Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

• Ground transport infrastructure (Negative impacts of a road construction project in the World Heritage site)
• Illegal activities (Illegal logging and forest crimes (poaching))
• Management systems/management plan (Lack of a visitor Management Plan, Inadequate Sustainable Tourism Development Plan)
• Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation (Cable car project to provide access to the Son Doong cave)

On 28 January 2019, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/951/documents, which provides the following updated information:

• Since 2015, overall efforts in law enforcement have progressed to prevent illegal activities such as logging, poaching and wildlife trafficking in the property and its buffer zones;
• A detailed report of a recent survey of seven large mammal species indicated that their abundance has seriously decreased, with no trace of elephant populations within the National Park. Urgent conservation measures, such as intensifying forest patrolling and conducting monitoring respond to the survey results;
• Poaching is reported to be under control in most of the property but, together with illegal exploitation of non-timber forest products, remains a serious challenge in the buffer zone and in areas of the property situated close to villages;
• Cable car projects to access the Son Doong cave have not been permitted and the State Party affirms its clear commitment to comply with the Vietnamese laws and the provisions of the World Heritage Convention;
• Funding for research and awareness raising for wildlife conservation remain insufficient;
• Severe floods are reported to be increasing as a result of global warming;
• 14 invasive alien species were identified, the most dangerous being Mimosa, Golden apple snail and Bindweed (Merremia boisiana). There are ongoing efforts to eradicate Bindweed from the National Park;
• The revision of the Sustainable Tourism Development Plan covering also the area included in the property through the 2015 extension is underway;
• Additional conservation efforts include the collection of species samples for biodiversity conservation, the recording of plants and animals within the property, including an in-depth field study on Calocedrus rupestris, the recording of 44 new caves, research on water conservation areas, impact assessments of tourism activities on the caves and the documentation of historical and cultural relics in the property.

The State Party’s report demonstrates a firm commitment to addressing previous Committee decisions through actions such as the assessment of key species, the monitoring and control of invasive species and patrolling with the participation of local populations. However, the results of the inventory of key large mammal species show that pressure from poaching remains high, along with other factors including illegal encroachment. The urgent conservation measures proposed by the State Party are welcomed, and it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to continue monitoring these key species and to further step up anti-poaching efforts along with necessary conservation measures.

A joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property from 11 to 20 July 2018 (report available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/951/documents). While the mission noted the efforts of the Management Board to address numerous issues, despite the scarcity of human resources (there is currently only one ranger per 1,000 ha for regular survey and patrolling), it concluded that wildlife hunting/snaring, poaching, encroaching and habitat disturbance continue in the buffer zones and in some areas of the property and represent the most serious threats.

The mission confirmed that the cable car construction to Son Doong Cave will not be approved but noted with concern that another proposal for a cable car to Hang En is still being considered, located 3.5 km of Son Doong. Such a construction would lead to a drastic change in the nature of tourism offers and the environment of the remote area in the heart of the property, and would certainly cause irreversible impacts on the largely pristine environment, and home to several endangered species. The mission concluded that this or other similar projects that would significantly increase visitation to currently undisturbed or little disturbed caves in the property, alter the physical conditions of such caves, and would therefore represent a clear potential danger to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, and warrant the inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

In addition to the expansion of Merremia boisiana, the mission observed the spread of several invasive alien species. It is crucial to allocate appropriate financial and human resources to developing and implementing prevention and eradication measures.

For a balanced management of the property, stronger governance is crucial to maintain the OUV, given the threats resulting from the increase in human population pressure, visitor numbers and the expansion of tourist areas. No clear information is provided on the revision of the existing Sustainable Tourism Development Plan requested by the Committee following the extension of the property in 2015, and the recommendation of the 2018 mission to integrate all existing management tools into a single document, accompanied by yearly action plans and tourism use zoning, to facilitate their effective implementation. This process should be aimed at fully engaging the relevant authorities at national and provincial levels while strengthening the implementation capacities of the Management Board.

The planned significant development of mass tourism in the administrative zone within the property, and the urbanization of the buffer zone as a result of two Prime Ministerial Decisions are further cause for concern. Any major project should be subject to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), prior to being approved. The improvement of existing tourism offers and planned new products are recommended, and they should place a stronger focus on conservation and education.

It is also recommended that the Committee request from the State Party a broader application of the 2015 World Heritage Sustainable Development Policy for the benefit of all stakeholders given local populations and ethnic minorities’ significant reliance on the governmental subsidies and tourism related incomes.