The “Green Corridor” project, with funding of US$2.57 million from the World Bank, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Netherlands Development Organisation and the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, including extensive surveys and afforestation, has resulted in the establishment of the Sao La Nature Reserve and the extension of Bach Ma National Park.

Capacity was built through action plans for biodiversity and preventing forest fires and wildlife trade.

More than 70 training courses were held for communities and rangers in areas ranging from law enforcement to nursery gardening techniques, in addition to awareness events in schools across the province.

“The project has succeeded in strengthening the management of the forest area,” said Nguyen Ngoc Thien, chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial People’s Committee.

“I’m pleased to see how the project helped upgrade the forests, which play a vital role in protecting upland watersheds, biodiversity and landscapes,” he added.

The Green Corridor is a wet, low forest of below 700m in altitude, and home to many globally endangered species like the “sao la”, tiger, golden turtle, Vietnamese francolin, pheinardia ocellata and white-cheeked black gibbon.

Based upon the achievements of the Green Corridor project, the WWF is already planning two new schemes to enhance the conservation efforts taken in the past few years.