WWF Vietnam EXPERIENCE with the application
of RS/GPS/GIS techniques, Results and Direction

ABSTRACT

An important part of nature and biodiversity conservation work is good management and monitoring of both natural resources and surrounding humankind infrastructures and activities. Being aware that GIS/GPS/RS techniques could be the ideal support tools for achieving our organization’s goals - biodiversity conservation and development of buffer zone communities in remote areas of Vietnam where the biodiversity and conservation values are very high - we are trying to apply these new techniques to the best advantage.

The activities that have been carried out by WWF Indochina Programme include:

• Creating GIS data at different management levels. At national management level, we are building a system of biodiversity information management that include GIS and other relative data and we still seek for the advanced software for this purpose. These technologies are more encouraged to use at protected area level. Our target areas include those of the most famous protected areas of Vietnam such as Vu Quang Nature Reserve where Sao La, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis was discovered; Phong Nha NR where there is a vast unique limestone mountain, a cave system and the most abundant primate fauna in Vietnam; Cat Tien Nature Reserve where the last population of Vietnamese rhinoceros, Rhinoceros sondaicus is being protected; and Con Dao NP where the high value of marine biodiversity as well as island forest ecosystem are being conserved. For these areas, we have undertaken many different activities using GIS/GPS/RS techniques in the frame of our projects there. GIS products are used for our project documents, project proposals, management plans, and technical research. We aim to use our own GPS equipment and GIS products, but in case we cooperate with other professional organizations in surveys and researching target areas, the use of those techniques by themselves is encouraged and very welcomed.
• Building capacities of WWF office and Government counterparts so that these tools can be used for the conservation purposes. We bought the equipment such as computer, GPS and also soft wares. A number of GIS software have been installed in WWF Hanoi office and some project areas such as Vu Quang Nature Reserve and Phong Nha Nature Reserve. We are now using ArcView , ArcInfo, MapInfo.

Beside the improvement of equipment, we also organized the training courses on this technique for nature reserves’ staffs and WWF project teams who work in the field. For instance, a three day training in Phong Nha Nature Reserve was held in May 1999 in cooperation with Department of Science and Technology and Environment (DOSTE) and Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI) and hands-on experiences were being transferred to Vu Quang Nature Reserve’s staff during project time. Vu Quang project team members attended a hands-on training course on ArcView mapping software at the WWF office in Hanoi in 1998 conducted by GIS Research Associate from WWF-US. A GIS survey on status of application of Remote sensing and GIS in the field of biodiversity conservation was conducted the October 1998 by American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and WWF then we succeeded to get funding from NASA to undertake a training course on using GIS techniques for conservation work in the near future. The trainees will be staff of conservation organizations such as management agencies, institutes, nature reserves, national parks country wide and WWF ourselves.

The training on using GPS is also required. In Vu Quang the staff of the reserve and project team were trained in 1998 on using the equipment with the help of a trainer from WWF Thailand. In Phong Nha, training for local participants of Bo Trach District, staff of the reserve, and WWF staff in using GPS equipment for primate monitoring was held in June 1999. This activity is now continued with the local trainees from Minh Hoa District and Forest Protection Department there. GPS equipment which is used by WWF at present, doesn’t work well under hard conditions such as dense forest canopy or rainy or cloudy weather, however, its advantages to our purposes are obvious.

As for Remote Sensing technique, Vu Quang Nature Reserve is an example, where satellite image Landsat TM was combined to produce landuse and vegetation maps of the reserve.

Application of GPS/RS/GIS technologies is growing in WWF project sites.

What we have gained so far in this field is still limited. We are just taking first steps in a long way . For better results in the future we look forward to learning and cooperating from all of you.

TABLE 1 Some Activities of WWF Indochina using GIS/GPS/RS techniques

TABLE 2. Some results of training and using GIS/GPS/RS techniques by WWF Indochina

REFERENCES

Nguyen Xuan Dang, Pham Huu Khanh, 1999. The 1999 survey of Javan Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus, in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam. WWF - Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project. Technical Report No. 3, February 1999. (internal material)

Pham Nhat, Do Quang Huy, Nguyen Xuan Dang, 1999. Report: Result of Training Course on Phong Nha’s Primate Monitoring (Stage I: 21/6/1999 - 1/7/1999). WWF - LINC Project technical report, 1999. (internal material)

Vera De Cauwer, Robert De Wulf, 1994. Contribution to Management Planning in Nam Bai Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, using Spatial Information Techniques. WWF International - Asia and Pacific Programme - VN0007, July 1994. (internal material)

Kris Vandekerkhove, Robert De Wulf, Nguyen Ngoc Chinh, 1993. Dendrology and Forest Structure of Nam Bai Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, WWF International - Asia and Pacific Programme - VN0007, December 1993. (internal material)

Ajay Desai, Lic Vuthy, 1996. Status and distribution of Large Mammals in Eastern Cambodia. The Results of the first foot surveys in Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri provinces. A collaborative project between IUCN, FFI & WWF.

Forest Protection Department of Thua Thien - Hue Province, 1998. Report: Result of Field Survey on Sao La (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) in Thua Thien - Hue province. A WWF-funded research, May 1998. (internal material)

Eric D. Wikramanayake, Vu Van Dung, Pham Mong Giao, 1997. A Biological and Socio-economic survey of west Quang Nam province with recommendation for a Nature Reserve, June 1997. A Cooperative work of UNDP, WWF, FIPI, FPD, and FPD of Quang Nam province funded by WWF-UNDP Project - RAS 93/102.

WWF Team of Vu Quang Project, 1999. Vu Quang Nature Reserve Conservation Project. Progress Report No 8 (October 1998 - March 1999). DGIS Activity No VN 003301 & WWF Project No VN0021, April 1999. (internal material)

WWF Team of Vu Quang Project, 1998. Vu Quang Nature Reserve Conservation Project. Progress Report No 7 (April 1998 - September 1998). DGIS Activity No VN 003301 & WWF Project No VN0021, October 1998. (internal material)

Center for Forestry Information Consultancies, 1997. Applying Geographical Information System in managing data and maps for National Parks. Hanoi 4-1997. (internal material)

Roland Eve, Tran Minh Hien, Pham Hong Nguyen, 1998. Vu Quang Nature Reserve - A Link in the Annamite Chain. Volume I: Presentation and Maps. (internal material)