VietNamNet Bridge – It is highly possible that the Cat Tien National Park would not be recognized by UNESCO as the world’s natural heritage because of the problems in the wildlife protection that occurred recently.

WCS, a wildlife protection organization, has warned that Vietnam may not obtain the title of the world natural heritage for its Cat Tien National Park.

The warning has been given after considering the documents assessing the candidates for the world’s natural heritages that UNESCO released before the official statements are made at the meeting in Cambodia on June 16-27.

According to UNESCO, the site proposed for the title of the world’s natural heritage in the Cat Tien National Park partially coincides with the area which has been recognized as the world’s biosphere reserve and Ramsar wetland area.

Besides, the problems relating to the hydropower development, tourism, stone exploitation, and specially, the wildlife trafficking all have put the Cat Tien National Park at a disadvantage when UNESCO considers the case.

The Cat Tien National Park covers an area of 72,000 hectares in three provinces of Dong Nai, Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc. It is one of the six world’s biosphere reserves recognized by UNESCO in 2011.

In early 2013, when the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee and relevant units were making documents about the Cat Tien National Park to be submitted to UNESCO for the organization’s recognition as the world’s natural heritage, local newspapers repeatedly published the articles strongly protesting against the Dong Nai 6 and Dong Nai 6A hydropower plant projects.

Environment experts said that the arguments relating to the building of the hydropower plants in Cat Tien showed the big problems in the forest programming, management and protection. This would be an important factor UNESCO would consider to decide whether to give the “world’s natural heritage” to the national park.

The Cat Tien National Park has a diversified fauna and flora with over 1,700 species and over 700 rare bird and animal species. There are about 20 herds of gayal with over 120 individuals. Scientists believe that this is the most perfect gayal population in Vietnam.

However, in April 2010, a big problem occurred: the only one rhino at the Cat Tien National Park was killed for horns. This then stirred up the public, while the WWF and IRF both announced that the Java one rhino horns in Vietnam got extinct.

After that, a bull individual in Cat Tien district were killed by the 17 local people who then sold meat at the market -- then raised a wage of anger among the public.

Experts say though Dong Nai’s people and National Assembly Deputies have been struggling to protect the Cat Tien National Park from the hydropower projects, what has happened in Cat Tien would badly affect the image of the park in the eyes of UNESCO.

Truong Van Vo, the National Assembly Deputy from Dong Nai province, has strongly asked the Prime Minister to stop the hydropower plants in Cat Tien immediately.

Vo said, that in the period from July 2011 to now, a lot of National Assembly Deputies have voiced their concern about the projects and requested to stop the projects, the government still has not made the final decision.

Thien Nhien