Ta Kou Nature Reserve

Alternative site name(s) None Province(s) Binh Thuan Area 11,886 ha Coordinates 10°41' - 10°53'N, 107°52' - 108°01'E Agro-ecological zone South-eastern Decreed by government Yes Management board established Yes

Investment plan prepared Yes VCF eligibility criteria met A, B, C Social screening criteria met None Conservation needs assessment prepared No Operational management plan prepared No Tracking tool completed No Map available No

Management history

The establishment of Ta Kou Nature Reserve was decreed by Decision No. 791/TTg of the Prime Minister, dated 26 October 1996. Following this decision, a nature reserve management board was established by Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee on 19 March 1997. Subsequently, an investment plan for the nature reserve was prepared by Ho Chi Minh City Sub-FIPI in 1998. This investment plan was approved by Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee on 31 December 1998, by Decision No. 2839/QD-UB (Binh Thuan Provincial FPD in litt. 2000).

Ta Kou Nature Reserve has a total area of 11,866 ha, comprising a strict protection area of 3,521 ha, a forest rehabilitation area of 7,715 ha and an administration and services area of 630 ha. The management board has 16 members of staff based at the headquarters and three guard stations, and is under the management of Binh Thuan Provincial FPD (in litt. 2000).

Ta Kou is included on a list of Special-use Forests to be established by the year 2010, prepared by the FPD of MARD, as a 11,886 ha nature reserve (FPD 2003); this list has not yet been approved by the government.

Topography and hydrology

Ta Kou Nature Reserve is located in Ham Thuan Nam district, in the coastal zone of south-central Vietnam. The southern boundary of the nature reserve follows the coastline of Vietnam, from where the nature reserve stretches inland for about 20 km. Most of the nature reserve consists of low, rolling terrain, at elevations from 50 to 100 m. The only significant topographical feature is Mount Ta Kou, in the north-west of the nature reserve, which rises abruptly from the surrounding terrain to an elevation of 694 m. To the west, the nature reserve is bordered by the Phan river, and to the north, the Tre stream forms the border. These two watercourses, which drain into the East Sea to either side of the nature reserve, provide the main drainage for the site.

Biodiversity values

There is very little information available about the biodiversity values of the site. Remote sensing data indicate that the natural vegetation types at the site are evergreen forest and deciduous forest. However, it appears that the natural forest has been extensively cleared and replaced by secondary vegetation types.

Conservation issues

According to Binh Thuan Provincial FPD (in litt. 2000), only 504 people live inside Ta Kou Nature Reserve. However, a further 43,875 people live in the buffer zone. These people experience, on average, three months of food shortages per year, and, presumably, a significant proportion of them rely on the natural resources of the nature reserve. The major threats to biodiversity at Ta Kou are believed to be clearance of forest for agricultural land, over-exploitation of forest products, charcoal production and hunting (Binh Thuan Provincial FPD in litt. 2000).

Other documented values

No information.

Related projects

Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee are currently funding a project to establish a botanical garden at Ta Kou. The timeframe of this project is from 1999 to 2005, and 87 ha within the nature reserve have already been designated for the botanical garden (Binh Thuan Provincial FPD in litt. 2000)

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

The site is eligible for VCF support because it meets criteria A, B and C.

Criterion	Eligibility
AI	SA7 - Southern Coastal Dipterocarp Lowlands
AII
BI	Decision No. 791/TTg, dated 26/10/96
BII	Nature Reserve
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

Luu Hong Truong (2000) [Some results of botanical research at Mount Ta Kou, Ta Kou Nature Reserve, Binh Thuan province]. Pp 169-173 in: MOSTE (2000) [Proceedings of a workshop on the science, technology and environment of south-eastern Vietnam, Binh Thuan, November 2000.] Hanoi: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. In Vietnamese.