In 2011, after having completed the REDD+ pilot financed by TIDES in another province, GIZ expressed interest in supporting them and their local counterparts to set up a Buffer Zone Development Plan for the Phong Nha Khe Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site to protect world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam. The project’s overall goal is “Contribution to the conservation of the Northern Annamite Region, its biodiversity and ecological services in close relation with a sustainable socio-economic development“ and more specifically: “Reduction of the pressure on the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (PNKB NP) and amelioration of the legal income of the target groups living the park region.” 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2012, CartONG was involved in compiling a well-structured documentation of the process of BZDP elaboration by (i) reviewing/compiling information about the whole process of BZDP of PNKB NP for necessary lessons learnt, providing respective recommendations for the use and implementation of the plans by different stakeholders; (ii) fine-tuning the BZDP steps and procedures for sharing empirical exercise on the practical linkages of nature conservation objectives with the socio-economic development needs to outside of the project as well as for the purpose of continued application in the PNKB buffer zone in the future; and (iii) serving as guidance for future plan update by government institutions and as blueprint for future knowledge transfer to other Protected Areas in nationwide and regions. It also involved documenting the beginning of REDD+ scoping activities, assess the spatial data especially available images and assist in drawing up Terms of Reference and Principal Steps for technical REDD Service providers

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