The Impact of International Conservation Schemes on Wetland Management in a Developing Country: A Case Study of Tram Chim National Park, Vietnam

Abstract

This study explores the influence of international conservation schemes on wetland management in a developing country. Using Tram Chim National Park (TCNP) in Vietnam as a case study, it employs a mixed-method approach, including in-depth interviews with ten local conservation managers and semi-structured interviews with 30 community members. Research results have shown that since 2003, international conservation schemes have catalyzed reshaping Vietnam’s wetland management policies, enhancing community engagement and contributing to wetland conservation and sustainable utilization. The wetland management policies in Vietnam have transitioned from state-based to co-management involving local communities. However, these policy-level transformations have not effectively translated into practical co-management or Wise Use practices. The Resource Use Groups (RUGs), conceived as part of co-management, yielded only transient gains in augmenting community participation in TCNP wetland management. Tourism development as a manifestation of Wise Use practices has demonstrated only partial efficacy, as the beneficiaries of local tourism did not include impoverished individuals who relied on wetland resources. Despite the long-standing recognition of the role of local communities in wetland conservation due to international schemes and national policies, the execution of wetland management in the TCNP has remained entrenched in conservation without actively encouraging community participation in managing wetland resources. Based on these findings, this study concludes that without a fundamental shift in internal paradigms within the host country, international conservation endeavors can only generate transient co-management systems and incomplete Wise Use practices in developing countries such as Vietnam.