Cat Tien - The first national park in Vietnam to achieve the IUCN Green List title

In June 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) officially recognized Cat Tien National Park (NP) as the 72nd protected area (PA) in the world to achieve the IUCN Green List title after a comprehensive assessment process with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Biodiversity Conservation Component of the Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation (VFBC) project.

Cat Tien is the first national park in Vietnam to achieve the IUCN Green List status. This recognition demonstrates Cat Tien National Park’s commitment to nature conservation and biodiversity conservation in Vietnam.

The IUCN Green List is a set of global standards to recognize protected areas that have achieved successful results in nature conservation. Cat Tien National Park has been working tirelessly for many years to achieve the IUCN Green List title.

The journey begins with an assessment of conservation measures, including the protection of endangered species and the preservation of the diversity of the ecosystem. Cat Tien National Park has undertaken restoration projects to monitor biodiversity, restore habitats and conserve species.

The Biodiversity Conservation component of the USAID-funded VFBC project has supported Cat Tien National Park and 20 other project sites in conducting the largest biodiversity survey ever in Vietnam; building capacity, investing in technology and equipment, such as supporting the implementation of the Patrol Reporting and Data Management Tool (SMART) for biodiversity monitoring and patrolling activities to improve the effectiveness of national park management; establishing community-based forest patrol and trap removal teams (CPT); and establishing a collaborative management mechanism to enhance community participation in conservation, which is the basis for promoting effective management, achieving successful conservation outcomes and ensuring that people living near the national park are actively involved in the process.

Heritage Magazine