Reflections on ‘People, Primates, Plants: Co-managing Biodiversity and Improving Livelihoods in Vietnam’

“People, Primates, Plants: Co-managing Biodiversity and Improving Livelihoods in Vietnam” is an international cooperation project jointly implemented by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the Center for Research on Natural Resources Governance in Highland Areas (CEGORN), and the International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), also known as World Agroforestry.

Below is an overview of the project’s activities and key findings following more than three years of implementation.

Tuyen Hoa: A landscape of exceptional biological and cultural value

Tuyen Hoa lies within the northern Truong Son Range, part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. Its evergreen tropical forests support a unique ecosystem, covering more than 78,702 hectares of natural forest.

The area contains an estimated three million cubic meters of timber, including valuable species such as Dalbergia, Chukrasia, Kerria, ironwood, rosewood, ebony, and Michelia. Beyond timber, forests are rich in bamboo, rattan, medicinal plants such as Amomum, Fallopia multiflora, ginseng, agarwood, as well as wild vegetables and fruit species.

Wildlife inhabiting these forests includes carnivores such as bears and tigers, and herbivores such as porcupines, wild gaur, and large-antlered muntjac.

Primates recorded in the area include macaques, pig-tailed macaques, red-cheeked gibbons, and langurs. Of particular significance is the Hatinh langur (Trachypithecus hatinhensis), locally known as the white-cheeked langur. The species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Scattered among forested hills and mountains are grasslands suitable for livestock raising and fruit cultivation, including pepper, lychee, and pomelo. A dense network of rivers and tributaries of the Gianh River provides favorable conditions for aquaculture and ensures a stable freshwater supply for the area and neighboring regions.

Tuyen Hoa was formerly a district of Quang Binh Province in Vietnam’s North Central Coast region. Its population was estimated at 78,585 in 2022, comprising one township (Dong Le) and 19 communes.

The majority of residents are Kinh, with a small Ma Lieng ethnic minority community of approximately 460 people in 113 households across five villages in the Thanh Hoa and Lam Hoa communes. Covering about 1,129 square kilometers, Tuyen Hoa accounted for roughly one-seventh of Quang Binh Province’s total area.

Forestry is the dominant land use, spanning approximately 94,878 hectares (84.1%). Unused land and water bodies account for 15.9%, with the remainder consisting of agricultural land, residential areas, and specialized land uses.

Tuyen Hoa is also home to numerous nationally and provincially recognized historical sites. Combined with its natural landscapes and biodiversity, these assets underscore the district’s distinctive biological and cultural heritage and its significant potential for tourism and service development.

Historically, agricultural expansion, illegal logging, unsustainable harvesting of non-timber forest products, and wildlife hunting, including of the white-cheeked langur, were major drivers of biodiversity loss. In response, Quang Binh Province approved the establishment of more than 500 hectares of Special-use Forest across four communes, Thach Hoa, Dong Hoa, Thuan Hoa, and Son Hoa in 2019.

While legal restrictions on forest exploitation and agricultural activities created essential opportunities for biodiversity conservation, they also directly affected the livelihoods of 2,770 households dependent on natural forest resources, farming, and livestock production within the Special-use Forest area.

Against this backdrop, the PPP Project “People, Primates, Plants: Co-managing Biodiversity and Improving Livelihoods in Vietnam” was launched as a three-year international initiative (2022–2025). The project aims to mitigate forest biodiversity degradation, including threats to the white-cheeked langur in Tuyen Hoa, through active community participation in Special-use Forest management and livelihood-enhancing agroforestry models.

Funded by the UK Government through the Darwin Initiative, the project brought together BGCI, CEGORN, ICRAF/World Agroforestry in Vietnam, the Volunteer Langur Conservation Group (VCG), local authorities, and communities in close collaboration throughout implementation.

The PPP Project sought to strengthen sustainable livelihood security for Kinh and ethnic minority communities through environmentally friendly agroforestry systems, while establishing effective co-management models for Special-use Forests with strong community engagement. The Volunteer Langur Conservation Group played a central role in forest protection.

The project also enhanced technical capacity in ecological restoration, sustainable agroforestry, human - wildlife interaction awareness, and promoted best-practice recommendations for forest management, conservation, and restoration.

Biodiversity outcomes

Tuyen Hoa lies within the lowland and limestone mountain ecosystems of the northern Truong Son Range, characterized by high biodiversity and numerous endemic species. According to Dr. Ngo Van Hong, Director of CEGORN, the area’s unique topography contributes to exceptional biological richness, particularly as habitat for endangered species such as the white-cheeked langur.

Surveys conducted in 2023 recorded 577 plant species, including 42 endemic to Vietnam, and many species listed as threatened under the IUCN Red List, the Vietnam Red Data Book, and CITES.

Notably, a plant species new to science, Begonia tui, was discovered and classified as Endangered. In response to this high conservation value, the PPP Project promoted co-management approaches that integrated biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, and sustainable livelihoods, with strong community participation.

Project activities

The PPP Project implemented a range of core activities to strengthen biodiversity conservation linked with sustainable livelihoods and community engagement. First, it reinforced the Volunteer Langur Conservation Group by providing essential equipment, improving patrol capacity, and strengthening coordination with local authorities. This led to a marked increase in patrol frequency and detection of wildlife traps during 2022-2024.

In parallel, the project established two community nurseries in Thuan Hoa Commune with a combined annual capacity exceeding 30,000 seedlings, focusing on native and rare species. These nurseries supported ecological restoration while generating stable income, particularly for women.

The project also supported the planting of more than 80,000 native trees in buffer zones and surrounding communes, achieving survival rates above 90% and contributing to reconnecting fragmented forest habitats. Community co-management plans were developed and contributed to national forestry planning and policy processes.

Through a science- and community-based approach, the project supported implementation of international biodiversity and climate agreements aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.

Promoting more sustainable farming systems was critical to diversifying income sources, improving market access, and building capacity for small-scale entrepreneurship, thereby strengthening community livelihoods.

The project achieved tangible improvements in livelihoods for households living in the buffer zone of the Tuyen Hoa Special-use Forest, where dependence on natural forest resources had been high. Through community consultations, 100 households were selected to pilot agroforestry and integrated livelihood models tailored to local ecological conditions.

These models emphasized drought-tolerant fruit trees such as pomelo, orange, and guava combined with short-term crops and medicinal plants, alongside high-value complementary activities including free-range poultry, beekeeping, and fish farming.

To support implementation, the project provided livestock, seedlings, and essential equipment, helping diversify incomes and reduce pressure on forest resources. Targeted interventions also improved market access and sustainable land use through value chain development for poultry meat, fish, honey, and pomelo.

Activities such as forming producer groups, VietGAP certification, labeling and traceability, value-added processing training, and market linkage improved product value, increased prices, and reduced reliance on intermediaries.

Market-oriented agroforestry practices under the project significantly improved livelihoods while strengthening biodiversity conservation. By adopting sustainable, market-based farming approaches, local communities benefited from increased economic opportunities while contributing to the protection of white-cheeked langur habitats. Continued technical support and market linkages are critical for scaling these outcomes.

Raising awareness

With strong support from Quang Binh provincial authorities and Tuyen Hoa district officials, the PPP Project delivered notable results in raising community awareness and strengthening local capacity in biodiversity conservation, forest restoration, sustainable agroforestry, and prevention of zoonotic disease risks.

Activities targeted communities in the Special-use Forest buffer zone and engaged local officials, forest rangers, residents, teachers, students, and the Volunteer Langur Conservation Group.

Through group discussions, practical communication activities, and field visits, the project enhanced understanding of the endangered status of the white-cheeked langur, the importance of limestone ecosystems, and collective responsibility for protecting species and habitats for future generations.

Communication efforts also highlighted the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health, raising awareness of zoonotic disease risks and the importance of responsible, hygienic interactions with wildlife.

In education, the project reached 766 students and 40 teachers across four secondary schools. Photo exhibitions, extracurricular activities, and the selection of 10 “student ambassadors” helped spread conservation messages among youth.

An online drawing competition on white-cheeked langur protection attracted hundreds of participants, expanding community outreach. In addition, a bilingual, locally contextualized teaching toolkit was introduced in schools, enabling long-term integration of conservation education.

Key project messages emphasized long-term protection of the white-cheeked langur and its habitat, the role of responsible behavior and hygiene in human and animal health, the importance of collective action for biodiversity conservation, and the value of multi-stakeholder partnerships. Through multi-channel communication and conservation short films, the project significantly strengthened community awareness and commitment to nature conservation.

Community perspective

Feedback from local leaders and residents indicates that the PPP Project generated positive impacts on both biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihood development.

Mr. Dinh Tien Dung, former Vice Chairman of Tuyen Hoa District People’s Committee, noted local expectations for continued project support in advancing the establishment of the Khe Net Nature Reserve under Vietnam’s National Biodiversity Conservation Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. Expanding conservation areas, he said, is critical to protecting endangered species and forest ecosystems.

From an agricultural development perspective, Mr. Pham Anh Minh, former Head of the District Department of Agriculture and Environment, highlighted the project’s contribution to in-depth, sustainability-oriented agricultural development. Despite its limited scale and duration, the project helped communities develop high-value products, notably Son Hoa pomelo achieving VietGAP certification, bringing the district’s total VietGAP-certified products to 17.

At the community level, Mr. Tran Xuan Binh (Dong Hoa Commune) shared that degraded forest areas are now better protected and replanted with native species, restoring green cover and mitigating climate change impacts. Mr. Le Van Soat (Son Hoa Commune) emphasized that training and outreach improved local understanding of langur conservation and forest-based economic development.

From a conservation standpoint, Nguyen Thanh Tu, a member of the Langur Conservation Group, stressed that the project placed people at the center, recognizing awareness-raising as the foundation for primate and biodiversity protection. Meanwhile, Ms. Le Thi Thanh expressed hope for project expansion, particularly to strengthen technical training and market access support for local women.

As of June 12, 2025, Resolution No. 202/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the reorganization of provincial-level administrative units stipulates that:

- Quang Binh Province ceased to exist, and a new Quang Tri Province was established;

- Tuyen Hoa District was dissolved and reorganized into six new communes: Tuyen Lam, Tuyen Son, Dong Le, Tuyen Phu, Tuyen Binh, and Tuyen Hoa;

- Dong Hoa and Thach Hoa communes were merged into the newly established Dong Le Commune;

- Thuan Hoa and Son Hoa communes were merged into the newly established Tuyen Phu Commune.

For clarity and consistency, this article refers to the former administrative units as they were designated during the project’s implementation period (March 2022 - March 2025).