Final Report
Rare Pride Campaign
Nam Kading National Protected Area
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic
The Campaign’s Flagship Species: The Great Hornbill
Soulisak Vannalath
Wildlife Conservation Society
2005-2006
Rare Diploma in Conservation Education
University of Kent at Canterbury, United Kingdom
Kent Cohort V
Contents
Chapter 1: Project Site Back Ground
Introduction
Biodiversity of Nam Kading NPA
Key Animals of Nam Kading NPA
Forest Types
River system
Target Site, Pak Kading District
Threats to biodiversity in the NPA
The NPA management overview
Chapter 2: Site Assessment
Stakeholders in the NPA Management
Stakeholder matrix and narrative
Photos From the First Stakeholder Meeting
Chapter 3: Flagship Species
Great Hornbill (Buceros biconis)
Great Hornbill Status in the Nam Kading NPA
Chapter 4: Pride Campaign Activities/Products
Training for village headmen
Training for schoolteachers
Badges
Great Hornbill Poster
Billboards
Village Visits
School Visits
Green certificates
Popular Songs
Great Hornbill Soft Toys
Great Hornbill Costume
Radio Spots
Chapter 5: The Results
Objective 2
Objective 3
Objective 4
Objective 5
Objective 6
Objective 7
Objective 8
Objective 9
Objective 10
Objective 11
Objective 12
Control SiteAction Oriented Behaviour Change
Action Oriented Behaviour Change
Chapter 6: Critical Review
Executive Summary
What Worked Well
What Didn’t Work Well in the Campaign
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Chapter 9: Acknowledgement
Chapter 9: Acknowledgement
Appendix 1: Pre-questionnaire survey
References
Chapter 1: Project Site Back Ground
Introduction
Nam Kading NPA was first established in 1993 under Prime Ministerial Decree No164. The Nam Kading National Protected Area (NPA) is the only NPA that lies entirely in Bolikhamxay province and is the only one NPA in Lao PDR with no villages inside the boundary. The main objectives of its establishment are to protect biodiversity, provide watershed management and offer a site for future study and tourism (MAF, 2001).
Map 1
The Nam Kading National Protected Area (NPA) ( 18○11’-18○39’, 103○54’ 104○ 34’ ) covers an area of 169,000 Ha, within four districts : Nam Kading, Vienthong, Bolikhan and Khamkued (Map1). The NamKadingRiver is the largest river that runs from the south of the NPA though the middle of the NPA and links it to Nakai-Nam Theun NPA in the upper part of the same drainage basin called Nam Theun. In addition, the NamMouanRiver, the second largest river, joins NamkadingRiver near the center of the NPA. The main NPA body is formed from a massif of steep terrain at attitudes from 500- to 1200m with densely forested hills. There is no road within the NPA and the rivers have a lot of fast rapids that makes difficult access to the NPA. However, access to most of the area can be made by foot (Timmins et at., 1997).
Biodiversity of Nam Kading NPA
The Nam Kading NPA is very important habitat for birds and mammals, including many key species. Numbers of birds that normally seen in the high attitude in other areas are also found in low attitude in this NPA. This effect, possibly happens to groups of plants and invertebrates may because of zonation of the high steep terrain of the area, by the ridges of over 1000m of the NPA boundary to the north and south and the influence of the Annamite mountain climate in the northeast that make colder climate (Timmins et al.,1997).
Key Animals of Nam Kading NPA
Birds
Common name / Scientific name / Cons status / Endemic statusRufus-winged Buzzard / Butastur liventer / GNT
Bar-backed Partridge / Arborophila bruneopectus / RR
Silver Pheasant / Lophura nythemera / RR
Grey Peacock Pheasant / Polyplectron bicalcaratum / RR
Green peafowl / Pavo muticus / GT
Siamese Fireback / Lophura diardi / GT
River Lapwing / Vanellus duvaucellii / NHD
Long-billed Plover / Charadrius placidus / GNT
Small Pratincole / Glareola lactea / RR
Yellow-vented Green pigeon / Treron serimundi / GNT
Pale-caped pigeon / Columba punicea / GT
Tawny fish owl / Ketupa flavipes / GNT
Coral-billed Ground cuckoo / Carpococcyx renauldi / GNT
Crested Kingfisher / Megaceryle lugubris / RR
Blyth’s Kingfisher / Alcedo hercules / GT
Brown Hornbill / Ptilolaemus tickeli / GNT
Wreathed Hornbill / Aceros undulatus / RR
Great Hornbill / Beceros bicornis / RR
Pale-headed Woodpecker / Gecenulus grantia / RR
Red-Collared Woodpecker / Picus rabieri / GT
Blue-napped Pitta / Pitta nipalensis / GNT
Blue-lumped Pitta / Piatta sorro / GNT
Wire-tailed Swallow / Hirundo smithii / RR
Brown Dipper / Ciclus pallasii / RR
Grey Laughingthrush / Garrulax maesi / GNT
Rufus-throated Fulvetta / Alcippe rufogularis / GNT
Green Cochoa / Cochoa viridis / ??????????
Fujian Niltava / Niltava davidi / GNT
Rufus-faced Warbler / Abroscopus albocolaris / RR
Hill Myna / Gracula religiosa / RR
Mammals
Common name / Scientific name / Cons status / Endemic statusSunda Pangolin / Manis javanicus / RR
Slow Loris / Nycticebus coucang / RR
Pygmy Loris / Nycticebus pygmaeus / GT
Pig-tailed Macaque / Macaca nemestrina / RR
Assamese Macaque / Macaca assamensis / RR
Rhesus Macaque / Macaca mulatta / RR
Stump-tiled Macaque / Macaca arctoides / GT
Francois’ Langur / Semnopithecus francoisi / GT
Phayre’s Langur / Semnopithecus phayrei / RR
Douc Langur / Pygathrix namaeus / GT
White-checked Gibbon / Leucogenys nomascus / GT
Dhole / Cuon alpinus / GT
Bears / Ursus Sp / GT
Back-striped Weasel / Mustela strigidorsa / GT
Large Otter / Lutra lutra / RR/GT
Asian Small-clawed Otter / Aonyx cinerea / GT
Asian Elephant / Elephas maximus / GT
Large-antlered Muntjac / Megamuntiacus vuquangensis / GT
Guar / Bos guarus / GT
Black Giant Squirrel / Ratufa bicolor / RR
Inornate Squirrel / Callosciurus inornatus / RR
Tiger / Panthera tigris / GT
GNT: Globally Near threatened; RR: Regional at risk; GT: Globally Threatened; NHD: National History Decline;
ForestTypes
In general, the forest in the main mountainous block of the NPA are predominantly dry and semi-ever green forest. Forest structure is very mixed in character and small disturbance have been seen throughout the NPA. Much of area is steeply sloping formation.
River system
The NamKadingRiver and NamMouanRiver dominate the NPA, descend on a relatively steep gradient with narrow and fast flowing and rapids, many wide pools form after these rapids. There are usually small sand banks in spots along the rivers with shrub growth beside. Islands form in the middle as the water recedes. The course of Nam Kading in the NPA is the best forested river in Lao PDR(Timmins et al., 1997). Most small streams that flow into the Nam Kading are dry in March and some have very low flow during other periods. These two main rivers are very important for numbers of wildlife species that depend on feeding in and along the rivers and in the forest along the river. Moreover, they are important for the residents living nearby. They provide means of transportation to collect NTPFs and fishing for food and sale contributing greatly to the income of local residents.
Target Site, Pak Kading District
Pak Kading District is located in the west of BolikhamxayProvince at the mouth(Pak) of the NamKadingRiverwhere it joins the MekongRiver and, therefore, its name called Pak Kading. It covers an area of 4,210 km2 and comprises of 51 villages. There are 40,486 residents living in the district, the number of woman (20,392) slightly greater than the men.
Infrastructure
Most of villages in the district are accessible by road, especially villages located along the main road 13 south, and road No 8 to Vietnam. Both of these roads are asphalt and have access all seasons. However, a few remote villages have no road access in the wet season, accessible only by rivers. Communication in the areas is quite good; more than half of the villages can be reached by landlineand/or cell phone. Pak Kading is locatedon the narrowest part of Lao to the south of Lao PDR and Vietnam. Numerous buses pass the district twenty four hours a day seven days a week. These roads and traffic create high potential for wildlife trade.
There are 7 secondary schools and 47 primary schools scattered throughout the villages within the districts. Some remote villages still lack access to health services;residence have to travel to the district or provincial hospital to gain the service, and in the wet season they face difficulty with transportation (Pak Kading district annual socio-economic report, 2004).
Economics
The main income of residents in the district are from agriculture, small trading business, fishing, collecting NTFPS for sale. Rice, tobacco and sugarcane are agriculture income in the area. In years when their crops fail,the poor rely on fishing, hunting and collecting NTPF for consumption and sale to cover the low –earnings from crops( Bolikhamxay Province Environmental Profile, 1999).
Socio-Economic and Cultural Aspect
Most of the residents in the areas are Lowland Lao or Lao Loum representing the dominant population in country belonging to Buddhist religion. Normally the people prefer to live in low land areas along riversas their main occupations are farmers engaged in activities such as: low land rice paddy field cultivation, crop planting (sugar cane, tobacco and commercial vegetable), fishing, handicrafts, collecting Non Timber Forest Product(NTPF) and other labor activities to supplement their income. Occasionally villagers will hunt when they are free from other work. The per capita income throughout the country is ~$360 USD.
Land Ownerships
Bolikhamxay province has finished its basic land allocation program for the entire province including areas around the Nam Kading NPA. This means every household has legal lands, rotating lands for their agricultures, especially rice and some small scalefarm. However, tobacco plantation along the MekongRiver is on the rise. Thus providing additional employment opportunities for the residents in the area. Local people living in the remote areas profit mainly from healthy rivers inside and surrounding the NPA, especially fishing for food and sale, in addition, wildlife hunting and collecting None Timber Forest Products (NTPFs) to supplement incomes for families.
Nam Kading NPA surrounded by four districts namely, Pakading in the west, Bolikan in the north, Khamkhuerd in the south and Viengthong in the southeast (figure 2). There are numbers of important areas around the NPA such as Nam Ao forest which have different forest types from the Nam Kading and others NPA in Lao PDR. Nadi Limestone holds limestone outcrops at high attitude with wildlife community that isn’t similar to any other NPAs. A corridor between Nam Kading and Nakai Namtheurn NPA is one of the most important areas found inside the NPA boundary.
Map 2
Level OF Tourism
Until now, tourism development in the NPA has been limited. However the NPA has numerous attractions that are potentially suitable for tourism in the future. For instance, the pass road to Vietnamroad No8 has unique scenery of the limestone hill and green forest views along the road, numbers of attractive wild animals such as Hornbill species, Tiger, Guar, Asian Elephant, Gibbon, Douc Langur and others. Moreover, the steep terrain creates numerous fast rapids and high waterfalls that are suitable for recreation and adventure activities for both Lao and foreigner now and in the future. Since the development of tourism is being improved we expect to see levels of tourism increase over the near term.
Threats to biodiversity in the NPA
Wildlife Trade
Wildlife trade is the most serious treat that links directly to over hunting of aquatic and wildlife species. Nam Thorn Fresh Market is the most well known of wildlife trade in Lao PDR, which is located along highway 13 south. Moreover, the Nam Kading NPA located near the Vietnam border is easy access through route No 8 to Vietnam, therefore, numerous wildlife is being sold to Vietnam. While there is a proportion being sold for domestic consumption. Therefore, many wildlife species, especially species used for Chinese traditional medicine, have been extracted from the NPA. The prices paid by international traders are very attractive to remote village communities but these prices are still very low compared to the profit made by traders elsewhere (WCS 1999).
Habitat Conversion
Recently, based on report from villagers and district authorities there are less destruction of forest inside the NPA, reasons are land allocation has been done around the NPA. Most villages once inside the NPA were moved out. The topography is another limiting factor, the high - steep forests make it difficult to access and not suitable for cultivation. However, small scale destruction of forest is still being seen on the edges and foothills of the NPA where residents live nearby.
ForestFire
Based on the information from the first stake holder meeting held on July 11, 2005 in Pak Kading district, fires still occur in the NPA even though people around the NPA have been given lands. However, burning forest for plantation without control causes expansion of fire into the NPA. Moreover, burning with the purpose to clear forest to make spotting animalsfor hunting causes massive damage to the area, especially, in deciduous forests during the dry season.
Proposed dam construction
There is proposed the Nam Thern 1 hydropower project inside NPA. A social economic and environment study is undertaking in the area. If this project proposal is passed, the dam will flood at least 9000 ha of forest area and will affect many species including fish, birds and mammals that occupy the habitats along the main rivers. Populations of River Lapwing, Long-billed Plover, Crested Kingfisher, Wire-tailed Swallow, Dhole, large otters, Asian Small-clawed Otter, Tigers/large cats, and Elephants – and probably also Gaur, Rhesus Macaque, Lesser Fish-eagle and Siamese Fireback – were predicted to be seriously affected by the project.
Over harvesting of NTFPs
Even though, it is difficult to access many parts of the area and there are no road inside the NPA itself, villagers, especially in the dry season often spent days in the forest collecting valuable NTFPs to sell. Mai Dam ( Aguilaria sp.) has apparently been massively collected throughout the NPA and the density of the species is rapidly decreasing because its price is very high and increasing over time. In addition, there is a lack of conservation education and management of NTFPs, so villagers over-use and use unsustainable techniques to collect NTFPs causing detrimental effects. Hunting and collecting NTFPs appear to be linkedto each other directly. While villagers are in the forest, they look for wildlife and NTFPs at the same time.
The NPA management overview
In the past, there has been little management undertaken for the NPA by the Bolikhamxay Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO). Management that was done focused on land use planning in and around the NPA. Enforcement of illegal practicing for instance wildlife trade, hunting and clearing land inside the NPA was seldom implemented. Until this project there was no comprehensive conservation education in the area.
At the present time, Wildlife Conservation Society has been cooperating with Bolikhmaxay PAFO to implement the 5-year Integrated Ecosystem and Wildlife Management Project IEWMP ( 2005-2009) to conserve the high valuable biodiversity in the NPA in conjunction with improvement of local people’s livelihoods. To achieve this goal, three major activities were planned , namely:1) conservation education and awareness raising to increase understanding of local people in conservation and importance of biodiversity in the NPA and encourage participation of communities in and round the NPA to be involved in conservation management for the long-term sustainable use of the resources 2) law enforcement to control illegal practices by using current regulation 0524 by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2001 and 3) monitoring the effects of management over the five year period.
Previous Conservation Education exposure
To date , there is only one subject about the environment which has been provided through the official curriculum developed by the Ministry of Education known as “World Around Us”. This curriculum is about the basic functions of major components of the environment and not the main subject taught in schools. In addition, the Mobile Conservation Education Unit (MCU) conducted conservation education at the primary school level around Nam Kading NPA in 2002-03. The MCU is a unit within the Faculty of Forestry at the National University of Lao PDR. This unit received guidance and financial support from WCS.
Conservation Legislation
Based on the Forestry Law 01-96 of 11 October 1996,
Based on the Prime Minister’s Decree 198/PM dated 15 November 1999 on the implementation of the Forestry Law,
The NPA wildlife and aquatic animal regulation0524 have been declared in 2001. this regulation consists of eight sections as following:
Section 1
General Provisions
Section 2
Establishment of NBCA
Section 3
Management of NBCA
Section 4
Management of Wild and Aquatic Life
Section 5
NBCA Development Fund
Section 6
Mandate of State Organizations in the Management of
NBCA, Wild and Aquatic Life
Section 7
Awards and Sanctions
Section8
Final Provisions
All the NPA units in the country use this regulation to mange the NPAs since itsdeclaration in 2001. The regulation was written to clearly assist the designfor effective management of NPA over the long-term to provide environment protection while encouraging the sustainable use by local people.