environment Facility. The Hon Mun MPA project aims to develop a multiple-use MPA that protects coastal ecosystems whilst enabling local communities to improve their livelihoods. The project will provide long-term environmental and socio-economic benefits by developing an effective Provincial MPA Authority and a system for co-management with local resource users, through: (1) participatory planning and management by stakeholders: (2) development of alternative income sources to discourage activities associated with excessive resource use: (3) capacity building through management training and public education; and (4) a financially self-sufficient management system. The contribution will examine those factors likely to influence the effectiveness of Hon Mun and other MPAs, and review potential directions for the future development of MPAs in Vietnam.