Phu Ninh Proposed Nature Reserve
| Alternative site name(s) None Province(s) Quang Nam Area 23,409 ha Coordinates 15°18' - 15°31'N, 108°24' - 108°36'E Agro-ecological zone South Central Coast Decreed by government No Management board established No |
Investment plan prepared No VCF eligibility criteria met B Social screening criteria met None Conservation needs assessment prepared No Operational management plan prepared No Tracking tool completed No Yes |
Management history
Phu Ninh is not listed on any official government decision or official set of proposals concerning the national Special-use Forests system (MARD 1997, FPD 2003). However, Quang Nam Provincial FPD have proposed the establishment of a nature reserve at the site.
An investment plan for the proposed nature reserve has not yet been prepared, and the site is currently designated as a 23,409 ha watershed protection forest. A watershed protection forest management board was established by Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee on 12 March 1997. The management board is under the management of Quang Nam Provincial FPD (Quang Nam Provincial FPD in litt. 2000).
Topography and hydrology
Phu Ninh is situated in Nui Thanh district and Tam Ky town in south-eastern Quang Nam province. To the south, the proposed nature reserve borders Quang Ngai province. The proposed nature reserve is centred the Phu Ninh reservoir. The site increases in elevation from under 50 m in the north, to 1,362 m in the south.
Biodiversity values
Little information is available about the biodiversity values of Phu Ninh. According to Quang Nam Provincial FPD (in litt. 2000), the proposed nature reserve includes 15,768 ha of forest land, including 1,500 ha of plantation forest.
Conservation issues
A total of 9,289 people live inside the boundaries of Phu Ninh Watershed Protection Forest. Quang Nam Provincial FPD (in litt. 2000) consider the biggest threats to biodiversity at the site to be exploitation of forest products and gold mining.
Other documented values
The proposed nature reserve protects the catchment of Phu Ninh reservoir, one of the largest reservoirs in central Vietnam. The reservoir has sufficient capacity to irrigate 230,000 ha of arable land, although it currently supplies irrigation water for only 160,000 ha. The site also has considerable amenity values for residents of Tam Ky city, and visitors are able to take boat trips on Phu Ninh reservoir.
Related projects
Since 2002, the WWF Vietnam Programme, in collaboration with Quang Nam Provincial FPD have been implementing an integrated programme of activities in Quang Nam province, as part of the Management of Strategic Areas for Integrated Conservation (MOSAIC) Project. To date, Phu Ninh has been the focus of few activities under this project. However, Phu Ninh has been prioritised as a site for conservation education targetting urban residents, in a provincial conservation strategy prepared by Quang Nam Provincial FPD, with the support of the project.
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
Phu Ninh is ineligible for VCF support because it does not meet the criteria for supporting forest biodiversity of international importance. The site is situated within Priority Landscape CA1 but it was assessed by a subsequent analysis as having low importance for international biodiversity conservation (Tordoff et al. 2003). In addition, the site is not under appropriate conservation management.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| AI |
|
| AII |
|
| BI |
Proposed Special-use Forest |
| BII |
Nature Reserve |
| BIII |
Under provincial management |
| CI |
|
| CII |
Social screening requirements
A social screening report has not been prepared for the site.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| A |
|
| B |
|
| C |
|
| D |
Literature sources
Tordoff, A. W., Timmins, R. J., Smith R. J. and Mai Ky Vinh (2003) Central Annamites Biological Assessment. Hanoi: WWF Indochina Programme.
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