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PHONG NHA-KE BANG BUFFER ZONE DEVELOPMENT PLAN – MISSION REPORT AND GUIDELINE - Mission Report Part I and Part II - Sandra Sudhof January, 2013 for GIZ Quang Binh, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Region, Quang Binh Province Published by : Phong Nha Ke Bang Buffer Zone Development Plan – Process and Guidelines Page |2 PHONG NHA KE BANG BUFFER ZONE DEVELOPMENT PLAN – MISSION REPORT AND GUIDELINE CONTENTS Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II Acronyms ADB Asian Development Bank AFOLU Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Use BCEF Biomass conversion and expansion factor BDSG Bufferzone Support Group BMZ Bundesministerium für Zusammenarbeit; German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BZ Bufferzone BZDP Bufferzone Development Plan CBA Cost Benefit Analisis CEM Committee of Ethnic Minorities CFM Community - based forest management CIFOR Centre for International Forestry Research CITES Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species CPC Commune People’s Committee CPCU Communal Project Coordinating Unit CTF Conservation Trust Fund DARD Department of Agriculture and Rural Development DOF Directorate of Forestry DOLISA Department of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs DONRE Department of Natural Resources DOST Department of Science and Technology DPC District People’s Committee DPI Department of Planning and Investment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FCPF Forest Carbon Partnership Facility FES Forest environmental services FFI Fauna Flora International FIPI Forest Inventory and Planning Institute FLEGT Forest law enforcement, governance and trade FLITCH Project for forestry development and livelihood improvement in the Central Highland funded by ADB FLMS Forest Land Management System FOMIS Forest management information system FPD Forest Protection and Development Center FPDF Forest Protection and Development Fund FPIC Free prior and informed consent Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II FREC Forest Resources and Environment Center (under FIPI) GHG Greenhouse Gas GHGI Greenhouse Gas Inventory GIS Geographical Information System GiZ German International Cooperation GPS Global Positioning System HMC Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) IUCN World Conservation Union JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, German Development Bank LUP Land –use planning M&E Monitoring and evaluation MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MOLISA Ministry of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment MRV Monitoring, reporting and verification ND Decree ND-CP Government Decree NFI National Forest Inventory NGO Non-governmental organization NQ Resolution NQ-TW Central Resolution NQ-TW Central Resolution NTFP Non- Timber Forest Products ODA Official Development Aid PC People’s Committee PES Payment for environmental services PFES Payment for forest environmental services PFMB Protection Forest Management Board PIA Participatory Impact Assessment PM Prime Minister of Viet Nam PNKB Phong Nha Ke Bang PPC Provincial People’s Committee PPMU Provincial Project Management Unit QD Decision QD-TTg Prime Minster Decision RAMSAR The Convention on Wetlands (named after a town in Iran, where it was signed) Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II RBM Results-based management REDD Reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation REL Reference emission level RL Reference level SEDP Social and Economic Development Plan SEI Socio Economic Impact Assessment SEIA Socio-Economic Impact Assessment SFE State Forestry Enterprise SFM Sustainable forest management SNV Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (Netherlands Development Foundation SRTM Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Radar data STDP Sustainable Tourism Development Plan SUF Special use Forests SUFMB Special use forest Management Board TOR Terms of Reference TTg The Prime Minister TTLT Interministerial Circular TWG Technical working group UNCCD United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFF United Nations Forum on Forests UNREDD REDD- Programme of the United Nations VDP Village Development Plan VND Vietnamese Dong VNFOREST Viet Nam administration of forestry, MARD WFP World Food Programme of the United Nations WU Women Union WWF World- wide Fund for Nature Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II This mission report covers the documentation on the Buffer Zone Development Plan and the Buffer Zone Development Guidelines Part III, all REDD related activities are covered in a separate document Original timeframe and TOR’s can be found in the Annex PART I: Bufer Zone Development Plan documentation Background The Project “Nature Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Region” is a Vietnamese-German Development Cooperation, initiated by the Vietnamese Government in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) The Project is implemented jointly by the two German Development organizations, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the German Entwicklungsbank (KfW) in cooperation with the People’s Committee of Quang Binh province The project’s overall goal is “Contribution to the conservation of the Northern Annamite Region, its biodiversity and ecological services in close relation with a sustainable socio-economic development“ and more specifically for the process described in this report: “Reduction of the pressure on the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and amelioration of the legal income of the target groups living the park region.” The project intervention area consists of the core zone of the PNKB National Park with the area of 85,754 and the extension of 31,070 and the bufferzone of around 225,000 It is covering 13 communes in the three districts of Bo Trach, Minh Hoa and Quang Ninh situated in the northwest of Quang Binh province, with a population of around 60,000 people Due to its outstanding karst and cave system the National Park is classified as a World heritage site under Criterion vii: as an outstanding example representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features It has recently been proposed that PNKB National Park with its extension should also be nominated for World Heritage listing under two new Criterion2, as  an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals (Criterion ix); and  containing the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation (Criterion x) PNKB is believed to host the world’s largest cave: Son Doong Cave Extending further into Lao PDR, the region contains more than 100 km of caves and underground rivers, turning it into one of the most outstanding limestone karst ecosystems in the world [10] IUCN Technical Evaluation, 2011 (ID 951bis) to the renomination of PNKB NP to UNESCO WHC for biodiversity values Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II The park is also part of the Greater Annamites Global 200 priority ecoregion and an Endemic Bird Area4 as well as a global biodiversity hotspot as it is home to over 2,650 vascular plant species and 735 vertebrate species, including 113 mammals, 302 birds, 81 reptiles and amphibians, and 72 fish Over 70 of these vertebrate species are considered globally threatened, and ten primate species and subspecies are residing in the Park Many species are endemic and one of them, the Laotian Rock Rat, is considered as a living fossil Hin Nam No National Biodiversity Conservation Area, situated in Laos PDR, is part of the same ecoregion with similar biodiversity values and authorities would like to have it nominated as World Heritage Site Since PNKB has already been nominated for its outstanding karst system, Hin Nam No, being part of the same karst system, cannot be given the status under the same criterion However, Lao PDR can seek the nomination for biodiversity instead In fact, the parks could apply together as a transboundary WHS5 Both countries have professed the will and interest to strengthen their cooperation The PNKB project has compiled a concept paper on regional cooperation in the past and in the future in the light of the common goal; having the parks nominated as WHS and functioning as an important transboundary ecoregion [28] PNKB is also the focus of fast growing domestic and international tourism with up to 300,000 visitors per annum with only few inhabitants of the buffer zone benefiting from tourism Livelihood options for the local population remain limited, depending mainly on agricultural land and forest resources which are not sufficiently available7 As pointed out in the Feasibility Study for PNKB Region Project by GFA in 2006, these conditions contribute to the pressure of local communities resorting to illegal extraction of forest resources from the park area and surrounding protection forests They also place limits and constraints on the potential to develop alternative livelihoods The proportion of ethnic minorities in the buffer zone is high; especially in the mountainous areas where shifting cultivation is being practiced While the percentage of the ethnic minorities in the whole province falls just below 20%, it is higher than 50% in six of the buffer zone communes, reaching over 90% in Dan Hoa, Trong Hoa, Tan Trach and Thuong Trach [18] The fast growing tourism poses an additional threat Furthermore, commercial activities of State Forest Companies and State Forest Enterprises have not been adequately considered and might also contribute to the depletion or degradation of natural resources and biodiversity in PNKB Region [18] The Global 200 is a list of ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as priorities for conservation According to the WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or water containing a characteristic set of natural communities that share a large majority of their species, dynamics, and environmental condition More information on ecoregions can be found here: http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/ Endemic Bird Areas are identified by Birdlife International important for conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species (smaller than 50,000 km 2) An EBA is formed where the distributions of two or more such restricted-range species overlap http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/endemic_bird_areas/index.html Note: Transboundary WHS is not a new criterion; it merely describes Sites which are covering more than one country The criterion would still remain ix and x An example of a transboundary WHS can be found here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1133/ In fact, this has also been expressed in the Stakeholders meeting November 2010 and the need to link the zones and create corridors for biodiversity has been stipulated in the minutes Apart from Him Nam No, also Net and Khe Ve Natural Reserves were mentioned In the Gender, Poverty and Ethnicity Study [18], it was mentioned that most households in the buffer zone have areas of 0.5 and less assigned for cropping, not necessarily always counting areas for shifting cultivation, since they are often classified as forest There is no minimum plot size defined for land allocation to a household, but since 2003 with the introduction of the red book the ceiling is 30 per household Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II The main focus of the second phase of the project/GIZ component is to support the elaboration of the conservation-oriented socio-economic development master plan for PNKB NP bufferzone until 2020 and with the vision until 2030 (BZDP) More on its objectives as well as the timeline of the elaboration of this plan can be found in the next chapters Figure 1: Overview of the Buffer zone communes, the core zone of the PNKB National Park and its extension area More background on the PNKB Region Project and its components can be found in GIZ Programme documentation and in the TOR in the annex of this report Objectives of the Bufer Zone Development Plan The objectives and the rationale of the Buffer Zone Development are covered in full detail in the BZDP itself and in the guidelines as well as the TOR Therefore, only a brief summary is included in this chapter The Minutes of November 2010 stakeholder Meeting clearly spell out that external threats to the Buffer Zone need to be evaluated, since not all threats are coming from the buffer zone communities However, this has not been attempted Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II First and foremost: the BZDP is a Provincial Planning Document It has been T O P D O W N Policy, framework, regional planning P U BZDP M O Green VDP TT O B elaborated with continuous input from all line agencies and other stakeholders All steps have been authorised by the PPC Once the BZDP has been approved by the PPC, it becomes a legally binding document This is one of the main reasons, why all stakeholders have been involved from the beginning, to ensure awareness and increase ownership of the process and its product Additionally, it ensures a conservation oriented objective whilst including socio-economic development aspects; therefore linking the Strategic as well as the Operational Management Plan of PNKB NP with the socio-economic goals laid out in the Province, District, Figure 2: Bottom-Up and Top-down Commune and Village development plans Thus it is in line with current plans harmonized and at the same time warrants feasibility and sustainability The concept has been agreed on by all stakeholders of the province and is reflected by the full name of this Plan: “Conservation-oriented socio-economic development plan for the Bufer Zone of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park Region, Quang Binh province, Viet Nam” Socio-economic Planning: Operational Management and Province, District Communes Strategic Management Plan and Villages PNKB NP BZDP Figure 3: Linking Socio-Economic Planning with Conservation-oriented Planning In terms of scope BZDP looks at the sectors, e.g planning of the sectors does need to be taken into account and will be analysed and incorporated Not all planning aspects from the socio-economic development plans on all the sectors will be of relevance to the BZDP and to keep the volume of the BZDP manageable, it was set to have a focus on the productive sectors (e.g agriculture, forestry, processing and marketing skills) which have a direct positive impact on livelihoods, but no negative impact on conservation The time frames the BZDP is to include have been specified in the Minutes of the first Stakeholder Meeting November 2010: the strategic vision covers 25 years, whereas the development goals are set for 10 years Concrete implementation and activities are devised for years Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II Additionally, the BZDP adheres to a spatial scope, e.g Spatial Spatial Socio-economic Socio-economic Sectoral Sectoral BZDP ConservationConservation- Bottom-Up Bottom-Up oriented oriented Top-Down Top-Down analysis and planning recommendations look at the location and proximity to the park as well as socioeconomic aspects in regards to the location All villages are ranked individually in terms of threats, since location and hence access to resources matter and result in different behavioural patterns and exploitation of natural resources Figure gives an overview of all aspects which were integrated in the BZDP Orange depicts the approach, blue the scope and green the objectives Figure 4: Integrated planning aspects at one glance Objective, scope, approach The BZDP consists of three parts:  Part 1: Vision and Strategy International and Vietnamese Context, legal framework, analysis of situation & institutions & stakeholders, vision, development goal, objectives, guiding principles, methodology and approach  Part 2: Operational Development Plan Recommendations, sequence of finally approved measures, spatially explicit and illustrated by thematic maps on a 5-year basis for all communes; including annual / village plans  Part 3: Finance and Investment Plan DPI, as direct counterpart and host of the support project, was assigned to facilitate the process, e.g communicating with the PPC and the stakeholders as well as calling the workshops and official meetings Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II The project lifespan is designed for years starting from October 2007 until the end of September 2015 (with phases) for the technical cooperation component (GIZ) with the fund up to 5.0 Mio.EUR and from August 2008 to September 2016 for the financial cooperation (KfW) with the total fund of 15.77 Mio.EUR (of which KfW contribution is 12.63 Mio.EUR and the Vietnamese contribution is 3.13 Mio EUR) Currently, GIZ component is under the second phase (10/2010 - 09/2013) aiming at the overall objective “an integrated development strategy for the Phong Nha-Ke Bang region linking the goal of nature conservation to development needs is implemented and the pressure on use of natural resources in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park is reduced” and the specific objective for Phase II “Conservation of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and sustainable natural resource management in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang region have improved significantly” The majority of the local people (with about 20% of ethnic minorities out of about 60,000 residents) in the park bufferzone has lived substantially depending on the park as well as bufferzone natural resources for years Forestry land covers the majority (more than 70%) of the natural land area of the bufferzone whilst local livelihoods depend mainly on the limited agricultural land (about 2%) and have limited access to forestry land These conditions contribute to the pressure of local communities resorting to illegal extraction of forest resources from the park area and surrounding protection forests They also place limits and constraints on the potential to develop alternative livelihoods (Feasibility Study for PNKB Region project, GFA 2006) As the result, the major focus of the second phase of the project/GIZ component is to support the elaboration of the conservation-oriented socio-economic development master plan for PNKB NP bufferzone until 2020 and with the vision until 2030 (BZDP) It aims to provide a long-term development strategy for the park bufferzone by addressing the practical linkages of nature conservation, notably biodiversity conservation of the park core zone with socio-economic development needs in the buffer zone Toward the purpose of linking the objectives of nature conservation in the park (core zone) and the socio-economic development demands of local people in the bufferzone which is aiming at reducing pressure of the local use of the park’s natural resources (as local people are the users of natural resources in the park and bufferzone) It is crucial to consider local communities‘ needs and their current development activities in the content of this BZDP as well as to give indispensible and essential inputs, inter alia, for the BZDP process The Bufer zone Development Planning: Given the fact that the Bufferzone Development Plan is new concept/term in the legal planning guidelines of the Government and avoiding any misunderstanding towards this plan with other plans in the planning system, it was brain-stormed and agreed by stakeholders of the province that the full name of this Plan is called “Conservationoriented socio-economic development plan for the Buffer Zone of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park Region, Quang Binh province, Viet Nam” And in short, it can be called Bufferzone Development Plan (BZDP) Buffer-zone development plan (BZDP) has two common objectives First, by improving the management of the natural resources in the buffer zone area, they seek to increase the supply of natural resources for local needs thereby reducing the pressure on the protected area Second, improved ecological conditions in the buffer zones are expected to provide an extended habitat for the wildlife This opportunity to meet the multiple agenda of conservation and poverty reduction has, convinced the larger donors to invest in BZDP The idea of buffer-zones has been so popular and widespread that almost every protected area now talks of a buffer zone 2.1 Term of the BZDP The BZDP will be based on a longer term (25 years) strategic vision and on a 10-year-development goal 2.2 Goal and Objective of the BZDP The objective of the BZDP is to effectively combine the conservation objectives with the objectives of socioeconomic development (link conservation and development) More specifically, the BZDP aims to improve management of forests and other natural resources such that it provides income for the communities and households as alternatives to PNKB NP resources, maintains or improves ecological conditions in buffer-zone, and contributes to the biodiversity corridor 2.3 Strategy - Implementation of supporting policy framework for forests of PRDF Natural resource value addition development to create livelihood development (including those of the STDP) Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II - General socio-economic development framework in general support of the first two, incorporating government driven plans (SEDPs, CDPs, VDPs) Selection criteria for supported or encouraged livelihood support by PNKB Region Project, other projects and provincial and district government 2.4 Scope of BZDP Though the drafting of the BZDP is supported by GIZ component of the Vietnamese-German cooperation project of PNKB, the BZDP will NOT just be a project document As agreed by provincial authority, at the end of drafting process, stakeholder consultation and approval, the BZDP will become an officially endorsed document of the province, binding for all stakeholders In addition, scope of the BZDP can also be specified in different thematic fields as follows: • Scope by sectors As agreed by the provincial authority, the BZDP will be an overall socio-economic development of the Buffer Zone which is screening by a conservation-oriented lens For the reasons of effectiveness of resource allocation and efficiency of plan implementation, the BZDP will have a focus on productive sectors (e.g agriculture, forestry, processing and marketing skills) which have a direct positive impact on livelihoods, but no negative impact on conservation The other sectors will also be included by collecting and referring to available information in current plans at different levels of the province and the area; and current surveys, reports… • Scope by region: The area of the Buffer Zone is defined by administrative boundaries of the 13 bufferzone communes in districts Moreover, the BZDP process will identify villages which have high pressure on Nation Park and those low pressure villages as well This will lead to determine the sequence of planning and implementation of the plan 2.5 Approach • • The BZDP will follow both a sub-sector approach as well as an area-based approach This will lead to specific support activities targeted to the needs in a specific locality (village or group of villages) The planning process will combine a “top-down” approach (guidance by policy decisions and frame work, existing plans, etc.) with a “bottom-up” approach (starting from village level up to the entire BZ area) 2.6 Operational conditions: The bufferzone should be a real buffer for PNKB NP that prevents negative influences; livelihood interventions should have a link with conservation, and the pressure on PNKB NP should be reduced Process of elaborating BZDP: The process of BZDP elaboration was initiated since 2010, and the following steps have been/will be done as follows: No Activities/Steps Timeframe Involved partners Initiating and brainstorming concept paper on strategy and objective of BZDP by involved parties in the project Consultation process with relevant stakeholders of the province on BZDP strategy and objectives Stakeholders workshop (defining and agreeing on BZDP strategy, objectives, contents and time-bound ) Jan-June 2010 PPMU, GIZ, AHT October 2010 Key stakeholders of the province November 2010 All relevant stakeholders at provincial, district and commune levels Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II Note Drafting the BZDP Outline Sending the draft BZDP Outline for comments from relevant stakeholders Formation of Bufferzone Development Support Group - BDSG (for supporting, coordinating the whole process of elaborating BZDP) Stakeholders workshop for presenting the BZDP Outline Dec 2010-Jan 2011 Feb 2011 Consultant, GIZ, PPMU, DPI March 2011 Representatives of relevant stakeholders of the province Feb 2011 All relevant stakeholders at provincial, district and commune levels Consultant, PPMU, GIZ, DPI PPMU, GIZ Finalizing Outline for approval by DPI and PPC May-July 2011 10 Approving BZDP Outline Collecting all relevant data, information, reports serving the analysis and drafting BZDP process Conducting consultation meetings on socio-economic developments orientation with 13 bufferzone communities and districts; and surveying on the high conservation value areas in bufferzone forest Drafting BZDP Sept 2011 Nov 2011 – April 2012 DPI, PPC Consultants, GIZ, BDSG May-June 2012 Consultants, GIZ, PPMU, district, commune representatives July-August 2012 Consultants 13 Getng feedbacks and comments for the first draft version of BZDP Sept 2012 14 Revising BZDP based on collected comments/feedbacks Stakeholders workshop for presenting BZDP Sept 2012 PPMU, GIZ, AHT, BDSG, key stakeholders at provincial, district commune levels Consultants, BDSG Finalised BZDP based on outputs of the worksop Final version for appraisal and approval by key stakehoders and PPC Final approval for BZDP by PPC w3, October 2012 w4, October 11 12 15 16 17 18 w1-w2,October 2012 Nov 2012 The process is currently at this step Consultants, GIZ, PPMU, BDSG, national, provincial, district, commune representatives Consultants PPMU, GIZ, consultants DPI, PPC expected In parallel with the above steps of BZDP elaborating process, there were a numbers of outputs obtained and conducted to provide sufficient inputs on the topics for the BZDP • November 2010: A scoping mission was made through a series of meeting and discussing with Quang Binh leaders and line departments to get their views on vision, objectives, scope and structure of the BZDP All collected information was integrated into a comprehensive document to present in the stakeholders workshop to get common agreement • Dec 2012: A preliminary “Threats rapid assessment of the Bufferzone communes in PNKB National Park region” was done by project to provide basic information on ranking prioritized villages in BZ See attached report • November, 2010: PPC approved Sustainable Tourism Development Plan for Phong Nha Ke Bang Region, supported by GIZ • February-June 2011: with the support of GIZ component, the 13 bufferzone commune authorities and National Park supported 157 villages to elaborate the Conservation-oriented Village and Commune development Plans and integrated into 13 Commune development Plans for years period, detailing into year plan All plans were approved by Commune authorities • March 2011: the Bufferzone Development Support Group (BDSG) was formed by Quang Binh PPC under Decision No 556/QD-UBND dated 17/03/2011 which includes representatives of Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II • • • • • • relevant departments (technical experts) to support and contribute to the process of elaborating BZDP March-August 2011: Based on outputs of the scoping mission the first draft outline of the BZDP was developed by a team of International and National consultants After consultation and getng comments from different partners and BDSG members, the final version of BZDP outline was finalized and sent to DPI and PPC for verification and approval May-June 2011: The development of 11 thematic maps for bufferzone and the study on the Climate proofing to integrate climate adaptation into buffer zone planning were conducted by International consultants to provide inputs for BZDP See separate reports Sept 2011: The final BZDP outline was approved by Quang Binh PPC according to Decision No 2378/QD-UBND dated 20/09/2011 See approved BZDP outline Nov-Dec 2011: A study on Gender, Poverty and Ethnicity was conducted by International consultant to provide inputs for BZDP See separate report Jan-April 2012: A lot of information, data, reports on SEDP at all levels, on sector planning from different and relevant departments was collected through BDSG members for BZDP elaborating process May-Sept 2012: draft version of BZDP was prepared and sent to relevant stakeholders for comments Due to the strategic importance of the bufferzone (towards the Park) which has the functions of preventing and reducing negative impacts to the nationally and internationally significant National Park Phong Nha-Ke Bang, reducing encroachment from outside on special use forest through management and conservation measures in combination with livelihood generation activities for residential communities and socio-economic development in a sustainable manner, it is essential to make sure that the developments in the buffer zone are planned by taking into account/ being harmonized with the conservation objectives of the Park The expected BZDP for the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park region is thus considered as one of the crucial tool for this purpose Moreover, this is also the first Bufferzone Development Planning for Protected areas in Viet Nam Therefore, the process of the BZDP elaboration needs to be well documented for the purposes: (i) review the whole process for necessary lessons learnt in a structural and systematized steps, and (ii) fine-tuning the process and procedures for an official planning guidelines to be applied in the typical context of the buffer zone of PNKB NP in the future as well as to share empirical guideline from the project to other GIZ projects nationally and internationally Moreover, the project is supporting the province in the process of preparing for the REDD+ program It is expected to support our REDD+ activities, especially when it comes to forest mapping The Terms of reference refers to the tasks of the external consultant to support the project in the documentation purpose Objective of the consultancy The consultancy is to provide well-structured documentation of the process of BZDP elaboration by (i) reviewing/compiling information about the whole process of BZDP of PNKB NP for necessary lessons learnt, providing respective recommendations for the use and implementation of the plans by different stakeholders; (ii) fine-tuning the BZDP steps and procedures for sharing empirical exercise on the practical linkages of nature conservation objectives with the socio-economic development needs to outside of the project as well as for the purpose of continued application in the PNKB buffer zone in the future; and (iii) serving as guidance for future plan update by government institutions and as blueprint for future knowledge transfer to other Protected Areas in nationwide and regions Expected outputs At the end of the assignment, the following outputs are expected from the consultant: • Well-structured documentation of the process of the BZDP elaborating exercise, in which emphasizing the participatory approach of the process, into an empirical guideline to be presentable to outside of the project Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II • • Report of the review of the process for lessons learnt from the practical exercise and compiled plans with specific recommendations for the use of the plans for different purposes A developed BZDP elaboration Guideline (based current steps) serves as as guidance for future plan update by government institutions and as blueprint for future knowledge transfer to other Protected Areas in nationwide and regions Specific tasks and Timeframe: Task Desk study of relevant documents and discussion with the Project members, including working out the proposal for field visit and meetings with selected districts, commune and villages Support the preparation of the Stakeholders workshop for presenting 1st draft of BZDP Participate in Stakeholders Workshop and consolidation of information Conduct field visits: 4.1 Meetings with key stakeholders who have participated in the process of BZDP elaboration 4.2 Meetings with selected districts, commune to interview involved persons for the participation in the process Debriefing after the field visit Documentation of the results/guidelines and writing the report Get understanding and participating in the REDD+ activities Support the forest mapping for REDD+ activities TOTAL Time needed Starting date 6.10 End date 9.10 Time Needed (in days) 9.10 12.10 13.10 15.10 16.10 18.10 19.10 22.10 23.10 24.10 23.10 29.10 30.10 31.10 1.11 6.11 32 Other arrangements Apart from the necessary discussions with the Project members, the consultant is to work closely with the GIZ Bufferzone Coordinator during the assignment The relevant documents for the assignment in the annex and other papers will be provided to the consultant for study Logistical arrangements for the field visit and meetings with line agencies, districts, commune and villages will be facilitated by the project Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II Annex Relevant documents to be studied 2010 BDP concept paper Nov 2010 Relevant documents and outputs of the scoping mission on BZDP Dec 2012 Report on Threats rapid assessment of the Buferzone communes in PNKB National Park region 07/2011 Green VDPs and CDPs of 157 villages and 13 communes in the Buferzone of PNKB NP (including guidelines, leaflet, plans) (by the GIZ team) 01/2011 Participatory Conservation-oriented Socio-economic Development Planning Procedures at village, commune and district levels to be applied in the Buferzone of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park/ Green VDP/CDP Guideline To be supported by the PNKB Region Project, TC component/GIZ (by the international conservation expert: Steven Swan) 03/2011 Buferzone Development Support Group formation (docs and list of participants) 06/2011 Report on Climate Change Proofing 09/2011 Approved Outline of BZDP 12/2011 Report on Gender, Poverty and Ethnicity 9/2012 Draft version of BZDP Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM QUANG BINH PROVINCE Independence - Freedom - Happiness Quang Binh, date 20th September, 2011 No.: 2378/QD-UBND DECISION On approval of the Outline of Bufer Zone Master Socioeconomic Development Plan in the Context of Conservation of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park to 2020 and Vision to 2030 PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE OF QUANG BINH PROVINCE Pursuant to Law on Organization of Council and People’s Committees dated 26/11/2003; Pursuant to Decree 92/2006/ND-CP of 07/09/2006, on the planning, approval and management of socioeconomic development master plan; Pursuant to Decree 04/2008/ND-CP dated 11/01/2008 of the Government on revision and adjustment of some articles in Decree 92/2006/ND-CP of 07/09/2006, on the planning, approval and management of socioeconomic development master plan; Pursuant to Circular 01/2007/TT-BKH dated 07/02/2007 of Ministry of Planning and Investment guiding the implementation of some articles of Decree 92/2006/ND-CP of 07/09/2006, and Circular 03/2008/TT-BKH dated 01/07/2008 of Ministry of Planning and Investment guiding the implementation of some articles of Decree 04/2008/ND-CP dated 11/01/2008 of the Government; Pursuant to Decision No 686/QD-UBND dated 31/3/2011 of Quang Binh PPC of approval of the Technical Assistance Project “Nature Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Region”, Phase II; Based on Dossier 302/TT-DAPNKB dated 09/9/2011 of Project Management Unit of Phong Nha - Ke Bang Region Project on appraisal and approval of Outline of Outline of Buffer Zone Master Socioeconomic Development Plan in the Context of Conservation of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park to 2020 and Vision to 2030; Based on request of Quang Binh DPI at Dossier 1341/KHDT-KTDN dated 12/9/2011, DECIDES: Article Approve Outline of Buffer Zone Master Socioeconomic Development Plan in the Context of Conservation of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park to 2020 and Vision to 2030, with the following key contents: Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II Name of project: Buffer Zone Master Socioeconomic Development Plan in the Context of Conservation of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park to 2020 and Vision to 2030 Project executive agency: People’s Committee of Quang Binh province Implementation Agency: Project Management Board of Phong Nha - Ke Bang Region Project via technical support of GIZ Investment objective: Elaborate Buffer Zone Master Socioeconomic Development Plan in the Context of Conservation of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park to 2020 and Vision to 2030 in order to identify strategic orientation, propose main solutions for buffer zone socio-economic development in the relation with conservation objectives of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, under the basis of enhancement of practical and feasible connection between livelihoods improvement of buffer zone local people and management and protection of natural resources, especially conservation of biodiversity of PNKB NP, in order to reduce pressure from buffer zone local people for using natural resources as well as to make use of chances for contribution of local people participating in conservation of natural resources in the National Park and its buffer zone Outline, tasks: Outline of Buffer Zone Master Socioeconomic Development Plan in the Context of Conservation of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park to 2020 and Vision to 2030 (See attached detailed Annex) Total cost estimates and budget source: From operational budget of GIZ Component Phong Nha - Ke Bang Region Project Implementation method: Based on regulations and participatory approach in technical assistance of GIZ and on relevant regulations of Vietnam Implementation timeframe: Complete by Quarter II, 2012 Article Project Management Unit of Phong Nha - Ke Bang Region Project has the responsibilities for implementation organization, based on regulations and participatory approach in technical assistance of GIZ and of Vietnam select competent consultancy agent for implementation, then report to competent agencies for appraisal before submitng to the PPC for approval; use budget effectively and with the correct purpose, complete the procedure in due time and ensure the quality of the plan implementation; implement sufficiently all regulations of the State on investment and construction management Article Chief Secretariat of PPC Office; Directors of Departments of: Planning and Investment, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development, Culture-Sport-Tourism, and Construction; Director of Project Management Unit of Phong Nha - Ke Bang Region Project; and leaders of other relevant line Departments, agents and local authorities have responsibilities to implement this Decision./ C.c.: ON BEHALF OF THE PPC - As in Article 3; CHAIRMAN - Chairman, Vice-Chairmen of PPC - Filed by Office, General Division (Signed and stamped) NGUYEN Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II HUU HOAI OUTLINE CONSERVATION-ORIENTED SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN FOR THE BUFFER ZONE OF THE PHONG NHA – KE BANG NATIONAL PARK TO 2020 AND VISION TO 2030 (In attachment with Decision No 2378/QD-UBND dated 20/09/2011 by Quang binh PPC) INTRODUCTION I INECESSITY TO CARRY OUT SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN FOR THE BUFFER ZONE OF THE PHONG NHA – KE BANG NATIONAL PARK TO 2020 - Description of why a master plan for the buffer zone of PNKB National Park is needed Reasoning for viewpoints focusing on conservation purpose towards important values on biodiversity and Heritage value of the National Park - Ensure harmonization between conservation purpose and demands for development - Status of planning activities of the province and relevant districts: o Master Socio-economic Development Plan of Quang Binh province o Master Sustainable Tourism Plan of PNKB National Park o Master Socio-economic Development Plan at district level (3 districts: Bo Trach, Minh Hoa, and Quang Ninh) o Plans of sectors and fields at provincial and district levels (that relates to buffer zone) o Master Plan of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park o Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park Management Plan II LEGAL BASIS FOR PLAN ELABORATION - Relevant laws at national level - Relevant Government’s Decisions at national and regional levels - Relevant decisions at provincial level - Relevant treaties at international level - Requirements on position of World Heritage III SCOPE AND OBJECT OF PLAN Scope of the plan - Include 13 buffer zone communes in PNKB National Park in 03 districts of Bo Trach (communes of Phu Dinh, Hung Trach, Son Trach, Phuc Trach, Xuan Trach, Tan Trach and Thuong Trach), of Minh Hoa (communes of Thuong Hoa, Trung Hoa, Hoa Son, Trong Hoa and Dan Hoa) and of Quang Ninh (Truong Son commune) Object of the plan - Study socio-economics and other contents relating to conservation of PNKB National Park region IV PLAN APPROACH AND PLAN STUDYING METHOD Plan approach - Conservation of biodiversity, ecological systems and outstanding global values of the Heritage in - integration with buffer zone socio-economic development plan of PNKB National Park Approaches for short-term, mid-term and long-term objectives Method of plan studying - Study materials and consult community - Carry out survey, collect information in project area - Synthesize, analyze and process collected information and data - Elaborate the plan and organize workshop, consult relevant line departments V STRUCTURE OF REPORT Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II Buffer zone socio-economic development plan in the region of PNKB National Park consists of 05 parts as follows: - Introduction: Necessity to carry out Buffer Zone Master Socio-economic Development Plan in the context of conservation of the PNKB National Park Part One: Analysis and forecasting on impacts of natural elements and conditions towards socioeconomic development process of the buffer zone of the PNKB National Park Part Two: Status on buffer zone socio-economic development of PNKB National Park to 2010 Part Three: Master buffer zone socio-economic development plan of PNKB National Park to 2020, vision to 2030 Part Four: Solutions for plan implementation PART ONE ANALYSIS AND FORECASTING ON IMPACTS OF NATURAL ELEMENTS AND CONDITIONS TOWARDS SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF THE BUFFER ZONE OF THE PNKB NATIONAL PARK I DESCRIPTION OF PNKB NATIONAL PARK AND ITS BUFFER ZONE Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park - Natural, historical and social characteristics - Organizational and managerial structure - Vision and conservation objectives of PNKB National Park regarding to buffer zone development planning in the context of linkage between conservation objective and demands for development Bufer zone - Description on context of buffer zone - Geographical, natural, economic and social conditions - Land use status Relationship between bufer zone and PNKB National Park Institutional framework of PNKB National Park - Institutional setup on buffer zone management - Functions and tasks of line departments and agencies and relevant localities - Description of government agencies working in the region under the jurisdiction of this Master Plan, inclusive of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, and all government agencies with functions in the national park buffer zone Programs and activities of other organizations in the region - Projects, NGOs, social organizations having programs and activities in the buffer zone and PNKB NP II ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION ON NATURAL ELEMENTS AND CONDITIONS OF BUFFER ZONE TOWARDS PNKB NATIONAL PARK Values regarding to natural resources of the PNKB National Park that relates to socio-economic development process of local people and cultural characters of the locality - Importance of bufer zone towards PNKB National Park Analyze and evaluate position and role of buffer zone towards conservation of biodiversity and of World Heritage values and historical values of PNKB National Park Analyze and evaluate position and role of buffer zone towards economic development of districts of Bo Trach, Minh Hoa and Quang Ninh and of the whole province regarding to economical, social and security-national defence aspects in recent years (milestone 10 years); advantages and shortcomings Analysis and evaluation on natural conditions of bufer zone that afect socio-economic development in the region as well as conservation of PNKB National Park Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II - Analyze characteristics on topography, climate and issues relating to climate changes, ecological environment, production and income status of local people in buffer zone that affect socio-economic development of the whole buffer zone to 2020 Analysis and evaluation on status and capacity of sustainably exploiting potentials of natural resources into socio-economic development of bufer zone - Status of exploitation and usage of all kinds of natural resources during the last 10 years in the region of PNKB National Park; evaluate the effectiveness of using each kind of natural resources and the impacts of exploiting the natural resources towards biodiversity conservation of PNKB National Park: - Land resource - Water resource - Forest and forest land resources - Fauna and flora - Mineral resources - Tourism resource - Environment and ecology Analysis and evaluation on characteristics regarding to population, population distribution, resources and social issues - Analyze and evaluate changing process on quantity and quality of population in the last 10 years - Analyze and evaluate impacts of characteristics on population and population distribution, of cultural and human culture, etc on economic development during the last time - Analyze and evaluate the process of changing quantity and quality of human resources, evaluate the status of exploiting and using human resources and their impacts towards socio-economic development of buffer zone - Analyze and evaluate relevant gender, poverty and ethnic issues Analysis of impacts of socio-economic development planning at district, region and provincial levels towards socio-economic development of the bufer zone of the PNKB National Park - Analyze impacts of general socio-economic development plan of the province towards socio-economic development of the district and the buffer zone - Analyze position and role of buffer zone in socio-economic development strategies of the district and the province Analysis and evaluation on impacts of the implementation of National Park Management Plan towards local people in bufer zone Analysis and evaluation on issues, threats from bufer zone towards PNKB National Park - Critical aspects relevant to conservation of natural resources and biodiversity in PNKB core zone - Description of critical aspects relevant to conservation of natural resources and biodiversity in core zone III and that relate to the establishment of the PNKB Buffer Zone Threats originating from outside and inside the PNKB Region Description of threats to the natural environment and resources of the national park coming from in and outside of the National Park Specification of Threats Identify threats Describe and rank threats in terms of gravity Analyze threats and strategies to mitigate those threats Zoning of Threats by Communes and Villages Description of the geographical location and spatial gravity of the threats Opportunities and challenges for conservation-oriented socio-economic development Description of how to align defined priority threats under the above items with development opportunities Analysis of ideas and prescriptions on how to align development demands with conservation objectives FORECASTING OF IMPACTS OF FACTORS OF NATURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND SOCIO-ECONOMY ON BUFFER ZONE OF PNKB NATIONAL PARK TO 2020 Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II IV Forecast ability to bring into play advantages for buffer zone socio-economic development in the region of PNKB National Park to 2020 Forecast impacts of climate changes and ecological environment towards buffer zone Forecast impacts, threats and challenges caused by improper usage and exploitation of natural resources, of fauna and flora resources, tourism resources, etc in the region of buffer zone and of PNKB National Park Forecast the development of sectors and fields of the province and districts that have impacts on socioeconomic development of buffer zone Forecast changes on quantity and quality of population; on population distribution; on characters of population; on cultural elements affecting buffer zone socio-economic development plan Forecast on scope and quality of human resources affecting buffer zone socio-economic development plan Forecast on abilities for cooperation and for attraction of investment sources for the development of buffer zone and conservation of PNKB National Park INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL CONTEXT ON BUFFER ZONE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING - Short summary of international experiences on buffer zone planning and region-based planning that can be related to the National Park - Short summary on national experiences for development activities in other protected areas, providing the contextual setup to establish a Vision to 2030 - Current laws relating to buffer zone of Vietnam in the context of elaboration of buffer zone development plan PART TWO STATUS ON BUFFER ZONE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF PNKB NATIONAL PARK TO 2010 I GROWTH AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE SHIFTING Analysis and evaluation on economic growth of bufer zone - Achievements reached on economic growth and Resolutions of Party Congress of commune and district - that are set for buffer zone communes Main factors affecting economic growth speed of buffer zone (capital, investment, labour, commodityconsumption market, competitiveness of products and commodities from the region) in the conservation context of PNKB National Park Analysis and evaluation on shifting process of economic structure - Analyze achieved and unachieved aspects in the implementation process of sectoral economic structure II shifting in connection with investment structure and structure of using labour in buffer zone Relationship among sectors and among economic sectors in buffer zone Reasons affecting shifting process of economic structure of buffer zone STATUS OF DEVELOPMENT OF SECTORS AND FIELDS IN BUFFER ZONE OF PNKB NATIONAL PARK TO 2010 Status of exploiting and using natural resources of local people in bufer zone in the relationship with conservation objectives of PNKB National Park - Analyze and evaluate the life and the habit of local people in buffer zone on exploiting natural resources in the National Park before and after the PNKB National Park is established Development status of sectors and fields - Status of management of natural resources in the region of PNKB National Park and its buffer zone - Agriculture, forestry and fisheries - Industry and service - Status of development and distribution of sectors of culture, education, science and technology, health - and issues of ethnic minorities Issues on gender Analysis and evaluation on infrastructure system of bufer zone Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II - Analyze and evaluate infrastructure system of buffer zone: status, advantages and issued raised for planning time Analysis on status of development investment - Analyze and evaluate status of social investment and total social investment in period of 2006 - 2010, structure of sectoral-based and territorial-based investment capital, status of mobilizing investment capital and solutions implemented to mobilize investment capital; evaluate effectiveness of investment capital Analysis and evaluation on environmental status - Analyze and evaluate quality of environment and process of environmental management and monitoring (water, air, forest, and raised issues, etc) Analysis and evaluation on impacts of mechanisms and policies being implemented towards bufer zone socio-economic development in conservation context of PNKB National Park Analysis and evaluation on management and implementation arrangement of master socio-economic development plan in the localities of bufer zone districts and communes Overall evaluation on potentials and abilities to bring into play comparative advantages in objectives of bufer zone socio-economic development in conservation context of PNKB National Park - Identify clearly position of buffer zone communes in the whole province and analyze kinds of potentials and limitations of buffer zone communes in comparison with other districts/communes to identify comparative advantages that can be made full use for development objectives in conservation context - Analyze advantages in buffer zone socio-economic development from the viewpoint of conservation of PNKB National Park; describe challenges in buffer zone socio-economic development in the context of conservation - Describe potentials of sectors and relating limitations Programs and projects being invested in bufer zone - List of programs and projects being invested in buffer zone - Limitations and challenges faced by projects, especially regarding to contribution to conservation III GENERAL EVALUATION ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS PERIOD 2001-2010 Achieved achievements Challenges and shortcomings Evaluation on planning and plans currently available in localities under the viewpoint of contribution to conservation of PNKB National Park PART THREE MASTER BUFFER ZONE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF PNKB NATIONAL PARK TO 2020, VISION TO 2030 IV PLAN VISION Plan vision to 2030 Strategic orientation for development to 2020 Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II V THEORETICAL FOUNDATION ON OPTIONS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTHS AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE SHIRTING TO 2020 Theoretical foundation on options for conservation-oriented economic growths - Consider development factors of districts, of buffer zone in the context of the region to develop options - for development Develop development options Select option for development Theoretical foundation on conservation-oriented economic structure shifting - Based on 02 options, create theoretical foundation for economic structure shifting - Create theoretical foundation for structure shifting in sectors of agriculture, industry and of service Theoretical foundation on options for sustainable conservation of PNKB NP VI PLAN VIEWPOINT - Definitions and principles are applied for buffer zone socio-economic development in the context of conservation of the PNKB National Park - Be in line with planning for National Park Management; with socio-economic development planning for the province and for relevant districts; with specific sectors and fields - Develop social economy in harmonization with conservation of the Heritage and of various biodiversity values of the core zone VII PLAN OBJECTIVES Overall objectives - Ensure livelihoods for people living in buffer zone in order to reduce pressure on exploitation of natural - resources in region of PNKB National Park, which contributes to conservation of biodiversity in PNKB National Park Exploit and use natural resources in region of PNKB National Park in a sustainable and effective way Preserve important heritage values of PNKB National Park through a proper and effective socioeconomic development process Contribute to local economic development, especially to poverty reduction Specific objectives to 2015 and to 2020 - Economic objectives - Social objectives - Environmental objectives - Biodiversity conservation objectives VIII PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF KEY SECTORS AND FIELDS TO 2020 Economic development - Theoretical foundation on orientation of land use planning in order to support conservation-oriented - development Development planning of agro-forestry-fishery Development planning of Industry, Handicraft and Small-scale Industries Development planning of sustainable tourism and sectors of service and trade Orientation on market approach and possibilities of capital source accessing Cultural-social development - Development of science and technology - Planning for population distribution - Orientation on solutions for employment creation, poverty reduction and hunger alleviation, security - and national defence, social security and minority issues Orientation on education for raising awareness on conservation and environmental protection Development orientation for human resource development Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II Development of infrastructure Orientation on protection of ecological environment, protection of biodiversity conservation and mitigation of impacts of climate changes Theoretical foundation on socio-economic development in sub-region and in priority area IX PRIORITIZED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND INVESTMENT PROJECTS TO 2020 - Develop list of projects and programs prioritized for investment in periods of 2011- 2015 and of 2016 – 2020 in various sectors and fields - Collect and synthesize demands for investment capital and structure of investment capital for each period of 2011 – 2015 and of 2016 - 2020 PART FOUR SOLUTIONS FOR PLAN IMPLEMENTATION I IMPLEMENTATION SOLUTIONS Solution on investment and resource mobilization from economic sectors Solutions on quality improvement of human resources Solutions on science, technology and environment Solution on mechanism and policy Solutions on domestic and international cooperation Solutions on institution, management and implementation arrangement of the planning II PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING Plan and timeframe for implementation - Overview on implementation plan and timeframe - 10-year implementation plan - 5-year implementation plan Monitoring plan - Overview on monitoring plan and timeframe - Indicators for monitoring planning implementation progress - Milestones for monitoring planning impacts - Collection and analysis of information - Review and management III DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEM OF STATUS AND PLANNING MAPS System of status maps of 13 buffer zone communes System of socio-economic planning maps of 13 buffer zone communes Land use planning maps of 13 buffer zone communes System of maps of 13 buffer zone communes Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II ... responsibility and right to join in implementing and managing investment projects in buffer zones Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II According to all the sources cited here, activities like... font size, classifications, Sandra Sudhoff - Mission Report Part I and II legends etc are prescribed in a decision 11 Mapping statistical data and using it for analysis is usually not included... (Criterion ix); and  containing the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding