Kon Ha Nung Plateau Biosphere Reserve (Gia Lai Province) has just been recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve.
At the 33rd meeting in mid-September 2021 of the International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO Human and Biosphere Program (ICC-MAB) taking place in Nigeria, Vietnam had 2 biosphere reserves put up for voting. and registered as a World Biosphere Reserve, including Chua Mountain Biosphere Reserve (Ninh Thuan Province) and Kon Ha Nung Plateau Biosphere Reserve (Gia Lai Province).
Accordingly, the Kon Ha Nung Plateau Biosphere Reserve covers an area of nearly 413,512 hectares, including the entire area of Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, and part of 5 districts (Dak Doa, Mang Yang, Kbang, Chu Pah, Dak Po), An Khe town.
The reserve is zoned into three functional areas, including two core areas, Kon Ka Kinh National Park and Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve; buffer and transition regions.
The importance of the Kon Ha Nung Biosphere Reserve is reflected in the level of biodiversity, of which many are rare. It is also home to a relatively large area of highland rainforest in the Central Highlands.
Located in the Kon Ha Nung Highland Biosphere Reserve, there is Kon Ka Kinh National Park. It has about 1,754 species of higher plants, 91 species of lower plants; 87 species of mammals, 326 species of birds, 77 species of reptiles and many rare and endangered species. In particular, there are also some newly discovered endemic species such as Kon Ka Kinh babbler, gray-shanked douc langur…
In addition, in Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, 863 species of plants were identified, including 22 species in the Vietnam Red Book and 7 species in the World Red Book.
Regarding wildlife, there are 380 species recorded here; in which, 80 species of mammals, 228 species of birds, 38 species of reptiles, and 34 species of amphibians. Currently, there are 64 species of vertebrate wildlife on the list of species that need to be prioritized for conservation at national and international levels.
Not only diverse flora, fauna, and ecology, Kon Ha Nung Plateau Biosphere Reserve also contains a treasure of rich and unique cultural heritage with many outstanding features of cultural values. tangible and intangible objects of the community of ethnic minorities living.
Talking to PV Dan Tri, Mr. Trinh Viet Ty – Director of Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve – said that the Kon Ha Nung plateau is favored by nature for its ecological diversity. Many areas in this plateau have ancient and ancient geological tectonics, over 2 million years old. At the same time, this place has a large waterfall population, many craters are still very clear and there are traces of people living thousands of years ago.
Kon Ha Nung Plateau becomes a world biosphere reserve that will attract domestic and foreign scientists to research, discover, and serve conservation education; will have many benefits for socio-economic development in the region, improving people’s living standards.
Biosphere Reserves is a title awarded by UNESCO for nature reserves with unique, rich, and diverse flora and fauna.
These are areas of coastal or terrestrial ecosystems that promote solutions that harmonize conservation of biodiversity with sustainable development of that area of outstanding, internationally recognized value.
According to regulations, biosphere reserves need to meet 7 criteria: have ecosystems representing biogeographic regions; meaningful biodiversity conservation; have opportunities for sustainable development of the region; has a large enough area; fully perform 3 functions: conservation, development, and assistance; community participation; have clear management mechanisms, policies and governance. Follow Dan Tri,