Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a remote area characterized by limestone karst, steep rice terraces and traditional villages of Thai and Muong minorities. Being one of the largest remaining areas of lowland limestone forests in northern Vietnam, the Nature Reserve is home to rare animals like the Clouded Leopard and the Asian Black Bear. The 18 000 hectare Nature Reserve was established in 1999 under the responsibility of the Pu Luong Management Board in order to conserve the ecosystem and raise awareness and support for nature protection among local communities. Since 2003, the Management Board has been supported by DED Forestry Experts.

The cooperation with local people is at the center of the Management Board’s attention. About 25 000 people are living in the Nature Reserve and its surrounding area. Almost all households are extremely poor. People are suffering from lack of food and cash for basic necessities as agriculture is not generating enough income and the traditional source of income, forest products, has been inaccessible since the establishment of the Nature Reserve. To cover family expenditure, however, people still tend to engage in illegal activities such as cutting timber or hunting animals.

Through income generating activities, locals are enabled to improve their earnings and use natural resources according to the law. For income generating measures, Pu Luong specialized in ecotourism such as trekking and homestays with Thai and Muong minority families. To raise awareness for nature protection, regular events are organized in communities and schools, such as setting up “Green Clubs” for the youth and competitions for the “best forest protector”. These events are regularly covered by the local press and radio.

In order to further improve the living conditions of locals, water pipelines were constructed in some of the small villages like Pa Ban, a community in the buffer zone of Pu Luong. The initiative for access to clean water came from the villagers themselves as they had to carry the water from a nearby river, which was a time consuming procedure. Villagers also used to suffer from water borne diseases.

As the support of Pu Luong Nature Reserve has proved to be successful, the field of work of the DED Forestry Expert was extended in March 2007 to Pu Hu and Xuan Lien Nature Reserve in Tanh Hoa Province.

Thomas Okfen, DED Expert