Ecotourism development helps protect environment

On April 7, Biodiversity Conservation Component under Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Project coordinated with Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park (Lam Dong province) to organize a consultation workshop on conservation and ecotourism development of Bidoup -Nui Ba National Park. The workshop was attended by representatives from relevant ministries, agencies, localities and 43 enterprises as well as non-governmental organizations.

According to the representative of Biodiversity Conservation Component, Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park has great potential for developing ecotourism because the park has biodiversity with a variety of habitats for plants and animals along with specific ecosystem and beautiful landscapes. Therefore, promoting ecotourism in Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park is a trend linking conservation with development in order to generate a sustainable financial source and put it back into conservation.

Ph.D Le Van Huong , Director of Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park said ecotourism development was an important content in the forest management plan. "We believe that ecotourism development with the aim of attracting businesses and communities will help create a sustainable financial mechanism, moving toward financial autonomy to invest and promote conservation," said Le Van Huong.

At the workshop, state management agencies and experts discussed about mechanisms and policies related to ecotourism development coupled with conservation. The representatives also focused on contributing ideas for the project on the Ecotourism Development Project of Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park and specific mechanism to promote cooperation between the park and enterprises and communities in the buffer zones.

After the workshop, Biodiversity Conservation Component will help Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park implement ecotourism development project; enhance connections between enterprises and communities to preserve biodiversity in a sustainable way.

Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park is located at high latitudes in a subtropical climate region. The park is home to many endemic and rare species. It encompasses about 70,000 hectares and is adjacent to the provinces of Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan.

According to statistics, the park has around 2,077 species of plants, 131 species of animals, 304 species of birds, 15 species of gymnosperms and 302 species of orchids. It is one of the four biodiversity centers of Vietnam.

Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park is now linking up with adjacent parks and natural reserves to form an immense conservation area, contributing a major part to biological protection in the Da Lat Plateau, South Central Highlands and South Central Region.

In addition, the park helps protect the habitat of pristine forests to embellish and develop Da Lat urban design framework; preserve the cultural uniqueness of Da Lat city, at the same time serve as a center for scientific and educational research on tropical forests, ecotourism development and contribute to the security and defence of the state in general and of the province and region in particular.