Project Title:
Safeguarding the Saola within the species' priority landscape in
Vietnam
Organization
Legal Name:
World Wildlife Fund For Nature
Application Code: 55618
Organization Information
Organization Short Name / Acronym, if any
WWF
Full Mailing Address -- include street, city and postal code
Grantee:
WWF International
Avenue du Mont Blanc
1196 Gland
Switzerland
Implementing office:
WWF Greater Mekong Programme
D13, Thang Long International Village,
Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Physical Address -- if different from mailing list above
Country
CH
Web Site Address, if any www.panda.org
Telephone
+41 22 364 9111
Fax
E-mail Address - Separate multiple addresses with semicolons.
JLeape@wwfint.org; Hien.tranminh@wwfgreatermekong.org
Organization Type
[ ] Local [X] International
Local organizations should be legally registered in a country within the hotspot where the project will be implemented and have an independent board or a similar type of independent governance structure.

Project Information
CEPF Funding Request (US $): 242674.00
This field represents the total grant request from CEPF. This field will be automatically populated and updated once you complete the Budget Worksheet.
Start Date:
Grants must begin on the first day of the month.
2010/5/1
*End Date :
Grants must end on the last day of the month.
2012/6/30
CEPF Region - Please list the CEPF Region where your project will be implemented. CEPF funding regions are described on www.cepf.net.
Indo-Burma Hotspot-Indochina region
Project Location - Define the geographic location (including country, corridor, site, etc) where project activities will take place.
Vietnam. Central Annamites. CEPF Sites 261 and 323. The areas of the proposed
Saola nature reserve in Thua Thien Hue and Species Habitat Conservation Area in
Quang Nam which cover most of the area of these 2 CEPF sites. Also the area of the extension to Bach Ma national Park
Strategic Direction from Ecosystem Profile
Strategic Direction 1: Safeguard priority globally threatened species in Indochina by mitigating major threats;
Project Lead Contact - Provide the name and contact information for the person responsible for correspondence with CEPF regarding this project.
Tran Thi Minh Hien – Director of WWF Vietnam Country Programme
Organization Chief Executive - Provide the name and contact information for the chief executive or person who is authorized to sign contracts on behalf of your organization.
Dr. Ramesh Khadka, Representative of WWF Greater Mekong Programme
History and Mission Statement - Provide a brief description of your organization's history and mission, including experience relevant to the proposed project.
WWF was established as a non-governmental conservation organisation in 1961.
WWF has a network of over 90 offices in over 40 countries around the world.
WWF was one of the first international non-government organizations to work in
Vietnam. In 1985 WWF began working on a national conservation strategy; and since then has worked closely with the Vietnamese Government on a diverse range of environmental issues and implemented field activities across the country. In 1995,
WWF Indochina Programme officially established a Representative office based in
Hanoi, Vietnam. WWF Indochina Programme expanded its operations into Cambodia
[1993] and Lao PDR [1997]. In 2006 WWF Thailand joined WWF Indochina to form the WWF Greater Mekong Programme. The WWF Vietnam Country Programme is the implementing arm for projects in Vietnam.

Mission statement:
WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:
• Conserving the world's biological diversity
• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
• Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption
Year Organization Established
1961
Total Permanent Staff
5400
Key Project Staff - Include titles, roles and responsibilities, and percentage of time dedicated to project.
International Species Officer (15%) - Project Manager in Hanoi
National Conservation Biologist (25%) - Coordination and implementation of project activities from the field office (Hue)
Protected Area Specialist (100%) (20% time covered by counterpart funding - coordination between Darwin and CEPF projects) - Provision of technical advice to
Protected Areas regarding enforcement activities, monitoring of PA activities
Country Director (5%) - Overall project and species programme management
International Researcher (Darwin Project Officer) (60% time covered by counterpart funding) - coordination between Darwin and CEPF projects, Darwin project management
Saola Working Group Chair (15%) - Coordination between NGOs working on Saola conservation, technical advice, fundraising and outreach
Greater Annamite Ecoregion Coordinator (5%) - fundraising for project sustainability in CA landscape
Senior Asian Species Advisor, WWF-US (5%) - technical advice and fundraising for project sustainability
Counterpart Funding - Identify the amounts and sources of additional funding already secured to be directed to this project.
A linked Darwin Initiative project (294,469 GBP, circa US$462,500 total) will support research and consultation activities related to this project, $79,740 will contribute directly to co-financing of activities and staff under this project. circa $16000 from the Centre for Ancient Genetics at the University of Copenhagen.
The University will fund the analysis of leeches as a potential survey and monitoring method for Saola.

In-Kind Contributions - Enter the amount of your organization's contributions to be directed to this project and explain how these have been calculated.
Total in-kind contributions: $20,490
Save the Saola Training Workshop - Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders
(EWCL) Saola Team funded by WWF Education for Nature (EFN) Conservation
Workshop Grants ($7,500) and additional in-kind contribution from WWF Vietnam of $990.
WWF-GMP in-kind contribution of $6000 for 5% salary of Greater Annamites
Ecoregion Coordinator for 2 years
WWF-US in-kind contribution of $6000 for 5% salary of Senior Asian Species
Advisor, for 2 years
(not listed) A 36 month WWF rattan project in partnership with IKEA has an approximate budget of 200,000 USD for work with communities in 20 villages in
Thua Thien Hue, at least 16 of which are in the current project area. By developing livelihood options in the buffer zone, this project will help to mitigate any economic losses which might be felt as a result of enforcement within the protected areas.
Total Project Budget (US $): 358904.00
The Total Project Budget is the sum of the CEPF Funding Request + Counterpart and
In-Kind Funding
Project Partners - List any partners to be directly involved in implementing this project. For each partner please indicate how they will be involved, and whether they are a local or international organization.
Saola Working Group (SWG) of the IUCN/SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group
(International) - This project has been designed with SWG priorities in mind, following the outputs of the SWG meeting in 2009. Furthermore, WWF Vietnam will receive technical support and coordination from the Saola Working Group, to promote true collaboration and coordination between organisations working towards the same goals for Saola conservation. In addition, we have built in a component to integrate this proposal with the SWG's proposal to CEPF: our project will support the
SWG (in addition to its CEPF small grant) in its effort to design a regional, collaborative 'Saola recovery plan', and in particular secure funding for its long-term implementation over the next three years.
WCS Lao (international) and the Nam Theun 2 Watershed Management & Protection
Authority (international) - through the SWG, synergies and information will be shared between these organisations who are also working to conserve Saola, and
WWF Vietnam, to promote true cooperation and coordination, which is vital to save the Saola. In turn, experiences gained from this project will inform future SWG meetings and hence influence protection efforts in other areas.

Forest Protection Department, (local) - Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam Forest
Protection Departments, under the Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development, will be key partners as they are ultimately the organisations responsible for forest protection. The project has involved these departments in the planning stages. FPD staff will be involved in all activities and FPD rangers will be responsible for patrols and monitoring activities, except when these are carried out by protected area staff. Rangers will be given training by the project in necessary skills to conduct these activities effectively.
Saola Nature Reserve in Hue (local) has been established and a management board approved. The project will work with the new management board and FPDs to implement Saola conservation strategies.
Saola Species and Habitat Conservation Area, Quang Nam (local) - is in the process of Government approval and is currently managed under FPD of Quang Nam
Province. Once the reserve and management boards are established, the project will work with the board and FPDs to ensure conservation strategies under development are effective. Staff of the reserves will be involved in the way described for FPD rangers above.
Bach Ma National Park (local) - is under the management of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development. The expansion of its borders has assisted in ensuring important Saola populations can be incorporated into new boundaries, between two other Saola protected areas. The national park staff will be included in patrol and monitoring activities and training courses as with FPD rangers and nature reserve staff.
Local communities (local) - will be directly involved in protection and monitoring activities. Furthermore, this project and the linked Darwin Initiative project will consult local communities regarding resource use and dependence on hunting for subsistence and livelihoods and evaluate possibilities for replacement of hunting losses if appropriate. The activities of both of these projects will help to protect Saola in the long-term and achieve broad community support for this work.
Through the Darwin project, this WWF project will have links to Cambridge
University (International), the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the
University of Kent (UK) (International), Vinh University (local) and Hue University
(local). These academic institutions will partner with WWF on certain project activities (eg. community consultations and participatory mapping) and can also provide considerable technical advice, particularly regarding incentive-based conservation.
AMNH (American Museum of Natural History, International) will play a key role in modelling Saola occurrence and distribution, mapping resource use by local communities and conducting genetic analysis on ungulate faecal samples. IEBR
(Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources) (local) and CRES (Centre for Natural

Resources and Environment Studies) (local) will continue to support research activities related to Saola through their collaboration with AMNH.
Project Rationale - Describe the conservation need (key threats and/or important opportunities) your project aims to address and what would happen if this project is not implemented.
The Critically Endangered Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) is endemic to the
Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos and was identified as the flagship species of the Indo-Burma hotspot by CI (van Dijk et al, 2005). The first meeting of the
Saola Working Group, in August 2008 identified the forests on the border area between Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces as the highest priority area for
Saola conservation in Vietnam. Reports from local hunters indicate a relatively large and contiguous population within continuous tracts of forest and the prospects for effective protection in this area are better than anywhere else in the species range.
Both provincial Forest Protection Departments are enthusiastic about saving the
Saola and WWF has an established and respected presence in the area. In contrast,
Saola populations further north in Vietnam have long been subject to heavier commercial hunting pressure while the Lao government has withheld permission for work in all important Saola areas except Nakai Nam Theun, which is well-funded through payments from the hydropower project. This globally unique species is a high conservation priority due to its regional flagship status, rarity and the continued threat to its survival, causing significant declines in estimated population size since its discovery in 1992.
According to the Saola Working Group, hunting and snaring of Saola is the principal threat to its survival; recent population estimates suggest that no more than one half to one quarter of the 1000 estimated in 1992 now remain, in several isolated subpopulations (Timmins et al 2008). Driven largely by the unsustainable and illegal commercial wildlife trade, hunting of Saola predominantly occurs through incidental and indiscriminate snaring and perhaps to a lesser extent by hunting with dogs.
Wildlife trade surveys of the project area and similar protected areas in Vietnam have demonstrated that people engaged in hunting on a professional scale typically come from outside of the area in which they hunt and as such are not indigenous to the protected areas (Roberton et al 2004; Long 2005; BirdLife in Indochina 2008).
WWF's Green Corridor Project identified that professional hunters active in Thua
Thien Hue, come from Quang Binh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh as well as from Hue (Nguyen
Manh Ha 2006). A recent assessment of Saola in Hue and Quang Nam has identified that the Saola Reserve appears to be outside of the main hunting area of any village and most snares there are set by professional hunters (not from indigenous ethnic minority groups) to supply the commercial wildlife trade (Wilkinson 2007). The activities of these outside hunters represent the most serious threat to Saola with indiscriminate snaring being the preferred hunting tactic due to its efficiency and low cost as a hunting method.

Local forest users undoubtedly have some impact on Saola populations, especially now that numbers are so low, but it is unknown to what extent local people are actually dependent upon hunting to subsist or make a living. Livelihood alternatives may already exist but not be utilised as hunting is a very quick and effective way of making money. In other areas in Vietnam, alternative income generation projects have resulted in an increase in hunting by freeing up more time or resources available to hunt. Recent surveys have shown that local communities have shifted from traditional hunting methods to snaring as a favoured technique (Long, 2005,
Wilkinson 2007).Efforts targeted at conserving Saola must therefore consider all of these issues to effectively combat overexploitation.
Habitat loss and fragmentation are also a threat to this species but this has been mitigated by the establishment of two new reserves (Quang Nam area is still being gazetted) and the extension of Bach Ma National Park, in Thua Thien Hue and Quang
Nam. This has resulted in a continuous tract of protected forest from Xe Sap National
Park in Lao to coastal Vietnam. However, the Saola Nature Reserve and Landscape area are yet to receive government funding to provide the resources and capacity required to establish appropriate enforcement and protection levels.
Previous WWF-led conservation projects focused on Saola have provided an overview of the distribution and abundance of Saola and threats to Saola in the
Central Annamites; assisted in the establishment of the three new protected areas and the formation of a continuous tract of east-west protected forest in the Annamites.
This has resulted in the formation of a National Saola Conservation Action Plan and an operational management plan for the Bach Ma extension, evaluated monitoring strategies, trialled a camera trapping monitoring system in two new protected areas, assessed community resource use in the Saola Nature Reserve of Thua Thien Hue through community participatory mapping and identified priority areas for notrapping zones in the new protected areas. FPD staff have been involved in the design and implementation of these projects and capacity-building in wildlife identification, survey and monitoring, and management planning and enforcement has been provided for several staff.
With CEPF support we hope to further address the threat of overexploitation to Saola in the core zone for this species, by expanding on past and current efforts to safeguard core populations of Saola. This project will expand the range of current strategies and involve civil society in the establishment and implementation of conservation actions to remove the direct threat to Saola. This project is linked to a
Darwin Initiative project led by Cambridge University, which will focus on applied research activities, to determine whether conservation of endemic ungulates
(including Saola) and the traditional hunting activities of local communities can be reconciled.

This project will not only benefit Saola, but other species inhabiting these three protected areas, primarily through improved enforcement activities and strengthened protected area management. This will likely include endemic Annamite ungulates,
Tiger (through increased protection of tiger prey and reduction of poaching), Redshanked Douc and Asian Black Bear which can both be vulnerable to snaring.
Reduction of hunting with dogs will confer particular benefits to endemic turtles, seeing as these valuable species (for the illegal wildlife trade) are usually one of the primary targets of this hunting technique.
Project Approach - Describe the proposed strategy and actions of your project in response to the conservation need stated above. Include the expected results of the project and any potential risks you face in implementing this plan. (No more than 500 words).
This CEPF project will explicitly build on and complement past and current conservation actions (including the Darwin Initiative project) to safeguard core populations of Saola with national government partners and local civil society stakeholders and will involve:
REMOVAL OF DIRECT THREATS (INTENSIVE STANDARDISED
ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMME)
A pilot programme of targeted snare removal carried out by NP staff and FPD with support from WWF-US Species Action Fund has been established in some selected priority zones of the project sites. Support from CEPF will allow this programme to be applied to a wider area within the Saola’s core zone, to extend these activities over time and to incorporate civil society in these efforts. Two patrolling teams will be established per protected area, each team consisting of 2 local people, 2 district FPD rangers or PA staff and 1 member of the police or army. Snares will be removed from the forest, counted and destroyed and brush fences and hunting camps will be destroyed on site.Dog control (specially-trained hunting dogs) will also be implemented to remove the direct threat of overexploitation to the Saola and the array of endemic turtles in the landscape. One third of patrols will be accompanied by a provincial ranger to ensure standardised methdodologies are maintained.
The Darwin project will support this initiative by researching the effectiveness of these measures, based on data collected by the teams and independently, and by developing simple but informative systems for collecting and managing patrol data such that this data can be collected and analysed by the FPD, and by the project.

SURVEY AND MONITORING OF SAOLA AND THREATS
The process of developing monitoring methods for Saola are still at an exploratory stage and, while we expect to have made progress, it is unlikely that a complete monitoring method could be developed before the end of this project, irrespective of funding. A large amount of trial and error probably still remains ahead. Therefore monitoring will focus on measuring the success of the project in reducing snaring mortality of ungulates in general, within priority Saola areas. Two surrogate measures will be used for this: snare density and indices of ungulate abundance based on track data.
Monitoring surveys will be combined with the intensive enforcement patrols, to reduce running costs of both activities and hence foster long-term sustainability. All snares found by patrols and monitoring will be recorded although we expect that, in the case of long snare lines, this will become unnecessary once we have enough data to define the relationship between length and snare number and its variance. Snares will also be classified according to type and condition. Tracks and pig nests will be recorded on all transects. Patrols will be divided into 100m sections using the GPS or a hipchain and presence/absence of signs of different kinds will be recorded in each section. Datasheets and protocols as well as databases and tools for providing summary stats in map form are being developed by the Darwin project. Training for rangers in monitoring will be provided by WWF co-financing.
Analysis of threat (e.g. snare removal) and monitoring data collected by this and the linked Darwin Initiative project, will be conducted by the Darwin project, taking into account the typical sampling bias of enforcement patrols (i.e. targeting areas where snares are prevalent and areas which are most important for Saola).
In addition, another novel monitoring technique raised since the publication of the
SWG proceedings will be tested by the project. Specifically, all patrol and monitoring trips will collect leeches (and GPS their collection point), as it may be possible to identify ungulate species through genetic identification of blood samples taken from leeches. This will not significantly detract from the patrol teams time or effort to collect leeches in order to test this possibility and analysis of the samples will be funded by the Centre for Ancient Genetics at the University of Copenhagen, where similar analyses have been undertaken with different species (domestic goat).
To sum up, a comprehensive integrated monitoring and enforcement programme will be designed and implemented by the project and an assessment made of the resources needed to maintain this system indefinitely. The project will assist the protected areas in seeking government support for the long-term continuation of these activities.
LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Local community members will be encouraged to participate in all monitoring and enforcement activities through the establishment and financial support of joint (with
FPD) patrolling and monitoring teams. This will build on WWFs extensive and ongoing work as part of the Central Annamites Programme; involving Village Patrol

Teams (VPTs) and a community forestry approach to natural resource management.
Informants will also be recruited to provide intelligence regarding illegal hunting activities.
CAPACITY BUILDING
Significant capacity already exists within FPD and protected area staff; training in wildlife identification, survey and monitoring, camera trapping, data recording and standardised snare removal techniques has been provided to some staff by previous
WWF led projects. This project will build upon this training, make these skills available to more rangers (particularly of the new protected areas) and provide the protected areas with the opportunity and resources required to conduct standardized and targeted enforcement.
Equipment will also be provided (e.g. GPS, compasses, maps etc) to community members and rangers for joint patrols.
AWARENESS-RAISING AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Training will be provided to Forest Protection staff and local village and commune leaders, to implement awareness-raising activities within local communities. These programmes will improve awareness of Protected Area location and the implications of this on resource use by local communities.
STRENGTHENING PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT
The project will support the establishment of management boards for the two new
Saola Reserves by hosting workshops in each province, with members of key government agencies attending. This has already been conducted in Hue, funded by
WWF-US, with the local government making a time-bound commitment to establish the Management Board in early 2010. We will repeat this process in Quang Nam but previous to this, the project will support the completion of the feasibility study for the
Quang Nam Saola Reserve, to support it’s official establishment as a protected area.
Furthermore, conservation needs assessments and operational plans will be formulated by the project, in partnership with both of the new Saola Reserves. Data collected by the project will be utilised to support adaptive management of the three protected areas in enforcement and monitoring activities. The project will also consult closely with Vietnam Conservation Fund, to try to levy additional funds for supporting the long-term management of the three protected areas and to support a
Conservation Needs Assessment Operational Plan for the Bach Ma extension.
PARTICIPATORY MAPPING AND THE DARWIN INITIATIVE PROJECT
Extensive consultation with local communities and participatory mapping will be conducted and co-funded by this project and the Darwin project, to determine ungulate distribution and abundance, assess hunting practices, determine dependence on hunting for livelihoods and subsistence, and evaluate potential strategies for sustainable livelihood interventions or compensation, which could be introduced to mitigate the consequences of reduced hunting or no-hunting zones if necessary (e.g. support with livestock or fish rearing, an idea suggested by local communities).

This information will be utilised in this CEPF project as a basis for identifying and negotiating collaborative solutions with local communities to remove immediate threats to Saola in core areas (e.g. no hunting agreements in specific areas) and evaluate potential mitigation strategies (as above) which could be implemented following these projects. Further to this, the Darwin project will construct a bioeconomic model of hunting, participatory mapping and camera trap data, to assist with zoning of the wider landscape for conservation and hunting by indigenous groups, if hunting can be conducted sustainably. Building of local scientific capacity to implement applied research is integral to the Darwin Initiative project to ensure long-term sustainability.
STRATEGIC INTEGRATION OF REGIONAL SAOLA CONSERVATION
EFFORT
No single institution or local program can successfully conserve the Saola. Success will come only in partnership. Consequently, our proposal will promote such partnership by supporting the SWG in its regional coordination and fund-raising roles. This can make a fundamental contribution to long-term conservation of Saola in the Quang Nam project area.
Link to CEPF Investment Strategy - How does your project relate to the CEPF investment strategy presented in the Ecosystem Profile? (This document may be found at www.cepf.net) Your answer should include reference to a specific strategic direction from the relevant ecosystem profile that the project will support.
This project will make significant contributions to CEPF Strategic Direction 1.
“Safeguard priority globally threatened species in Indochina by mitigating major threats” and specifically to Investment Priority 1.1 “Identify and secure core populations of 67 globally threatened species from overexploitation and illegal trade”. CEPF support will allow this core population of Saola to be safeguarded from overexploitation and illegal trade in the short-term and involve civil society in these efforts. This and the Darwin Initiative project will assist in further identifying this core population in terms of distribution and abundance. Through applied research activities and involvement of local communities, the Darwin and CEPF projects will seek to determine a long-term solution to the issues regarding Saola conservation, traditional hunting practices and preventing the illegal commercial wildlife trade from impacting this core population of Saola.

Eligibility Questions
CEPF funds may not be used to directly fund government agency activities. In addition, they may not be used for the purchase of land, involuntary resettlement of people, the capitalization of a trust fund or the alteration of any physical cultural property. If your proposed project involves any of these, CEPF is not in a position to fund your proposal. Where possible, you may revise your strategy to avoid these elements or you may wish to consult the "Resources" section at www.cepf.net that provides links to additional funding sources and resource sites.
Do you represent, or is your organization controlled by, a government agency?
No
Do you plan to use any of the potential project funds to purchase land?
No
Does the project involve the removal or alteration of any physical cultural property (includes movable or immovable objects, sites, structures, and natural features, and landscapes that have archeological, paleontological, historical, architectural, religious, aesthetic, or other cultural significance)?
No
Does the project involve the relocation of people or any other form of involuntary resettlement?
No
Do you plan to use any of the project funds to capitalize a trust fund(s)?
No
Safeguard Policy Aspects
If the answer to one or more of the following questions is marked Yes, summarize the potential impacts and how these might be avoided or mitigated. Describe proposed consultation process and assessments that will be undertaken to inform project design, as well as measures to address social issues.
Environmental Aspects
Will the proposed project involve activities that are likely to have adverse impacts on the environment?
[ ] Yes
[X] No
Justification I - Provide rationale for environmental impact if the answer marked is
Yes.
Social Aspects
Will the proposed project involve activities that are likely to have adverse impacts on the local community?
[X] Yes
[ ] No

Justification II - Provide rationale for social impact if the answer marked is Yes.
Refer to social assessment and process framework.
Pest Management
Will the project involve use of herbicides, pesticides, insecticides or any other poison for the removal of invasive species? If you answer yes, please provide the name of the pesticide, herbicide, insecticide or poison you intend to use.
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
Justification III - Provide the name of the pesticide, herbicide, insecticide or poison you intend to use if the answer marked is Yes.
Additional Information
Stakeholder Participation - Describe any stakeholders important to your project and how you have involved them in your planning.
The Saola Working Group have provided technical advice on the proposal (ensuring it is in line with priorities) and will continue to do so and ensure coordination between organisations working in Saola conservation,. In addition the SWG will be supported by this project to conduct international outreach and fundraising efforts on behalf of all organisations working on Saola conservation.
The Forest Protection Departments of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam and Bach Ma
National Park maintain their strong history of cooperation with WWF related to species conservation for this project. Both FPDs have provided technical advice on activities, in particular related to reserve establishment, management plans and enforcement, and the budget for activities involving FPD was developed in close consultation with both provinces.
The Darwin Initiative Project (and University of Kent) have been involved in designing this project, to ensure coordination between organisations working in the same area with the same goals. Broadly speaking, the Darwin project was deisgned to undertake research activities related to saola conservation, whilst the CEPF project will support on-the-ground conservation activities. Both projects have a strong involvement of local communities and focus on capacity building of stakeholders as an important element for Saola conservation.
The project will also consult with a wide range of stakeholders in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces, to seek technical advice and the potential for collaboration. Including but not limited to: provincial and local authorities, protected area management staff, representatives of Watershed Protected Forest, communities and community based organisations such as unions (Woman, Youth and Farmer) and
Vietnamese Scientists (local Universities).

External Assumptions - Describe any important external factors that may affect your project during implementation and how you will mitigate these potential risks.
The Provincial People's Committees are willing to establish the Nature Reserve
Management Board and the Saola Species and Habitat Conservation Area and allocate budgets to them. We have already met with the PPC in Hue, who have committed to establishing the Management Board in early 2010. In Quang Nam, we will assist with the gazettement process, by supporting the feasibilty study and holding meetings with the PPC and other agencies, to ensure funding is allocated.
Government agencies accept the adapted conservation model produced by this and the Darwin project and communities are willing to collaborate in initiatives aimed at conserving flagship species. Strong collaboration with government agencies, other
NGOs working on Saola and the SWG, will help to provide support for the outputs of the CEPF and Darwin project.
Saola population is connected enough and of a size which allows the species to be conserved by these efforts. Current knowledge and expert opinion suggests that it may not be too late to save Saola, but time is very much running out.
Sustainable solutions, between conservation and the needs of local communities, can be reached. High quality research and consultation with local communities will ensure local community needs and resource use is understood, which provides a platform on which conservation models can be developed and implemented effectively.
Long-term Sustainability/Replicability - Describe how project components or results will continue or be replicated beyond the initial project. Note that this may include elements of project design, tools utilized during the project, or project results.
To ensure the sustainability of enforcement-related activities beyond the project term,
WWF will employ four complementary strategies: 1) Securing government funding;
2) International fundraising 3) Key training and capacity building and 4) Developing efficient and user-friendly systems for conducting, managing and monitoring enforcement activities.
1). A proposal for 50,000 USD from the regional implementation team of VCF will be submitted in March for the Hue Saola Reserve. WWF and VCF will discuss how to develop the activities and fulfill the current gap for saola conservation.
2) International fundraising will be conducted in the last year of the project, once it is possible to determine how much is necessary to keep the system we will have designed and tested running in perpetuity. We consider it likely that we will be raising monies to capitalise a trust fund or revolving fund. We will collaborate closely with the SWG in a wider fundraising appeal for the species.

3) Rangers and members of village protection teams will have received training from the project and from partner projects to conduct all necessary activities and their effectiveness will be monitored throughout the course of the project, with refresher training if necessary.
4) In collaboration with the Darwin project, we will develop simple, user-friendly field datasheets and digital data-management systems capable of storing and summarising information from patrols in a way that can be easily used by FPD and management boards to monitor their effectiveness and direct patrols in future. We will train relevant staff in their use but will also produce manuals for all procedures such that they are not dependent on particular trained staff. Development of these systems in partnership with FPD and PA staff will also help them take ownership of activities and will greatly decreased the staff time required for information handling.
With regards to community-based initiatives, strategies for sustainability will depend on the specific approaches developed in collaboration with local communities over the course of the project. Approaches are likely to include providing livelihood or compensation activities for ethnic minority groups who suffer a loss of revenue from increased protection for Saola. We expect to fundraise for these livelihood benefits or to collaborate with current and future WWF projects to deliver them. We will consider strategies that are sustainable because they provide their own income, such as community forestry. However we also recognise that some solutions require incentives to be provided by external funding sources and that these kinds of solutions may be necessary. We will seek both government and international funding sources as for enforcement activities.
Finally, we will support and work with the SWG to produce a comprehensive, longterm Saola conservation plan, and to raise money for its region-wide implementation.
Social Context - Describe the broad socio-economic context of, and local communities living in, the area of the proposed project. Describe how the project will work in this context and with the local communities, if relevant.
Approximately 75 villages traditionally use parts of the core zones of Bach Ma
National Park extension, Thua Thien Hue Saola Nature Reserve and Quang Nam
Saola Nature Reserve. Inhabitants belong predominantly to the Ta Oi and Ka Tu ethnic minority groups who traditionally practice shifting agriculture and hunting and move their villages approximately every three years (Århem, 2005 unpub). However, since the 1980s the great majority of Ka Tu villages have been sedentarised according to government initiatives; meaning that villages previously located near to the centre of the project area, e.g. in Huong Nguyên and Thuong Quang communes are now situated far to the north near highway 49, over 10km away. Other villages have been moved less far but the vast majority are no longer within their traditional areas. Higher numbers of Kinh people also live in villages and towns along the Hò
Chí Minh highway, including the district towns of A Luoi, Khe Tre and Prao.

Project activities include,
1) establishing a standardised intensive enforcement system, involving joint patrolling teams consisting of local community members, Forest Protection
Department Rangers, Army and Police
2) capacity building of FPD rangers and Protected Area staff in enforcement patrolling and monitoring of Saola and other key species;
3) awareness-raising amongst local communities specifically on the location of PA boundaries and legal use of forest resources;
4) providing support to proposed and existing Protected Areas, including assisting with developing an Operational Plan for Bach Ma NP, a management plan for Hue
Saola Nature Reserve and a feasibility study for the Saola Nature Reserve in Quang
Nam;
5) Participatory mapping of resource use by local communities around the 3 PAs;
6) establishing standardised monitoring methods for Saola and other priority species; and
7) fundraising for future Saola conservation action.
Enforcement activities will have potential implications on the resource use of local communities, but only as this relates to unsustainable, illegal and destructive hunting practices. Community consultations and participatory mapping will define the resource use and needs of local communities and identify potential mitigation strategies for loss of hunting revenue, if appropriate. Awareness-raising programmes will be implemented to inform local communities of the location of protected area boundaries and the implications of the protected areas on community resource use.
Furthermore, the support of joint patrolling teams will provide direct benefits to a few key individuals, through providing regular employment in these activities for the project duration.
Additional Information - Please provide any additional information relevant to
CEPF's evaluation of your project.
Project Title:
Safeguarding the Saola within the species' priority landscape in
Vietnam
Organization: World Wildlife Fund For Nature
Application Code: 55618

Long-term Impacts (3+ Years)
- Sustainable long-term government financing secured for monitoring and protection activities (standardised intensive enforcement and monitoring programme), which will maintain the reduced threat to Saola and other wildlife in the 3 protected areas through, vastly reduced hunting, and improve knowledge on species for conservation planning
- Involvement of local communities in monitoring and enforcement activities will raise awareness amongst local communities on species status and encourage greater responsibility to preserve limited natural resources and use them sustainably where legally permitted
- Conservation models (incl. mitigation strategies) trialled and expanded to other priority locations for Saola
- Lessons learned from this project (e.g. conservation modelling to benefit key species and local communities) will assist conservation planning elsewhere in the
Annamites and other priority regions.
- Funding secured to compliment government funding to further implement Saola conservation actions in accordance with SWG recommendations
- Funds are raised from government or international sources to ensure that models developed under this project for involving communities in conservation (including potential compensation mechanisms) can be maintained in perpetuity.
- Contribution to linking activities and goals in the Hue and Quang Nam Saola
Nature Reserves with a regional Saola conservation strategy, in partnership with the
Saola Working Group.
Short-term Impacts (1-3 Years)
- Comprehensive and standardised intensive enforcement programme designed and implemented, linked to monitoring programme so enforcement programme can respond to data on hunting patterns (adaptive management)
- Reduced levels of hunting of Saola and other wildlife in the 3 protected areas through improved enforcement
- Assessment of financial requirement for maintenance of comprehensive intensive enforcement programme
- Protected Area Specialist part funded (50% for 2 years) to oversee and advise on all enforcement related activities, ensuring patrols are adaptove, efficient and effective
- Increased capacity of FPD and protected area staff in identifying and monitoring key species and in conducting effective enforcement patrols, including reporting on these activities in a standard format
- Full assessment of any potential economic benefits and losses, and of restrictions of access to traditional areas, arising from the activities of this project and reserve establishment
- Assessment of potential mitigation strategies which could be introduced to local communities, in response to any economic losses and restriction to traditional hunting areas as a result of improved protection and PA establishment.
- Local communities aware of reserve boundaries and restrictions on resource use in the protected areas

- Joint patrol teams adequately equipped to carry out enforcement activities
- Management boards established for Hue and Quang Nam Saola Nature Reserves
- Conservation Needs Assessments and Operational Plans completed for Hue and
Quang Nam Saola Nature Reserves
- Government allocates budget to reserve management which includes significant funds to support patrols, including joint patrols, and the collection of data necessary for the effective adaptive management of patrols and monitoring beyond the lifetime of the project.
- The area, the species and the project have been publicised to a number of potential donors and WWF has formed a relationship with these donors to secure funding for further activities identified during the course of this project.
- Strong collaboration and coordination established between NGOs and other organisations involved in Saola conservation, achieved through SWG
Project Components
Based on your Letter of Inquiry, please list each project component using the
Add button below.
Based on your Letter of Inquiry, please list each product/deliverable for the corresponding component.
Component 1.
Intensive enforcement programme established in identified priority zones
(remote river catchments) for Saola and removal of direct threats (snares and hunting with dogs)
1.1.
Intensive enforcement programme standards produced in EN and VN
1.2.
Products / Deliverables
Protected Area Specialist in position
1.3.
Quarterly enforcement and monitoring reports for each PA, including GPS patrol routes, tracks and signs of key species and threat data mapped.
1.4.
Financial assessment of the resources needed to maintain this combined monitoring and enforcement system indefinitely
1.5.
Informant network established
1.6.
Standardised patrolling and monitoring conducted at least 18 times (approx. every 6 weeks) within each protected area

througout the project duration (increased in frequency by 50%).
1.7.
Threats to Saola from snaring reduced by
70% in priority areas
Component 2.
Resource use of local communities assessed, affected groups identified and suitable mitigation strategies evaluated and implemented.
1.8.
Measures for reducing threats to Saola by hunting with dogs evaluated and implemented
2.1.
Report on resource use by local communities (ca. 75) surrounding the 3 protected areas, assessment of economic impacts and potential mitigation strategies.
2.2.
Free, Prior, Informed Consent from
Ethnic Minority communities obtained for project activities.
Component 3.
FPD and protected area rangers appropriately equipped and trained in species identification, monitoring techniques and enforcement methodologies.
2.3.
Project impacts on local livelihoods monitored
2.4.
Communities affected by project activities identified
2.5.
Mitigation strategies implemented if any negative impacts of project activities are recorded
3.1.
70% of rangers reaching competency standards in enforcement and monitoring methodologies.

Component 4.
Awareness raised in local communities around each PA.
Component 5.
Survey and monitoring programme of
Saola and threats designed and implemented
3.2.
Necessary equipment for enforcement and monitoring patrols/surveys provided.
4.1.
Rangers proficient in awareness-raising techniques.
4.2.
Awareness-raising materials distributed and consultations held in 50% of local communities (in priority areas).
5.1.
Manual produced detailing standardised monitoring methodology for Saola, ungulates and other priority species
(linked to deliverable 1.1).
5.2.
Database for monitoring and patrol data created with participation and ownership of provincial FPDs . The database will automatically produce summaries of the data in map form to inform adaptive management.
5.3.
Same as 1.3 (Quarterly enforcement and monitoring reports for each PA, including
GPS patrol routes, tracks and signs of key species and threat data mapped)
5.4.
Same as 1.4. Financial assessment of the resources needed to maintain this combined monitoring and enforcement system indefinitely.

5.5.
DNA analyses of ungulate blood collected from leeches
5.6.
Standardised patrolling and monitoring conducted at least 18 times (approx. every 6 weeks) within each protected area througout the project duration (increased in frequency by 50%).
Component 6.
Management boards of the new protected areas established, budget allocated and management plans formulated.
6.1.
Feasibility assessment for establishment of Quang Nam Saola Nature Reserve
6.2.
Workshop report for establishing management board of Quang Nam Saola
Reserve
6.3.
Conservation Needs Assessment for A
Luoi Saola Reserve
6.4.
Conservation Needs Assessment for
Quang Nam Saola Reserve
6.5.
Operational Plan for A Luoi Saola Nature
Reserve
6.6.
Operational Plan for Quang Nam Saola
Reserve
6.7.
Budget allocation for management of
Thua Thien Hue Saola Reserve

6.8.
Budget allocation for management of
Quang Nam Saola Reserve
Component 7.
Funds raised for future Saola conservation action, in collaboration with the Saola Working Group
7.1.
A proposal for 50,000 USD from the regional implementation team of VCF will be submitted in the first half 0f 2010 for the Hue Saola Reserve. A similar proposal will follow for the Quang Nam
Reserve, once it has been officially approved.
7.2.
Fundraising trips, proposals and outreach to international donors, institutions and other organisations potentially interested in supporting Saola conservation beyond the lifetime of the project.
7.3.
Funds raised for continuation of WWF's
Saola conservation initiatives in the priority landscape of Thua Thien Hue-
Quang Nam.
Activities
Project Component 1.
Activity 1.1.
Revise current enforcement techniques and monitoring methods with FPD and protected areas and produce a manual detailing methodologies in EN and VN.
Activity 1.2.
Advertise for and recruit PA specialist (national)
Activity 1.3.
Establish joint patrols with local community members, FPD, PA staff and
Police/Army and support intensive enforcement patrols implemented throughout core forest areas of all three PAs, once every 6 weeks (18 patrols in total).

Activity 1.4.
Assess the financial requirements to maintain this patrol system in perpetuity
Activity 1.5.
Establish informant network among local community members and FPD, to provide intelligence on illegal, unsustainable and destructive hunting activities
Project Component 2.
Activity 2.1.
Conduct comprehensive community mapping survey and consultations (ca 75 villages with co-financing from Darwin project) to identify traditional village areas and areas used by villagers for forest products, to assess economic impacts from conservation activities and PA establishment and evaluate potential mitigation strategies for local communities.
Project Component 3.
Activity 3.1.
Build capacity of rangers and PA staff in priority species identification (including tracks, signs and direct observations of ungulates, primates, turtles and large carnivores), monitoring methodologies and standardised enforcement procedures.
Activity 3.2.
Conduct assessment of ranger competence in these areas before and after training.
Activity 3.3.
Provide all members of joint patrol teams with necessary equipment.
Project Component 4.
Activity 4.1.
Train FPD staff in implementing environmental education and awareness-raising programmes, including producing supporting materials (e.g. posters, leaflets).
Activity 4.2.
Hold community workshops to raise awareness on PA location and boundaries and implications on resource use for local communities.
Project Component 5.
Activity 5.1.
Review monitoring methods for Saola and threats and produce manual detailing standardised monitoring methods for Saola, threats, ungulates and other priority species.

Activity 5.2.
Develop monitoring database and review with input from FPDs (cofinancing from
Darwin project).
Activity 5.3.
Consult with FPDs and address statistical issues to identify most appropriate output summaries to be produced by database.
Activity 5.4.
Conduct comprehensive monitoring surveys in combination with enforcement patrols
(18 per each protected area).
Activity 5.5.
Evaluate financial requirements to maintain monitoring system in perpetuity
Project Component 6.
Activity 6.1.
Support the Feasibility Study for the Saola Nature Reserve in Quang Nam
Activity 6.2.
Organise a workshop with key representatives of appropriate agencies, to support the establishment of a Management Board and allocating government budget for the
Quang Nam Saola Reserve
Activity 6.3.
Support a Conservation Needs Assessment for A Luoi Saola Reserve
Activity 6.4.
Support a Conservation Needs Assessment for Quang Nam Saola Nature Reserve
Activity 6.5.
Assist with developing an Operational Plan for A Luoi Saola Nature Reserve
Activity 6.6.
Assist with developing an Operational Plan for Quang Nam Saola Reserve
Project Component 7.
Activity 7.1.
Work in cooperation with A Luoi Saola Reserve and VCF to complete a funding proposal to support management of the Reserve.
Activity 7.2.
Support the Coordinator of the SWG to visit major donors (most likely in Europe and/or America, and possibly the Middle East), to secure support for a regional, collaborative, long-term Saola recovery plan, of which projects in Quang Nam-Thua
Thien Hue led by WWF would be a major component. Identity of these donors and

precise travel costs will be known once progress is made on the recovery plan (under the SWG's own small grant proposal to CEPF).
Activity 7.3.
Conduct fundraising activities (WWF-US and GMP programme) to continue focus on Saola conservation in the priority landscape of Quang Nam-Thua Thien Hue.