Islands of Felicity? – The Effect of Land Cover Changes in and around Protected Areas: A Case Study of Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam

Abstract

In recent decades, Vietnam’s network of protected areas experienced extensive growth. More than 160 terrestrial and marine protected areas (approximately 2.2 million ha) associated with remarkable reforestation demonstrate major changes within environmental policies. Nevertheless, the degradation of the existing natural forest communities, the associated loss of species and decreasing resilience suggest that Vietnam has still not reached a satisfactory point of conserving these natural habitats. The current study presents an impressive example of land cover change over a period of approximately 40 years at the Bach Ma National Park. Deforestation and degradation processes are a result of illegal activities and land use changes, a consequence of the increasing population. However, land use conflicts often occur outside of protected areas where land cover changes are concentrated and accelerated.