A Governance analysis of Con Dao National Park, Vietnam

This paper examines the governance of Con Dao National Park (CDNP), through applying the marine protected area governance (MPAG) analysis framework. CDNP was one of the first protected areas in Vietnam for which biodiversity conservation was recognised as being of international importance. It is emerging in a context of increasing economic liberalisation and delegation of decision-making power to province/district-level governments, yet under the tight control of Vietnam's Communist Party. Accordingly, the governance approach that CDNP has adopted is state-led with increasing decentralisation of responsibilities to local governments, with a focus on terrestrial protected area components. Like other protected areas in Vietnam, the governance of CDNP, especially of conservation activities, has significantly benefited from international donor and NGO funding, along with technical support. Key challenges in governing CDNP include a lack of capacity for enforcement under an unclear legal framework, lack of transparency, accountability and fairness, limited coordination among local government agencies, limited community participation, harmful linkages between certain user groups and local authorities, a lack of conditions attached to property/use rights, and weak leadership. With remarkable achievements in socio-economic development over the past three decades, Vietnam arguably has sufficient capacity to adopt more effective and realistic solutions to address such challenges. However, as many of the potential solutions are contradictory to Vietnam's political direction, improving MPA governance will significantly depend on whether the Communist Party's leaders have sufficient political will to put forth conservation initiatives.