Ensuring livelihoods for ethnic minorities in Phong Nha

The canarium forest of Mr. Ban Van Son's family, Kim Dien commune, was planted under the project of Conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the PN - KB area - Photo: PP

Creating livelihoods for people to protect forests

The PN - KB National Park area is home to two ethnic minorities: Chut (including the Sach, May, Ruc, Arem, Ma Lieng ethnic groups) and Bru - Van Kieu (including the Van Kieu, Khua, Ma Coong, Tri ethnic groups). In general, the life of ethnic minorities here is still difficult, some places lack land for production, and the livelihood of the people mainly depends on exploiting forest resources.

Deputy Director of the PN - KB National Park Management Board, Dinh Huy Tri, shared: “We are deeply aware of the role of ethnic minorities in participating in forest protection and development. Therefore, along with the attention of the province, in recent years, the PN - KB National Park Management Board has closely coordinated with local authorities, devoting many resources to support, create livelihoods, as well as build essential infrastructure works to serve the lives of the people. Because, we understand that, if livelihoods are sustainable, people's lives are improved, the pressure on the forest will decrease. That is also the best way to protect and develop the PN - KB World Natural Heritage forest”.

Mr. Ban Van Son (Tho ethnic group) in Kim Dien commune is known as a shining example in the movement of ethnic minorities doing good business . In particular, Mr. Son is one of the pioneers in implementing the local economic development forest planting program. With the support of the project on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the PN - KB area, Mr. Son's family has planted a forest of more than 6 hectares of Tram and Lim trees, which is growing well like a natural forest.

At the same time, since 2022, with the help of the local government, Mr. Son has established the Hoa Son Agricultural Cooperative (named after the old commune) with the cooperative members (mostly ethnic minorities) to promote their strengths and develop local agricultural products such as honey, peanuts, and sustainable indigenous forest planting. The cooperative's typical agricultural products are increasingly trusted by customers, contributing to creating jobs and increasing income for members.

Thuong Trach border commune (merged from Thuong Trach and Tan Trach communes of the old Bo Trach district) is home to the Ma Coong (Bru - Van Kieu ethnic group) and Arem (Chut ethnic group). This is the core commune of the World Natural Heritage PN - KB National Park (area 1,095.78 km ² , population 3,615 people), playing a particularly important role in forest protection in PN - KB.

To support people to stabilize their lives inside the heritage forest, over the past years, the Management Board of PN - KB National Park has signed contracts to assign special-use forest protection to communities in 9 villages in the commune, with an area of over 10,000 hectares, and used the forest protection fund to pay people.

This method not only creates a stable income but also attaches the responsibility of the ethnic minority community in joining hands to protect the forest. In addition, the Management Board of PN - KB National Park has also been flexible in using other legal funding sources to help Thuong Trach commune build civil works to serve the production and daily life of the people.

Vice Chairman of Thuong Trach Commune People's Committee Nguyen Truong Chinh said that compared to before, the illegal impact of ethnic minorities in the commune on forest resources has been limited to the maximum extent. This result was achieved thanks to the PN - KB National Park Management Board's close coordination with local authorities in supporting the livelihoods of the people and the people themselves raising their awareness in forest protection, shifting from illegal exploitation of forest resources to protection to benefit from heritage forests.

On July 13, 2025, at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) in Paris, France, UNESCO approved a decision to adjust the boundary of the World Natural Heritage PN - KB National Park (Quang Tri, Vietnam) to include Hin Nam No National Park (Kham Muon, Laos). The name of this first Vietnam - Laos cross-border heritage is "PN - KB National Park and Hin Nam No National Park". According to the leader of the PN - KB National Park Management Board, the management of cross-border heritage has been agreed upon by Vietnam and Laos for many years with protection and law enforcement activities. At the level of PN - KB National Park and Hin Nam No National Park, there have also been many coordination and support activities in conservation and strict protection, especially community support activities, especially ethnic minorities on both sides of the border participating in protecting and developing heritage forest resources.

Sustainable solutions

As a World Natural Heritage, PN-KB National Park is identified as the “heart” of tourism in the province, a high-class tourism center in Southeast Asia. Besides eco-tourism and adventure tourism which have become brands, PN-KB is continuing to diversify cultural, historical and community tourism products...

In particular, tourism products associated with the unique cultural life of ethnic minorities in the region are considered to have great potential, and are of great interest to PN-KB National Park and businesses. This is also considered one of the most sustainable livelihood solutions for ethnic minorities when they directly participate and enjoy high income from these tourism products.

Ensuring livelihoods for ethnic minorities in Phong Nha - Ke Bang

The drum beating festival of the Ma Coong people in Thuong Trach commune attracts a large number of locals and tourists to participate - Photo: PP

The PN - KB area currently has many traditional cultural festivals of the ethnic minorities, especially the Drum Beating Festival of the Ma Coong people in Thuong Trach commune which has been recognized as a national festival. This is a particularly important spiritual and religious activity in the spiritual life of the Ma Coong people.

The festival takes place only once a year on the night of January 16, to worship Giàng, pray for favorable weather, good crops, growth of all things, a peaceful, prosperous and happy life. This is also the day for young couples to meet, date and build families.

According to experts, if built, the Ma Coong Drum Festival will become a unique cultural tourism product, attracting tourists, while creating livelihoods and increasing income for the people. Currently, in the PN - KB area, there is a tourism product exploiting the cultural values of ethnic minorities, attracting the attention and exploration of tourists, which is the tourism product "Experience nature and learn about the culture of the Ruc community in Kim Phu commune", one of the 10 "Most mysterious" ethnic groups in the world.

The leader of PN-KB National Park said that in addition to tourism activities, to create sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minorities in the region, currently, from the capital of the sustainable forestry development program and the North Central region greenhouse gas emission reduction payment agreement program (ERPA), the unit continues to support funding for villages and hamlets to upgrade infrastructure and create livelihoods to help people, especially ethnic minorities, sustainably reduce poverty.

According to the ERPA agreement, in the PN-KB National Park, there are 40 communities (including villages in ethnic minority communes) that have agreed to participate in forest management activities with forest owners, benefiting from this source of income, thereby contributing to reducing pressure on national forest resources. Supporting community development and mobilizing the full participation of local communities and other stakeholders in the sustainable protection of forest resources is also a measure for PN-KB National Park to move towards the IUCN Green List.

Phan Phuong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/bao-dam-sinh-ke-cho-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-o-phong-nha-ke-bang-196019.htm