Leveraging power of community to protect unique Yok Đôn ecosystem

Forest rangers and local forest protection teams during a patrol in Yok Đôn National Park. — VNA/VNS Photos Tuấn Anh

ĐẮK LẮK — In their efforts to preserve biodiversity and raise awareness of forest protection, the provinces of Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông have achieved significant success by engaging local communities in conservation work at Yok Đôn National Park.

Spanning over 115,500 hectares across the two provinces, Yok Đôn National Park is the only dipterocarp forest ecosystem in Việt Nam. It is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including 858 plant species, 89 mammal species and 305 bird species.

To preserve this diversity, local authorities have been carrying out various policies for forest protection through community engagement and reducing harmful, outdated practices.

More than 500 people of Đắk Lắk’s Drang Phốk, a village deep within Yok Đôn National Park have changed from relying on forest products for livelihood to actively participating in forest protection.

Every month, teams from Drang Phốk joined Yok Đôn National Park rangers on their patrols in their assigned areas.

Y Toek Knul, head of the Drang Phốk community forest protection team, says about 20 households are working with Drang Phốk Forest Ranger Station to safeguard over 430 hectares in the national park.

Leveraging their understanding of the local terrain, the team members help protect the forest ecosystem and promptly detect and stop deforestation activities or wildlife hunting, while also assisting with forest fire prevention and firefighting when mobilised.

Y Toek Knul has been part of the local forest protection team since its establishment in 2009 and receives about VNĐ3.8 million (US$150) per year for this work. Years of experience in this mission made him understand the significance of the forest ecosystem in maintaining a stable and peaceful life for the village.

Meanwhile, at the age of 65, Drang Phốk’s village elder Y Mosk Hra still regularly goes on patrol with local rangers.

Y Mosk Hra says that for generations, the Yok Đôn dipterocarp forest has nurtured the people of Drang Phốk, therefore, protecting the forest is the shared responsibility of the community.

“As a village elder and a péon who has a voice in the community, I always advocate for a right mindset and fulfilling our responsibility in forest protection,” says Y Mosk Hra.

“Preserving the forest ecosystem is preserving the village’s peace for future generations and reducing the consequences of disasters, especially amid the increasing climate change impacts.”

Forest rangers assign tasks to local forest protection team members before a patrol.

Collective power

According to Nguyễn Phúc Yên, deputy head of Drang Phốk Forest Ranger Station, given the location of the village in Yok Đôn National Park, the community plays a crucial role in forest management and preservation.

In charge of five forest sub-areas totalling 5,000 hectares, the modest number of forest rangers was a major challenge for the station.

With policies sharing forest protection with community going into effect and regular awareness-raising activities on the current laws, Drang Phốk locals have been taking practical actions to protect Yok Đôn dipterocarp forest ecosystem.

“The collective efforts from locals who take on forest protection tasks have reduced the pressure on forest rangers in patrolling, removing traps for wild animals and preventing wildfires during the dry season.

“Thanks to that, forest encroachment in our assigned areas has reduced in recent years,” says Yên.

Yok Đôn National Park’s management has been working with 17 villages in the forest buffer zones for forest protection. They are home to 2,769 households over an area of 17,500 hectares.

This year’s budget for community forest protection is estimated at VNĐ7 billion ($283,000). To date, the park has reviewed and paid VNĐ3.4 billion ($137,000) to the community as forest protection fees for the first six months.

After years of collaboration in forest preservation, the forest rangers and local communities have formed a strong connection, joining hands to detect and prevent violations and safeguard Yok Đôn National Park - the unique dipterocarp forest ecosystem of Việt Nam.