Pu Mat National Park receives ASEAN Heritage Park title and celebrates 30th anniversary

Attending the ceremony were comrade Tran Quoc Bao - Director of the Forestry Department; representative of the Heritage Department; representative of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Bolykhamxay province, Laos; representatives of national parks, heritage gardens, nature reserves in the country; and cooperative organizations. On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrades: Nguyen Hoai An - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Secretary of the Con Cuong Commune Party Committee; Nguyen Danh Hung - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment; provincial departments, branches, and local authorities.

Delegates attending the ceremony. Photo: Hoai Thu

Preserving and promoting the "treasure" of national parks

At the ceremony, delegates were introduced to the history, traditions, achievements, and sustainable development orientation in preserving and promoting Pu Mat National Park.

Pu Mat Nature Reserve was upgraded to Pu Mat National Park (NP) according to Decision No. 174/2001/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on November 8, 2001. Accordingly, the main functions of the Park include: Protecting and developing special-use forests; Preserving and promoting biodiversity values and biological genetic resources; Preserving nature, cultural, historical and landscape values; Scientific research, international cooperation, rescue and development of organisms; Education to raise environmental awareness and provide forest environmental services; Development of ecotourism.

Mr. Le Anh Tuan - Director of Pu Mat National Park summarized and evaluated the results achieved and oriented activities to build, preserve and promote the heritage values of Pu Mat National Park. Photo: Hoai Thu

Throughout the 30-year journey, Pu Mat National Park has identified forest management and protection as the most important political task, following the motto "Protecting forests at the root". Every year, the forest protection force conducts thousands of patrols, destroys illegal camps, removes animal traps and handles illegal logging. Patrolling has many breakthroughs, such as the application of information technology and smart devices to support forest rangers. Pu Mat National Park is considered one of the special-use forests with very high biodiversity in Vietnam. It preserves many rare species of animals and plants of national and international value. More importantly, the populations of some endangered animal species in Vietnam and the world still have the potential to be preserved and developed in the Park, such as: elephants, Truong Son muntjacs, striped rabbits, civets, sun bears and Asian bears.

Activities of nature conservation, socio-economic development in the core zone of Pu Mat National Park. Photo: PV - Contributor

Pu Mat National Park has always received cooperation and support from many domestic and international organizations and individuals such as: Cooperation in training and experience exchange with Xi-Xoang-Ba-Na Tropical Botanical Garden. Many cooperation contents have achieved high efficiency such as: cooperation with the Wildlife Conservation Center in Vietnam and Fauna and Flora International. Activities include forest protection, animal rescue, scientific research, environmental education and livelihood development for people in the buffer zone. From 2017 to now, there have been 64 delegations from 26 countries coming to Pu Mat National Park to cooperate in biodiversity research.

Pu Mat National Park shares a border with the Lao People's Democratic Republic of nearly 68 km. Since 2010, the Park has maintained a good cooperation agreement on cross-border biodiversity conservation with the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Bolikhamxay province. The two sides take turns organizing conferences to exchange experiences and patrol and protect forests along the border.

Natural waterfall at Pu Mat National Park. Photo: CSCC

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Pu Mat National Park has received many noble titles and awards in its 30-year journey of construction and development: 28 Certificates of Merit from the People's Committee of Nghe An province; 8 Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (including a Certificate of Merit for achievements in wildlife conservation in the period 2010-2020); 2 Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister, Emulation Flag of the Government; Second-class Labor Medal awarded by the President in 2023. The Party Committee of the park has achieved the title of "Typical Clean and Strong" for many years, and won the Vietnam Environment Award in the period 2010-2015 and in 2021.

Strengthening international integration and exploiting the multi-use value of forests

To promote its image, enhance international integration and exploit the multi-use value of the forest, Pu Mat National Park proposed to be recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP) in 2020. The dossier was approved in principle by the Prime Minister; the ASEAN Biodiversity Center reviewed, evaluated the field, and recognized the Park as meeting 12 selection criteria. Pu Mat National Park was officially recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park at the ASEAN Environment Ministers' Meeting on September 3, 2025.

Speaking at the ceremony, delegates representing the Department of Forestry and the Department of Heritage congratulated the collective and people of Pu Mat National Park on their achievements; and at the same time highly appreciated the heritage conservation value of Pu Mat National Park. The delegates also Propose that Nghe An province's departments and agencies continue to pay attention, support, and call on international organizations to spread the image and heritage, economic, and cultural values of Pu Mat National Park,...

On this occasion, Pu Mat National Park received the Certificate of ASEAN Heritage Park recognition. Pu Mat National Park collective was presented with a banner by the Provincial People's Committee; 1 collective (Pu Mat National Park Forest Protection Department) and 6 individuals were awarded Certificates of Merit by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for their outstanding achievements in the process of building and developing Pu Mat National Park.

There were 5 groups and 15 individuals who received Certificates of Merit from the Director of Pu Mat National Park for their contributions to Pu Mat National Park. Sponsors also gave gifts to disadvantaged people in Mon Son and Tam Quang communes, which are localities in the buffer zone of Pu Mat National Park.