National consultation on OECMs in Viet Nam
In December 2023, MONRE’s Nature Biodiversity Conservation Agency (NBCA), GIZ, IUCN, and WWF organized a national OECM workshop in Hanoi with participants from government agencies, researchers, non-state agencies, and development partners. This was a follow up workshop to a technical workshop in June 2023 organised by IUCN and GIZ on how OECMs can help meet Viet Nam’s GBF commitments.
An OECM is defined as a geographically defined space, not recognized as a PA, which is governed and managed over the long-term in ways that deliver the effective and enduring in situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem services and cultural and spiritual values.
The national consultation was an oportunity to introduce the OECM concept and tools, share experiences and best practice from other countries on OECMs, learn about the legal and institutional framework for OECM implementation in Viet Nam, present potential OECMs, and agree on a roadmap for OECM recognition, monitoring, and reporting.
At the meeting, the results of a GIZ/MARD study of potential OECMs in Quang Ninh was presented. One hundred and sixteen sites were identified as potential OECMs of which 83 were protection forests, 20 were aquatic resource protection zones, and three were important bird areas.
For details, please see meeting report.
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