Viet Nam has its 36th national park

According to the decision, Bat Xat National Park is located in Muong Hum, Den Sang, and Y Ty communes (Lao Cai), with a total area of more than 18,510 hectares.

The area borders Lai Chau Province and China, featuring relatively intact natural forest ecosystems that play an important role in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection in upstream regions.

The park is divided into three functional zones, including a strictly protected zone of more than 14,600 hectares, an ecological restoration zone of about 3,400 hectares and a service-administrative zone of over 380 hectares.

In addition to the core area, the buffer zone includes 32 villages across the three communes, where local communities, mainly ethnic minorities, reside.

According to the Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee, the upgrade aims to preserve the integrity of forest ecosystems, conserve genetic resources and rare flora and fauna species, while strengthening watershed protection, regulating water sources and mitigating natural disasters.

Bat Xat National Park is also oriented to become a center for scientific research, environmental education and eco-tourism development, contributing to improving local livelihoods.

Authorities will implement key programs such as forest protection, ecosystem restoration, eco-tourism development and socio-economic support for buffer zone communities.

At the same time, a national park management board will be established based on the existing organizational structure of Bat Xat National Park to ensure effective operations in accordance with legal regulations.

Under the 2017 Forestry Law, the system of special-use forests, including nature conservation areas, is categorized into different types depending on conservation and management objectives. These include national parks, nature reserves, species and habitat conservation areas, landscape protection areas and scientific research forests.

Among these, national parks are considered the category with the highest conservation value, typically large in scale and representing nationally or internationally significant ecosystems. Including Bat Xat, Vietnam now has 36 national parks.

The upgrade of Bat Xat National Park is part of the National Forestry Planning for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, under Decision No. 895/2024/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister. Seven new parks are planned for upgrade: Muong Nhe, Bat Xat, Xuan Lien, An Toan, Bac Huong Hoa, Dak Rong and Ea So, bringing the total number of national parks nationwide to 41.

Since the plan's issuance, two parks have been upgraded: Xuan Lien (Thanh Hoa) in April 2025 and Bat Xat (Lao Cai).