Missing Water – A Mekong Story
The story is produced by PanNature with support from the McArthur Foundation and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).
The Vietnamese State and Administrative Co-Management of Nature Reserves
Special-use forests (SUFs) are natural protected areas established to conserve the nature and biodiversity of Vietnam. Although the number of SUFs in Vietnam has increased over the years, biodiversity and forest density continues to decline. The Special-Use Forest system of protected area management has been implemented in accordance with ideas of wilderness areas and no-use regimes , and strongly relies on the capacity of state agencies, forest rangers, the military, and police. The state-based preservation of natural resources and biodiversity in SUF areas has been variously evaluated as deficient in a number of areas, including managing conflict between multiple user groups. To overcome these deficiencies, Vietnam has piloted co-management approaches in many SUFs since 2001, and as of 2003 included co-management in its official national strategy for SUF management.
ASEAN’s special role in managing energy decisions
Mekong countries’s chronic shortage of electricity which threatens to stymie economic growth, could be eased by pushing for acceleration of plans by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a regional power grid. Cross-border electricity swaps are growing as the 10-country bloc moves towards the goal of a single market by the end of 2015. And hydropower is among those plans. However, Damming the Mekong River can causes widespread controversy in South East Asia. Lower Sesan 2 dam on Mekong river in Cambodia is a typical example.
Dak Lak Yew forest revives
More than 10 years ago, scientists warned about the endangered yew (Glyptostrobus pensilis) forests in the central province of Dak Lak. Since then, activities have helped to preserve the species.
Environmental and Social Index for Provincial REDD+ Planning and Implementation in Vietnam
In this context, the Provincial REDD+ Environmental and Social Index (RESI) was developed by the by People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) in collaboration with the Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES, Vietnam National University in Hanoi), and Tropenbos International in Vietnam (TBI), with technical support from Dr. Pamela McElwee (Rutgers University, USA). Developed from 2012 to 2015, this index assesses local environmental and social conditions and highlights particular advantages and potential risks in implementing REDD+ at the provincial level.
PanNature becomes a new member of the ICCA Consortium
On 7 January 2016, PanNature was delighted to be one among nearly 100 members of the Indigenous Peoples’ and Community Conserved Areas and Territories (ICCA) Consortium.
PanNature and Vietnam Administration of Forestry Signed Cooperation Program
According to the agreed upon plan, PanNature and other organizations will cooperate on numerous activities to assist VNFOREST in implementing evidence-based research for the proposed Forest Law, which will replace the Law on Forest Protection and Development of 2004. PanNature will also support VNFOREST in establishing the Vietnam's Forest Owners Association.
Reporting on Mekong Dams – Science, Policies and Voices from the Ground
On November 10, BRIDGE financed a training workshop entitled Reporting on Mekong Dams – Science, Policies and Voices from the Ground in An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta. It was organized by Pan Nature, a Vietnamese NGO, to brief journalists on the concerns and perspectives of local stakeholders on planned dams on the Mekong River. Thirty journalists from national and provincial newspapers and radio and television agencies in the delta attended, as will as representatives from academia and NGOs from Vietnam and other Mekong countries.
Greater Mekong Subregion Energy Sector Investments: Concerns and Recommendations
This briefing paper, "Re-Assessing Greater Mekong Subregion Energy Investments", provides an overview and critical analysis of the large-scale energy investments prioritized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank in the Mekong region. Case studies focus on hydropower-related projects in Lao PDR that are intended for exporting electricity to Thailand and Vietnam.
Improving Environment Management in Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba Archipelago
ecently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature organised the second Leadership Committee meeting of the Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance (HLCBA) in Hai Phong City to discuss improved environment management in Vietnam’s leading tourism attraction. Among the participants were leaders from Quang Ninh and Hai Phong People’s Committees, representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the US Embassy, represented by US Deputy Chief of Mission Susan Sutton, US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Agence Francaise de Development (AFD).