“Awakening” the potential of biodiversity

As one of Vietnam’s leading industrial provinces, Dong Nai also possesses an exceptionally rich natural ecosystem. Its biosphere reserve, national parks, the culture and nature reserve, rivers, lakes, and wetlands together form a precious “green treasure”.

Students take part in environmental education tourism activities at Cat Tien National Park

Beyond contributing to ecological balance, these natural assets also form a foundation for the province to realise its goals of green and sustainable development.

A “green treasure” in the heart of a major economic region

Dong Nai has long been recognised as a biodiversity hub of the southern region. Following the provincial merger, this value has been further reinforced and expanded. Dong Nai is now home to a global network of biosphere reserves, two national parks, a culture-nature conservation area, protective forests, mountains, wetlands, and many areas with rich ecosystems.

Among them, the most prominent is Cat Tien National Park, serving as the core zone of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve. According to statistics, this park is home to more than 1,600 plant species and over 1,700 species of wild animals.

Pham Xuan Thinh, Director of Cat Tien National Park, stated that to safeguard biodiversity, especially endangered mammals, the park has carried out extensive awareness campaigns, encouraged restaurants and service providers not to consume wildlife, and adopted modern technologies such as Smart Mobile, Flycam, Poacher Cams, and automatic camera traps to support monitoring and management.

The Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve is likewise a major habitat for numerous species listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Vietnam Red Data Book, and the national list of endangered, precious, and rare species. According to statistics, this area boasts more than 1,500 plant species (147 of which are classified as endangered or rare) and over 2,200 animal species (154 of which belong to endangered or rare groups). The reserve has also enhanced its use of science and technology in forest management, biodiversity monitoring, and forest fire prevention, improving the effectiveness of natural resource protection.

Bu Gia Map National Park is another invaluable “green treasure” of the Southeast region, highly regarded by domestic and international scientific organisations for its high biodiversity and abundance of rare species with significant research and conservation value. Surveys show that the area contains more than 1,100 plant species and over 800 animal species, including rare ones such as the pygathrix nigripes and dalbergia cochinchinensis.

These areas, together with the protective forests, not only conserve the region's characteristic ecosystem but also play a crucial role in environmental protection, safeguarding headwater forests, hydropower plants, and water sources for communities along the Dong Nai River basin. They also hold great potential for the development of ecotourism and scientific research.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairwoman of the Dong Nai People’s Committee, emphasised that Dong Nai is both a dynamic socio-economic hub and a locality with diverse ecosystem and numerous rare plant and animal species. Thanks to policies such as natural forest closure and increased investment in forest protection, the province’s biodiversity has been effectively preserved and enhanced.

However, Dong Nai’s biodiversity remains under pressure from human activities, climate change, and invasive species, which are shrinking natural habitats, depleting food sources, and threatening the survival of native species.

Transforming potential into green-growth advantages

Dong Nai currently boasts the largest forest area and forest coverage in the Southeast region, contributing to its leading biodiversity status. In the context of ongoing urbanisation and increasingly complex climate change, these ecological advantages form a vital foundation supporting the province’s goals for green economic development, circular economy, net-zero emissions, and balanced growth in harmony with environmental protection.

Despite its significant potential, the value of biodiversity in Dong Nai has yet to be effectively exploited for multi-purpose development, limiting its ability to generate corresponding value chains. Many ecologically important areas remain underdeveloped. Ecotourism models such as forest trekking, wildlife watching, waterfall bathing, experiential tours, and environmental education or heritage-based tourism are still small in scale and lack holistic connectivity.

Nguyen Hoang Hao, Director of the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve, noted that although forest conservation and management efforts have achieved positive results in recent years, the utilisation of natural values remains modest compared to the area's potential. Conservation work also faces challenges from climate change, environmental pollution, forest encroachment, and encroachment on the semi-flooded regions of Tri An Lake, which affects the habitats of rare flora and fauna.

Images showcase the biodiversity in the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve. Photo: Collaborator

In line with the sustainable forest management plan for 2021–2030, approved by the provincial People's Committee, the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve has implemented a series of programs and projects aimed at sustainably preserving and utilizing natural, socio-economic, and environmental values. These include strengthened forest protection, restoration of degraded ecosystems, control of invasive species, technological applications in monitoring, development of ecotourism, green economic initiatives linked to conservation, public awareness campaigns, and environmental education.

According to Vuong Duc Hoa, Director of Bu Gia Map National Park, the park’s pristine landscapes and diverse ecosystem offer tremendous potential for developing types of ecotourism, outdoor recreation, and community-based tourism. It is also an ideal destination for environmental education activities targeting students and local communities. In the near future, Bu Gia Map National Park will expand cooperation with domestic and international organisations in conservation, ecosystem restoration, scientific research, and sustainable forestry; maintain its Wildlife Rescue Centre; enhance digital technology applications for monitoring and early detection; and strengthen global partnerships to support biodiversity conservation and green economic development.

Dong Nai currently possesses more than 370,000 hectares of forest, of which natural forests account for nearly 49 percent, planted forests account for approximately 38 percent, and the remainder is non-forested land. The province leads the region in both forest area and forest cover, reaching over 25 per cent.

Doan Hoai Nam, Deputy Director of the Department of Forestry and Forest Inspection, remarked that Dong Nai’s extensive and contiguous forest areas, along with its high biodiversity, offer significant ecological, economic, social, and educational value. Sustainable utilisation of these values will help minimise resource waste and contribute to socio-economic development as well as local and regional security.

Biodiversity is one of the essential pillars of sustainable development. In the provincial planning for 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, and in the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term, Dong Nai identifies green growth, balancing economic development with environmental protection, as a key objective. To realise this vision, adequate protection, responsible utilisation, and efficient management of forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and valuable genetic resources will be vital to preserving the province’s “green treasure” and elevating the province's position.

By Hoang Loc – Translated by My Le, Thu Ha