Lessons for Protected Area Management in Vietnam: Outcomes of Local Ethnic Minority Participation in Forest Protection of Cat Tien National Park

Abstract While protected areas are a measure for forest conservation, they pose a number of key challenges to local people’s livelihoods. One solution to the tension between conservation objectives and livelihoods in protected areas is involving local people in forest protection activities. The research examined the performance of one initiative, involving Forest Protection Teams (FPTs), on the livelihoods of local people and participating members, and on forest conservation. The research revealed that FPT activities had some benefits for team members but limited impact on local livelihoods. Additionally, most households stated that there was no detectable change in forest condition because of team members’ activities in forest protection. For FPT members to take greater ownership of forest protection outcomes and communication of these outcomes, the program needs to be designed and implemented in a more participatory manner.