Posted on May, 26 2015

Dak Lak, May 19 2015 – Today, with the consent of Vietnam Forestry Administration and Dak Lak provincial People Committee, representatives of Vietnam’s Yok Don National Park and Cambodia’s Forestry Administration Mondulkiri Protected Forest initiated the first ever co-operation agreement on forest protection and management for the Eastern Plains Landscape, the largest lowland forest, made up of tropical hardwood trees
(Dipterocarpaceae) that are long-lived and can grow to exceptional sizes, remaining in Southeast Asia, covering more than 400,000ha and supporting some of Asia’s rarest and most threatened species.

The Cambodia Eastern Plains forest, which consists of sections of Mondulkiri Protected Forest and sharing the border with Vietnam’s Yok Don National Park, are the home of many important and endangered species including gaur, bangteng , Eld’s deer and globally threatened large waterbirds and vultures. Though Yok Don NP makes up a small part of the Eastern Plains (115,000ha), it is an integral and important part of the area, home to as many as 100 elephants which disregard passports and freely cross the national border.

While the area is crucial in conserving typical wildlife unique to these forests, insufficient cooperation between the Yok Don and Mondulkiri has prevented the effectiveness of conserving the area. Wildlife crime has become well organized and thus requires more comprehensive and organized enforcement to effectively suppress the syndicates. Strengthening trans-boundary cooperation between the two parks will bring more opportunities for better integration of forest and species protection and will greatly enhance the management capacity of the parks.

“The initiation of this joint action plan is significant as it marks a turning point in co-operation between the two parks, paving the way for more effectiveness in forestry law enforcement through landscape management approach and trans-boundary biodiversity conservation.” said Dr. Tran The Lien, Director of Nature Conservation Department, Vietnam Forestry Admistration.

The co-operation will establish a mechanism for sharing information between the two parks on wildlife populations and patrolling routines. It will also allow for, exchange experiences in biodiversity monitoring, forest management and protection and livelihood enhancement for local communities. The two parks also commit to supporting each other in capacity building, exchanging experts and specialists in areas of common interest. Joint patrols along the border of the two parks with rangers and soldiers from Vietnam and Cambodia are also in the agenda.

“The initiation of Joint Action Plan paves the way for the relationship and partnership between the two countries, the two Forest Administrations and the two parks’ staff to move to a higher level.” Said Mr. Hort Sothea, Representative of Cambodia Forestry Administration.

“The biodiversity importance of the area has made it one of WWF’s top priority landscapes, where we will continue to enhance law enforcement capacity and biodiversity monitoring of the Parks.” said Dr. Van Ngoc Thinh, Country Director of WWF-Vietnam.

“The area holds a unique position as part of Cambodia and Vietnam’s plans to double wild tiger populations. The landscape has been proposed by the two governments as the location to reintroduce tigers, which are considered to be functionally extinct in both countries.” added Mr.Chhit Sam Ath , Country Director of WWF-Cambodia
With the number of wild elephants on the decrease and several recent cases of domestic elephant death in Dak Lak, cooperation between the two Parks is crucial for conserving the last largest elephant herds of Vietnam and for many other threatened species in the area.