The Prime Minister has given the nod to a project on sustainable conservation and management work at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh.
Thien Duong (heaven) Cave in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park (Source :VNA)
The project has a total investment of 2.175 million Euro (EUR) (2.324 million USD). The German government will provide 2 million EUR (2.1 million USD) in non-refundable official development assistance (ODA). The work is expected to finish by the end of 2016.
Under the plan, the park will develop information and biodiversity monitoring systems, with a view to strengthening forest management and protection works.
New production models will be built to improve livelihoods for local residents, particularly women and ethnic minorities, thus contributing to biodiversity conservation.
Another goal of the project is to intensify cross-border cooperation between the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park and Laos’ Hin Nam No National Protected Area (NPA) via increasing information exchanges between the two sides.
The PM assigned the Quang Binh provincial People’s Committee to carry out the project in accordance with regulations, ensuring the work will be implemented effectively.
Located in Bo Trach District, the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park covers 85,754 hectares with a 195,400-hectare buffer zone. It is among the 238 most important ecological zones in the world.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang won UNESCO heritage recognition in 2003 thanks to its system of 300 different caves and grottos, which date back some 400 million years.
With a length of 7.7 kilometres, the Phong Nha cave system is said to have the longest water cave and the most beautiful grottos.