Deo Ca-Hon Nua Cultural and Historical Site
| Alternative site name(s) Deo Ca-Hon Ron Province(s) Phu Yen Area 8,876 ha Coordinates 12°51' - 12°56'N, 109°19' - 109°28'E Agro-ecological zone South Central Coast Decreed by government Yes Management board established Yes |
Investment plan prepared Yes VCF eligibility criteria met A, C Social screening criteria met None Conservation needs assessment prepared No Operational management plan prepared No Tracking tool completed No Yes |
Management history
Deo Ca-Hon Nua was included on Decision No. 194/CT of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, dated 9 August 1986, which decreed the establishment of a 10,000 ha cultural and historical site, under the name Deo Ca-Hon Ron (MARD 1997). A management board for the cultural and historical site was established by the former Phu Khanh Provincial People's Committee on 26 July 1989. Although, it was not until 1996 that an investment plan for the cultural and historical site was prepared (Phu Yen Provincial FPD in litt. 2000).
Deo Ca-Hon Nua Cultural and Historical Site has a total area of 8,876 ha, and is under the management of Phu Yen Provincial FPD (in litt. 2000). The management board has eight members of staff, based at the headquarters and one guard station (Phu Yen Provincial FPD in litt. 2000).
Deo Ca-Hon Nua is included on a list of Special-use Forests to be established by the year 2010, prepared by the FPD of MARD, as an 8,876 ha cultural and historical site (FPD 2003); this list has not yet been approved by the government.
In 1999, the Asian Development Bank (ADB 1999) proposed extending the site to include a 2,925 ha marine component, thus forming a marine protected area.
Topography and hydrology
Deo Ca-Hon Nua Cultural and Historical Site is located in Tuy Hoa district, in the coastal zone of central Vietnam. The site ranges in elevation from sea level to 706 m at the summit of Mount Da Bia in the north of the site. Bien Ho lake, a freshwater lake, is situated in the north of the cultural and historical site.
Biodiversity values
According to ADB (1999), Deo Ca-Hon Nua Cultural and Historical Site supports 2,157 ha of natural forest, and populations of Asian Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Sun Bear U. malayanus, Leopard Panthera pardus and a species of douc Pygathrix sp.. However, given the high human pressure and degraded nature of the habitats at the site, it is highly unlikely that the site supports globally significant populations of any of these species (A. Tordoff pers. obs.).
During January 2002, Bien Ho lake was visited during a rapid biodiversity survey of the coastal zone of central Vietnam, conducted by BirdLife International and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources. Although only small numbers of commoner species were recorded, the habitat at the lake appeared suitable for migratory waterbirds (Le Manh Hung et al. in prep.).
ADB (1999) reports that the marine waters off the coast of Deo Ca-Hon Nua support diverse coral reefs. However, detailed information about the marine biodiversity of the area is unavailable.
Conservation issues
The major threats to biodiversity identified by Phu Yen Provincial FPD (in litt. 2000) are timber extraction and charcoal production. However, according to ADB (1999), despite the existence of a management board, there are too few forest guards to adequately protect the forest at the site.
Other documented values
The main reason for establishing a cultural and historical site at Deo Ca-Hon Nua was to protect the scenic landscape of the Ca pass, through which National Highway 1 passes between Tuy Hoa and Van Ninh towns. Vung Ro bay, in the south of the cultural and historical site, also has historical value as the site of a battle during the French colonial period. In addition, during the Second Indochina War, Vung Ro bay was used as a landing point for supplies shipped from North Vietnam (ADB 1999).
Related projects
The management board of Deo Ca-Hon Nua Cultural and Historical Site is currently implementing forest protection and reforestation activities, with funding from the national 661 Programme. Prior to 1999, funding for these activities came from the national 327 Programme.
Conservation needs assessment
A conservation needs assessment has not been conducted for the site.
Operational management plan
An operational management plan has not been prepared for the site.
Eligibility against VCF criteria
Deo Ca-Hon Nua is ineligible for VCF support because it is a cultural and historical site.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| AI |
SA2 - Deo Ca Spur |
| AII |
|
| BI |
Decision No. 194/CT, dated 09/08/86 |
| BII |
|
| BIII |
Under provincial management |
| CI |
Management board established |
| CII |
Social screening requirements
A social screening report has not been prepared for the site.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| A |
|
| B |
|
| C |
|
| D |
Literature sources
ADB (1999) Draft coastal and marine protected areas plan. Hanoi: Asian Development Bank.
Le Manh Hung, Nguyen Duc Tu, Nguyen Quang Truong, Tordoff, A. W. and Nguyen Viet Hung (in prep.) A rapid biodiversity survey of the coastal zone of central Vietnam. Unpublished report to the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, and Thua Thien Hue Provincial Department of Science, Technology and the Environment.
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