The Babbler No. 20 - Birdlife International in Indochina

December 2006 

Number 20 

Welcome 

Jonathan C. Eames 

Features 

- Belum-Temengor: a threatened 

hornbill haven 

- Palas Valley on road to recovery 

Regional news 

- Chindwin Hydro-electric dam may 

force 30,000 people to relocate 

- Banteng poached in Ea So Nature 

Reserve, Dak Lak Province, Vietnam 

- Swiftlet echo clicks and social 

vocalisations 

- World Birdwatch Vietnam 2006 

- More evidence for two species of 

Hwamei 

- Lenya: Myanmar’s Hidden Treasure 

- Cambodia Announces Protection of 

Bengal Florican Habitat 

Important Bird Area News 

- Road Construction Threatens 

Hponkan Razi Wildlife Sanctuary, 

Kachin State, Myanmar 

- Continued Decline of Xuan Thuy 

National Park 

Project updates 

- Cambodia activities 

- Vietnam activities 

- Myanmar activities 

Spotlight Organization 

Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) 

Publication 

Book reviews 

Staff news 

BirdLife International in Indochina 

#4/209, Doi Can, Hanoi, Vietnam 

Tel: + 84 4 722 3864 

Fax: + 84 4 722 3835 

Email: birdlife@birdlife.netnam.vn 

www.birdlifeindochina.org 

If you have any contribution or suggestion 

for the next issue, please contact 

Hanh@birdlife.netnam.vn 

by 9 th March, 2007. 

The Babbler 

BirdLife International 

in Indochina 

This is issue 20 of The Babbler and the last for 2006. I 

apologize to all of you for the late posting of this issue. I 

hope that issue 21 will be posted on-time in this New Year 

of the Pig. 

2006 has been a challenging year for the programme. We 

have had many staff changes, the latest of which are 

reported in this issue. Our Cambodia Programme Manager 

left early in 2006, our Vietnam Programme Manager and 

Communications Officer have both been on maternity 

leave. Jack Tordoff took paternity leave and finally left the 

programme late in 2006 to take up a new position with 

BirdLife at the Cambridge Secretariat. I would like to 

thank Jack for his hard work and dedication in helping to 

make the programme a success across many years of work. 

I would also like to send best wishes from all of us to Jack, 

Binh and new arrival Kien and good luck with the new life back in the UK. To take over 

part of Jack’s responsibilities I created the new position of Conservation Advisor and 

John Pilgrim joined is at the start of the second quarter of 2006. 

2006 was a difficult year for programme funding and is a reflection of new trends in 

donor support to biodiversity. Several of our traditional donors in Cambodia and 

Vietnam have moved to sector-wide support, which means less money for biodiversity 

and national governments taking a bigger role in deciding how ODA is allocated. This 

means non-government organizations become marginalized and starved of funding. 

Increasingly we are looking for new donors outside the region and for new ways of 

working within the region. 

These worrying new trends have not stopped us starting new projects in 2006 many of 

which have a focus on Critically Endangered species. With support from the BirdLife 

Asia Fund, Darwin Initiative and RSPB we are continuing the search for the Pinkheaded 

Duck, working on the Gurney’s Pitta, both in Myanmar, and the Slender-billed, 

White-rumped and Red-headed Vultures in Cambodia and Myanmar. 

At site level, we have had to face the challenge of the land-grab in the Tonle Sap 

floodplain. I hope that the establishment of Integrated Farming and Biodivserity Areas 

offers some hope for the continued survival of the Bengal Florican in Cambodia. We 

have not made such good progress in Myanmar where we are still struggling to make 

government aware of the need to establish Lenya National Park. In Vietnam, 

development pressures on national parks on nature reserves and plain bad management 

have escalated in 2006. I was shocked by the state of Xuan Thuy National Park on a 

recent visit. At Chu Yang Sin National Park where we implement a GEF project, 2006 

saw the construction of a road through the national park, proposals advanced for two 

dams in and around the national park and further cutting of Fokienia hodginsii. These 

issues remain some of our greatest and like bad debts, get brought forward into the new 

year. 

I wish all our supporters a very Happy New Year. 

Jonathan C. Eames 

Programme Manager 

BirdLife International in Indochina

One afternoon in September 

1992, Sutari Supari and Ho 

Hua Chew looked on in awe as 

764 hornbills flew across the 

upper reaches of Sungai Perak 

in northern Peninsular 

Malaysia. Neither could really 

believe they were watching 

Plain-pouched Hornbills Aceros 

subruficollis, a rare species 

confined to southern Thailand 

and western Thailand/ 

Myanmar. Sightings of this 

species in northern Peninsular 

Malaysia were previously 

unconfirmed. The two were 

following up Supari’s 

observations in the previous 

FEATURE 

Bushy-crested Hornbill Anorrhinus 

galeritus, one of ten species of 

hornbill at Belum-Temengor 

(Lim KC/MNS) 

BELOW Large gatherings of Plainpouched 

Hornbills Aceros 

subruficollis are regular at Belum- 

Temengor (Lim KC/MNS) 

month, when he had seen 300 

birds in the same area. On one 

day in late November the 

following year, one observer 

logged an astonishing 2,365 

unidentified hornbills nearby. 

“Regardless of which 

species of hornbill is involved in 

these remarkable sightings, it is

Belum-Temengor: a threatened hornbill haven 

essential that, given the very 

high number of individuals 

involved, protection should be 

urgently given to the areas in 

which they have been found to 

occur,” wrote Chew and Supari 

in the June 1997 issue of 

Oriental Bird Club Bulletin. 

A decade on, Malaysian 

Nature Society (MNS, BirdLife 

in Malaysia) is part of a 

(Alan E Ernst/MNS) 

Fauna and flora of Belum-Temengor 

coalition fighting to protect the 

magnificent rainforests of 

Belum-Temengor where the 

Plain-pouched Hornbills live, 

alongside all the other nine of 

Malaysia’s hornbill species—the 

only state to boast this 

remarkable statistic. 

“The problem is there are 

two forest blocks bisected by the 

East-West Highway,” explains 

Species so-far identified at Belum-Temengor include: 

■ More than 3,000 flowering plants, many endemic to the northern Malay 

Peninsula, including 46 palms (15 endemic), more than 30 gingers (20% 

of the Peninsula’s total), and many rare orchids 

■ At least 274 birds including large breeding populations of all ten of 

Malaysia’s hornbills. More than 2,000 Plain-pouched Hornbill, a 

Vulnerable species, have been seen on a single evening’s flight 

■ 168 butterflies, including the rare Herona sumatrana and Tanaecia 

clathrata and 252 smaller moths 

■ More than 100 mammals including Asian elephant, Malayan tiger, 

leopard, gaur, sun bear, Sumatran rhinoceros and Malayan tapir. At least 

13 of them are globally threatened or Near-Threatened 

■ 95 leaf-beetles identified, although there are surely many more 

■ 64 ferns and fern allies 

■ 62 mosses 

■ 51 land snails (a sixth of Peninsular Malaysia’s total) 

■ 49 terrestrial and seven freshwater molluscs 

■ 36 aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs, and a new aquatic fly 

■ 25 cicadas 

■ 24 amphibians 

■ 23 snakes 

■ 23 freshwater fishes 

■ 21 lizards 

■ 19 Odonata (dragon- and damselflies) 

■ 7 freshwater and land turtles, six of them globally threatened or Near- 

Threatened 

■ 3 freshwater decapod crustaceans 

Angela Hijjas of MNS, who is 

spear-heading the Belum- 

Temengor campaign. “Hornbills 

feed in Upper Belum, north of 

the highway, and roost in Lower 

Belum and Temengor to the 

south. But there are plans for a 

commercial Acacia plantation up 

to 4 km wide right along the 

highway, which would create a 

barrier between the two. Temengor 

is also still being logged.” 

Clear felling and forest 

fragmentation would vastly 

increase the risk of local 

extinctions within the forest 

complex and hinder the 

movement of animals. 

“However, there is an exciting 

alternative,” says Hijjas. “The 

East-West Highway provides a 

unique opportunity to see large 

animals. The disturbed roadside 

vegetation is perfect for feeding 

elephants and they can be seen in 

groups along the verge of the 

highway. If a series of wildlife 

crossings over and under the 

highway were added, it could 

create a spectacle that would 

attract tourists from far and 

wide. The addition of viewing 

towers where people could stay, 

perhaps near a crossing or 

overlooking a saltlick, would give 

a strong economic incentive to 

protect the forest, and wildlife 

would have a chance to thrive 

rather than be progressively 

squeezed out and into conflict 

with local communities.” 

Aside from hornbills, the 

forest block is home to an 

astonishing diversity of plants 

and animals (see side box), 

including mega-fauna such as 

Asian elephant, Malayan tiger, 

leopard and other large cats, sun 

bear, gaur and Malayan tapir. 

There is also sufficient forest for 

up to 50 Sumatran rhinoceros 

which are believed to occur 

there. The world population of 

this secretive animal is estimated 

at 300. 

“There is a chance the rhino 

can survive into the next century 

in Temengor, but all of the forest 

complex would need to be 

protected,” says Hijjas. 

Malaysia is one of the 

world’s twelve mega-biodiverse 

countries, and because of their 

extreme age, the country’s forests 

are possibly the most ecologically 

diverse on the planet; more 

diverse even than the Congo or 

Amazon. Yet Belum-Temengor 

has barely been studied. 

“Our forests are one of the 

world’s great natural wonders,” 

says Dr Loh Chi Leong, 

Executive Director of MNS. 

“But as we use more and more 

of the world’s natural resources 

for our immediate benefit, we 

compromise the needs of 

future generations. Access to 

wildernesses like Belum- 

Temengor will be more important 

than ever as such places are 

diminished worldwide. The forests 

are also home to indigenous 

people—Orang Asli—especially 

the Jahai tribes. These forest 

communities are an integral part 

of the wilderness and their 

interests must be maintained.” 

In April 2006 MNS began 

a campaign to save the 

3,000 km 2 Belum-Temengor 

forest block which is an 

Important Bird Area (IBA). 

12 WorldBirdwatch

Royal Belum was declared a 

protected area in 2000, the 

legislation to create a park 

enacted and a state corporation 

established for its management, 

but it is yet to be gazetted as a 

permanent protected area, 

although MNS is optimistic this 

will happen soon. 

Unfortunately the same 

does not apply to Temengor. 

Logging concession holders 

appear unconcerned about 

sustainability, and logging 

roads on steep slopes and 

adjacent to the lake shore or 

salt licks are extremely 

damaging, aside from the actual 

impact of timber removal. The 

state government has said it will 

phase out logging once other 

economic activities such as ecotourism 

start to generate 

revenue and alternative 

employment, but sustainable 

tourism needs undisturbed 

habitat to be successful. 

The old growth forests 

provide mature fruiting figs and 

trees with large cavities for 

nesting hornbills, known as 

forest gardeners because they 

disperse seeds of many plants 

over large areas. 

“The hornbills are the 

greatest eco-tourism asset of 

Belum-Temengor, and logging 

already seems to have had an 

impact on their numbers. Unless 

both areas are protected, the 

birds will not survive in the 

numbers that have caused worldwide 

excitement amongst birders,” 

says Anthony Sebastian, 

Chairman of MNS Science and 

Conservation Committee. 

The vast Taman Negara, 

Malaysia’s National Park, spans 

4,343 km 2 and protects the 

biodiversity of central 

Peninsular Malaysia. Endau- 

Rompin reserve, with its west 

Borneo influence, protects the 

biodiversity of southern 

Peninsular Malaysia. The 

Belum-Temengor forests are 

home to the flora and fauna of 

northern Peninsular Malaysia; 

its protection would go a long 

way towards fulfilling Malaysia’s 

LEFT Malaysia’s rainforests are 

possibly the most biologically 

diverse on earth. Yet Belum- 

Temengor has barely been studied 

(Sanjitpal/MNS) 

ABOVE The evening flight of 

hornbills is spectacular 

(T K Ting) 

TOP RIGHT The forest is also home 

to indigenous people, especially 

the Jahai tribes (Khoo KH/MNS) 

BOTTOM RIGHT A road divides 

hornbill feeding grounds from 

roosting sites. Now there are plans 

to plant acacias for up to 4 km on 

either side (Sanjitpal/MNS) 

obligations under the Convention 

on Biological Diversity (CBD). 

Furthermore, its contribution to 

conservation would be reinforced 

by the transboundary connection 

to the protected areas of Hala- 

Bala Wildlife Sanctuary and Bang 

Lang National Park in Thailand. 

“Our status as a developed 

nation is within our grasp,” says 

Sebastian. “Intact forests are 

worth far more in the long-run 

than the relatively small 

amounts logging generates. 

These forests are catchments for 

major rivers in Perak, Kelantan 

and Pahang, and once felled, the 

steep slopes are unsuitable for 

agriculture and there is a high 

risk of erosion. We should 

conserve our remaining forests 

so that enough is set aside for 

biodiversity security, to help 

combat global warming, and for 

posterity.” 

The MNS campaign hopes to see: 

■ an end to all logging 

■ the gazettement of Royal Belum State Park and its extension to include 

Temengor Forest Reserve 

■ an end to plans for an Acacia corridor 

■ development of a comprehensive management plan for Belum- 

Temengor involving relevant stakeholders including the Federal 

government, the Perak State government, the Forestry Department, the 

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), the 

Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), NGOs, local communities 

and others. 

To register your support for the MNS campaign to save Belum-Temengor, 

please visit www.mns.org.my where you can sign an online petition. 

WB

House built of kasha—poles, 

stone and mud—destroyed by 

boulders (Rab Nawaz) 

On the morning of Saturday 

8 October 2005, an earthquake 

registering 7.6 on the Richter 

scale hit northern Pakistan. 

Among the areas affected 

was the Palas Valley, part of the 

Western Himalayas Endemic 

Bird Area (EBA). As boulders 

rained down the hillsides, 79 

people were killed, and many 

more seriously injured. With 

more than half the houses in 

the valley uninhabitable and 

others at risk from aftershocks, 

more than 20,000 people were 

forced to live in the open during 

the onset of the Himalayan 

winter, which sometimes brings 

snowdrifts of 10 m or more. 

But it could have been a lot 

worse. “Palas didn’t experience 

landslides at the same level as 

nearby valleys, because it hadn’t 

suffered the same level of 

deforestation,” says Rab Nawaz, 

co-ordinator of the joint 

FEATURE 

BirdLife/World Pheasant 

Association(WPA)/WWF- 

Pakistan Palas Conservation 

and Development Programme. 

In those nearby valleys, 

chunks of mountainside had 

detached themselves and 

crashed to the valley bottoms, 

leaving huge pale scars. 

Landslides stripped the hillsides 

of precious soil, often bringing 

remaining patches of forest 

down with them.

Palas Valley on road to recovery 

TOP Palasis provide information to consultants from Malteser 

International and CRS Earthquake Relief (Rab Nawaz) 

BELOW Western Tragopan Tragopan melanocephalus. Populations have 

increased since the Palas Conservation and Development Project began 

(K Howman/WPA) 

Forest covers around 400 km 2 

of the valley’s 1,300 km 2 area, 

the largest single tract of West 

Himalayan temperate forest left 

in Pakistan. Most of the rest 

consists of rocky outcrops, 

glaciers and snowfields. But 

despite being among the most 

rugged and isolated places in 

Pakistan, the Palas Valley is 

home to around 50,000 people. 

It is also a centre of plant 

endemism and diversity and 

hosts many rare and threatened 

bird and mammal species, 

including the largest remaining 

population of Western 

Tragopan Tragopan 

melanocephalus. 

18 

With just two short, 

unsurfaced roads, and most 

communities between one and 

three days’ walk from a road 

head, Palasi people depend 

almost entirely on the resources 

of the valley. The traditional 

Palasi lifestyle involves most of 

the population moving with 

their livestock between winter 

villages and summer pastures. 

Non-timber products, such as 

the morel mushroom, are 

crucial for local consumption 

and for sale. 

“Agricultural production is 

poor, cultivable land is scarce— 

just 4.5% of the valley’s area— 

and development is hindered by 

poor infrastructure,” explains 

Rab. “‘Poor people in a rich 

environment’, the phrase we 

thought up for the Palas 

Conservation and Development 

Project (PCDP) brochure, 

describes the situation quite 

well.” 

Most of the people in the 

valley depend on non-timber 

forest products (NTFPs), which 

are used as food in winter, and 

sold in local markets for cash. 

Autumn is the prime time for 

collection of medicinal plants, 

wild fruits, cutting of grasses 

for stall feeding in winter, 

cutting of fodder for livestock, 

extraction and marketing of 

honey, extraction and 

marketing of Chilghoza nut, 

drying of wild vegetables, and 

collection of firewood for 

winter. 

“Though the earthquake 

disturbed the livelihoods of the 

people, it could not keep them 

from collection of NTFPs for 

very long,” says Rab. With 

other means of subsistence and 

income-generation damaged or 

destroyed, NTFPs have 

provided a vital fall-back. 

BirdLife began working in 

the Palas Valley in 1991, when 

the discovery of the population 

of Western Tragopans led to the 

setting up of the Himalayan 

Jungle Project. “The project 

started dialogue with local 

communities to save the 

tragopan,” Rab says. But it 

quickly became clear that the 

future of the biodiversity of the 

Palas Valley depended on the 

relevance of conservation 

to the everyday lives of 

the valley’s human 

inhabitants. 

During the 

monsoon in 

1992, the 

equivalent 

of a year’s 

rain fell on 

the valley in just ten days. 

Bridle paths, bridges, fields and 

irrigation channels were washed 

away in the floods. The project 

partners—BirdLife, the World 

Pheasant Association and 

WWF-Pakistan—arranged for 

food to be airlifted in, and sent 

in engineers to assess the 

damage to the infrastructure. 

“The project gained the trust of 

local people, who are 

notoriously distrustful of 

outsiders,” says Rab. 

When, with the support of 

the European Union, the PCDP 

was set up, its goal was “to 

safeguard the biodiversity of 

the Palas Valley by enabling 

local communities to tackle the 

linked causes of poverty and 

incipient natural resource 

degradation”. The PCDP 

involved six main programmes: 

social organisation and 

participation; rehabilitation of 

bridges, water mills, irrigation 

channels and other 

infrastructure; natural resource 

management (an agricultural 

development programme that 

has focused on introduction of 

improved varieties of maize, 

and on production of orchard 

fruits such as apples, plums, 

pears and cherries); biodiversity 

surveying and monitoring; 

forest management; and 

activities for the improvement 

of health, nutrition and 

sanitation. 

“The project has worked to 

strengthen social organisations 

and community participation in 

development in Palas,” Rab 

explains. “One of the ground 

rules is that the benefiting 

community must be committed 

to development, and that this 

must be demonstrated through 

contributions of labour or 

materials. The sense of 

ownership and responsibility 

for the work is increased, and 

communities learn what 

organised self-help can 

achieve.” One result was the 

formation of a coalition of 

valley organisations, the Palas 

Conservation and Development 

Federation (PCDF). 

The Western Tragopan has 

certainly benefited from the 

project’s work in the valley: 

the population has increased 

since 1990, when surveys 

began. Just how much the 

valley’s human communities 

have benefited became clear 

in the days following the 

earthquake.

Because the BirdLife/WPA/ 

WWF-Pakistan teams were on 

the ground, knew the valley and 

its community, and had access 

to extensive and accurate GIS 

(geographical information 

system) data, they were able to 

co-ordinate and direct the aid 

that came in from NGOs like 

Malteser International, from UN 

agencies, and from Pakistan’s 

army and government. “We 

were also the only ‘agencies’ 

willing to work in Kohistan— 

the UN is not allowed to enter 

the district for security 

reasons,” Rab says. “We were 

required to become aid workers, 

with no training or warning.” 

With the bridle-paths and 

the road into the valley 

unusable, the project staff used 

their contacts to secure a few 

helicopter flights into the 

Valley. The first carried two 

project staff, a volunteer, and 

relief goods. This was followed 

by others bringing in doctors 

and supplies such as tents, 

blankets and plastic sheets, and 

carrying out the severely 

injured. As well as warm 

clothing, food and medicine, 

post-traumatic psychological 

treatment was needed for those 

in shock, and cases of 

pneumonia were already being 

reported. 

One of the most important 

tasks was to get an accurate 

picture of the damage to 

human life, infrastructure, 

livestock and natural resources, 

so that relief efforts could be 

focused effectively. The project 

staff worked on this with the 

help of the PCDF. 

Most of the human deaths 

had been caused by boulders 

rolling down steep slopes while 

people were busy cutting grass 

for winter fodder. It took a lot 

of time to find all the bodies. 

“We lost a lot of friends and 

relatives of staff, some of them 

very dear to us,” Rab says. 

The livestock on which 

communities depend for food, 

for cheese and other dairy 

products for sale, and for 

transport and pulling-power, 

were hard hit: nearly 1,900 

buffaloes, cows and oxen, sheep 

and goats, horses and donkeys 

were either struck by boulders 

while out at pasture, or buried 

under collapsed houses. “The 

houses are built of kasha— 

wooden poles, stone and mud— 

and livestock live on the lower 

floor,” Rab explains. 

More than half of all the 

houses in the valley were 

destroyed, and most of the 

remainder made uninhabitable. 

Rab says his own house 

survived the earthquake, but 

has been steadily shaken to 

pieces by the thousands of 

aftershocks. “Bearing in mind 

that the average household size 

is 12, there were approximately 

3,000 people in dire need of 

winterised shelter, and 36,000 

who either required support 

repairing their houses or would 

also need winterised shelters, 

since it was unlikely that houses 

near the snowline could be 

repaired before spring.” 

It was not only hard for 

relief to get in, but also hard for 

Palasis to get out, to get food 

and medical supplies, or to take 

their goods to market. Some of 

the “non-timber forest 

products” on which they 

depend for income were lost in 

the earthquake. Beehives, often 

built into walls in the valley, 

were destroyed along with 

them. The honey sells at around 

US$13 a kilo. 

Funding was made available 

by the UK government’s 

Department for International 

Development (DFID-Pakistan) 

to cover the operating costs of 

the project, including the hire 

of jeeps and trucks. By the time 

winter began to tighten its grip, 

winterised shelters had already 

reached the households most at 

risk, and more were on the way. 

Medical camps had been set up 

to treat the injured, many of 

them suffering from spinal 

injuries. Mobile laboratories 

and ultrasound machines had 

been provided, and a female 

doctor—the first ever allowed 

in the valley—was on hand to 

provide medical care to women. 

But much of the aid might 

not have reached its 

destination—and isolated 

More than 20,000 people faced life in the open at the onset of the 

Himalayan winter. But winterised shelters reached the households 

most at risk (all photographs Rab Nawaz)

Palas Valley on road to recovery 

TOP Oxen were among the 1,900 livestock killed by falling boulders 

and collapsing houses. Palasis depend on their animals for food, 

transport and work (Nigel Bean) 

BELOW Kashmir Nuthatch Sitta cashmirensis, one of eight Western 

Himalayan endemics found in Palas Valley (Nigel Bean) 

households might have been 

forgotten—if it had not been 

for the PCDF, who secured and 

distributed much of the aid. 

Rab describes them as 

“formidable”. 

“One of the success stories 

has been the emergence of the 

PCDF. They proved to the 

community that they have an 

important part to play in the 

development of the valley,” he 

says. “And being on the front 

line, they understand the tribes 

and their culture. For example, 

traditionally, if one person gets 

aid, then others have to, even if 

they haven’t suffered. PCDF 

had to explain that it couldn’t 

be done.” 

David Thomas, Head of 

BirdLife’s Site Action Unit, 

says that in the days since the 

earthquake, “this Federation 

has shown itself a capable and 

effective institution for 

delivering relief goods to the 

valley, demonstrating the value 

of investing in local institutions 

with their roots in the 

community.” 

Rab says that just as in the 

1992 floods, the project’s 

infrastructure in the valley, 

their local knowledge and the 

commitment of staff, 

BirdLife, WPA and WWF- 

Pakistan have been able to 

provide relief more effectively 

and efficiently than the 

government and other official 

sources. “Though relief is given 

unconditionally, people do 

know and appreciate the efforts 

that we are doing, and will 

probably be easier to work with 

in the future.” 

Thanks to the generosity of 

their supporters, BirdLife 

International and WPA were 

able to raise significant 

amounts of money through 

appeals, allowing them to 

undertake activities which other 

agencies were not covering. 

The money raised through 

the BirdLife appeal will be used 

to re-construct some of the 

vital infrastructure. Labour and 

expertise from outside the 

Valley will be needed to rebuild 

the bridges, bridle paths, 

watermills and minihydroelectric 

plants. 

“Livestock rearing has 

traditionally provided the 

people of Palas with security 

against uncertainty in crop 

production,” says Thomas. “We 

need to minimise further losses 

of livestock to disease and poor 

nutrition, so that a healthy herd 

is in place to ensure rapid 

recovery. We want to provide 

on-farm services such as 

vaccination and veterinary care 

of the available stock. There’s 

an urgent need for fodder, since 

much of what was collected 

locally prior to the earthquake 

has been lost, and the 

mountainsides are still unsafe 

for grass collection.” 

If communities are not to 

become dependent on food-aid 

and other assistance, they will 

need help to recover their 

farmland. Most cultivated land 

is on steep slopes. In many 

The Western Himalayas EBA 

extends from northern Pakistan 

and adjacent parts of 

Afghanistan to western Nepal. It 

supports 11 bird species found 

nowhere else in the world. Eight 

of these species occur in the 

Palas Valley (Western Tragopan 

Tragopan melanocephalus, 

White-cheeked Tit Aegithalos 

leucogenys, White-throated Tit 

A. niveogularis, Brooks’s Leafwarbler 

Phylloscopus subviridis, 

Tytler’s Leaf-warbler P. tytleri, 

Kashmir Nuthatch Sitta 

cashmirensis, Spectacled Finch 

Callacanthis burtoni and Orange 

Bullfinch Pyrrhula aurantiaca). 

places the terraces have 

collapsed, and need immediate 

repair if this year’s crops are to 

be sown. Traditionally this 

activity would be carried out by 

the family under a “hashaar”, a 

community-based, unpaid 

collective effort. “In the current 

situation many of the displaced 

families are not in a position to 

take part, and so the most 

effective way to re-construct the 

terracing is by hiring labour,” 

Thomas says. 

Rab says that though the 

earthquake has delayed project 

and development activities, it 

has revived interest in the Valley 

among NGOs and other 

supporters. The Federation— 

which has been legally registered 

since the earthquake—has 

attracted the attention of some 

large donors looking for longterm 

projects to support. 

But he says there are 

important lessons to be learned 

from the experience in Palas, 

and the much greater levels of 

devastation suffered in nearby 

valleys. “We have to make sure 

that government, local 

communities and the general 

public take issues such as 

environment and forests 

seriously, especially in terms of 

their importance in mitigating 

damage during such natural 

disasters.” 

WB 

Nick Langley

9 BirdLife International in Indochina 

Regional news 

ChindwinHydroelectricdammayforce30,000peopletorelocate 

Chindwin River at dawn. Photo: J C Eames 

The Babbler 20 – December 2006 

The town of Khamti in Myanmar on the border 

with India would be submerged and its 

30,000 inhabitants forced to move if a 

proposed hydro-electric dam project goes 

ahead, say environmentalists. The project, 

mainly intended to supply electricity to India, 

would also displace 35 villages of the Kuki 

whose land would be part of the 17,000 acres 

likely to be flooded. These are the conclusions 

of the India-based Kuki Students’ Democratic 

Front, Tamanthi Dam Campaign Committee 

and environmentalists in Yangon. Lu Lun, one 

of the leaders of the Kuki students’ group, 

said: “So far there has not been any 

consultation with the affected Kuki people.” 

A memo of understanding has been signed 

between the Myanmar government and 

India’s National Hydro-electric Power 

Corporation which would build and operate 

the dam. It’s not known when the project, to 

be located on the Chindwin river which passes 

through Khamti, will be built or at what 

financial cost. 

The Tamanthi hydro-dam is meant to have a generating capacity of 1,200 megawatts—more than Myanmar’s entire 

current generating capacity. Similar sized hydro-dams being built in Laos, or planned on the Salween River near 

Myanmar’s border with Thailand, are budgeted to cost close to or above US $1 billion, analysts note. 

NGOs and environmentalists say most of the people who would be directly affected by the Tamanthi project are Kuki, an 

ethnic group who live on both sides of the India-Myanmar border. Naga people would also be affected. Yangon-based 

journalists told The Irrawaddy that surveys of the likely social and environmental impact of the hydro-dam are now 

under way. “The residents there are not very happy to hear that they must move,” said one. 

The environmentalists also warned that the proposed dam development could encroach on part of Myanmar’s largest 

national park—Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary—and threaten endangered wildlife, including tigers and leopards. 

The World Bank has estimated that Myanmar, which produces very little electricity—less than 1,000 megawatts—has 

the potential from its rivers to produce up to 100,000 megawatts a year. Up to 80 percent of the electricity planned to 

be generated at Tamanthi will go to India, and most of the power produced by a 600-megawatt hydro-dam to be built at 

Hatgyi on the Salween will go to Thailand. 

The Irrawaddy, August 30, 2006 

BantengpoachedinEaSoNatureReserve,DakLakProvince,Vietnam 

On June 6, rangers of the Ea So Nature Reserve discovered and confiscated the head and limbs of a Banteng Bos 

javanicus from four local hunters. The hunters, residents of Ea Kar District in Dak Lak province were arrested. 

Law Newspaper, Vietnam June 9, 2006


 

PrimateConservationTrainingCourseforVietnam 

Vietnam is home to one of the most diverse primate faunas globally, with 25 taxa in six genera. Despite this diversity, 

the status of Vietnam’s primates is a litany of tragedy. All of the country’s five endemic species are listed as Critically 

Endangered, while fully 88% of the more widely distributed species were provisionally assessed as threatened at a 

recent IUCN Asian Primate Red List workshop. When compared to the global percentage of threatened primates (37%) 

(Mittermeier et al. 2005), it is clear that Vietnam’s primates are in crisis. 

To complement activities attempting to address this crisis, a primate conservation training course was launched at the 

Hanoi University of Science (HUS) on August 7, 2006. The course is a collaborative venture between Conservation 

International (CI), HUS, and the University of Colorado (CU) at Boulder. 

“This is the first training course of its kind offered in 

Vietnam,” said Prof. Covert of CU. “We hope that by 

combining the skills and experience of Vietnamese 

and foreign researchers working within the field we 

can provide a great basis for young Vietnamese 

researchers who are interested in pursuing 

primatology.” 

The intensive 3-week course trained 30 individuals 

from across the country, selected from more than 

150 applicants. Trainees included university 

lecturers and students and FPD, protected area, and 

conservation NGO staff. Over 75 hours of lectures 

were presented by the core instruction team of Prof. 

Covert (CU), Ben Rawson (ANU/CI), Mr. Vu Ngoc 

Thanh (HUS) and Jake Brunner (CI) and 

Vietnamese and foreign guest lecturers, covering 

topics as diverse as taxonomy, anatomy, behaviour, 

ecology, conservation tactics, field methods, data 

analysis, and scientific and grant writing. 

“For several years CI has supported primate 

conservation in Vietnam,” commented Jake Brunner 

of CI, “but this has been through project funding. 

We are now taking the next step by building a cadre 

of young Vietnamese primatologists who are 

capable of addressing the long-term conservation issues facing Vietnamese primates.” 

Trainees have been invited to submit research proposals that will compete for funds provided by CI. “These grants are 

very important,” said Mr. Vu Ngoc Thanh. “They will allow trainees to use the skills they have learned during the course 

while having the close guidance of the training team for support.” 

The course will be offered again in 2007. 

Mittermeier, R. A., Valladares-Padua, C., Rylands, A. B., Eudey, A. A., Butynski, T. M., Ganzhorn, J. U., Kormos, R., Aguiar, J. 

M. and Walker, S. (2005). Primates in Peril: The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates 2004-2006. IUCN/SSC Primate 

Specialist Group, International Primatological Society, Conservation International. 

Swiftletechoclicksandsocialvocalizations 


Students at Van Long Nature Reserve, Ninh Binh Province, 

Watching the Critically Endangered Delacour’s Langur. 

Photo: Jake Brunner. 

Ben Rawson, Australian National University and Conservation International 

Swiftlets are a common sight across much of Asia, and of enormous economic importance in areas where their nests are 

collected to make ‘bird’s nest soup’. Although the different species often have very similar plumage, their nests often 

differ quite significantly in construction. They are also notable in including most bird species known to echolocate 

(except the Oilbird Steatornis caripennis of South America), a necessary adaptation of some swiftlet species to navigate 

into the depth of caves where they nest.


Edible-nest Swiftlets Collocalia fuciphaga nesting in a waterfront house in 

Myeik, Tanintharyi Division, Myanmar. Photo: J C Eames 


A recent scientific paper reports on 

some interesting results of a study on 

echo clicks of eight swiftlet species and 

social vocalisations of 27 swifts and 

swiftlet species 1 . Echo clicks were 

mainly identifiable to species by 

differing frequencies. Both echo clicks 

and social vocalizations were found to 

be quite consistently identifiable and 

specific to individual species, 

suggesting that both are used for social 

communication. The authors 

hypothesize that echo clicks evolved in 

the Collocaliini swiftlets, but have been 

lost or degraded in some species to 

trills with only a low potential for 

echolocation (such as Cave Swiftlet 

Collocalia linchi). However, they could 

find no pattern in vocalizations that 

mirrors the phylogenetic relationship 

among swiftlets. 

John Pilgrim, Conservation Advisor, 

BirdLife International in Indochina 

1 Thomassen, H. A. and Povel, G. D. E. (2006) Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the echo clicks and social 

vocalizations of swiftlets (Aves: Apodidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 88: 631-643. 

WorldBirdwatchVietnam2006 

Thousands of people from 16 Asian countries united in their love of birds, tried to observe the region’s varied and 

impressive avian inhabitants, as part of BirdLife’s Asia Birdwatch 2006 during October 2006. The event was the biggest 

of its kind in Asia. It aimed to promote the wonder and beauty of birds by helping as many people as possible to 

experience the region’s spectacular diversity of birds. Asian Birdwatch was part of the global World Birdwatch event, 

taking place in 77 countries and kick-starting BirdLife International's month-long celebration of birds, the World Bird 

Festival. 

On September 30 and October 1, the 

BirdLife International Vietnam 

Programme organised a birdwatching trip 

to Xuan Thuy National Park. Participants 

included representatives of the media, 

Vietnam Birdwatching Club members, 

foreign and local birders and BirdLife 

staff. Highlights included the first Blackfaced 

Spoonbill Platalea minor of the year 

(a globally Endangered species, for which 

Xuan Thuy is a key wintering site), 15 

Painted Storks Mycteria leucocephala 

(globally Near Threatened), and wading 

through the sea at high tide to an island 

full of migrating birds! 

“Birdwatching is still a novelty and a new 

pastime for most people here in Vietnam. 

BirdLife is delighted to join forces with 

Victoria Hotels and Resorts to promote 

the event in Vietnam this year.” said Mr. 

Jonathan C. Eames, Programme Manager 

Fifteen Painted Storks Mycteria leucocephala were recorded at Xuan Thuy 

National Park, Nam Dinh Province on September 30. Photo: Nguyen Tran 

Hieu/Vietnam Birdwatching Club


of BirdLife International in Indochina. 

Victoria Hotels and Resorts also participated in World Bird Watch by inviting about 20 high school students from Chau 

Doc town, An Giang Province to visit Tra Su Nature Reserve on October 7. The trip was be led by Mr. Hanno Stamm, 

General Manager of Victoria Can Tho Resort and a keen birder. 

WorldBirdFestivalinChauDoc 


BirdLife International in Indochina News release, October 5, 2006 

In an effort to promote an interest in the environment in general, and in birds in particular, a visit was organized to Tra 

Su forest near Chau Doc, An Giang Province in October 7, 2006 as a part BirdLife’s World Bird Festival 2006. The 

participants included local high school students, members of the press, and employees of the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel. 

For the students, it was their first visit to Tra Su, and they enjoyed seeing birds, bats, lizards and snakes close-up. Bird 

highlights included Asian Openbill Storks, numerous recently fledged Little Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, and 

Oriental Darters. 

During a boat trip through Tra Su, the students had time to ask Mr. Hanno Stamm, General Manager of the Victoria Can 

Tho Resort, and a keen birdwatcher, many questions about birds and nature. 

Mr. Stamm commented: “The idea is to show the younger generation in particular their natural heritage, and to 

persuade them to think about how it can be conserved. Not only are children our future, they are also the future 

generation who must understand the need to make greater efforts now to protect Vietnam’s environment and bird life 

for the future. I think that today the young people here became aware of the wonders that exist on their door step, and 

I hope that this will kindle an interest in their environment”. 

“I do hope to make this excursion an annual event, with the help of Victoria Hotels and Resorts, as we are committed to 

protecting the environment of Vietnam country”, he added. 

Students, on their first visit to Tra Su 

Photo: Hanno Stamm, Victoria Can Tho Resort 

Tra Su has a roost of Flying Foxes 

Photo: Hanno Stamm, Victoria Can Tho Resort 

BirdLife International in Indochina News release, October 16, 2006


ImportantBirdAreasandPotentialRamsarSitesinAsiaLaunched 

inVietnam 

Front cover of the Book 

Source: BirdLife 


On 19 th October 2006, as part of World Bird Festival 2006, the BirdLife 

International-Vietnam Programme held a launch for “Important Bird Areas 

and Potential Ramsar Sites in Asia”. The launch was attended by 

representatives from a number of international and national institutions 

active in wetland conservation in Vietnam, including the Vietnam 

Environmental Protection Agency (VEPA), the national administrative 

authority for the Ramsar Convention in Vietnam. 

The book describes 1,111 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in 28 Asian 

countries and territories that meet criteria for Wetlands of International 

Importance (Ramsar Sites). At least one IBA was identified as a potential 

Ramsar Site in each country and territory. A total of 144 Ramsar Sites had 

been designated by the Contracting Parties within Asia, as of August 2005. 

Of these, 123 (85%) overlap with one or more IBAs. Some of the Ramsar 

Contracting Parties in the Asia region have designated more than 20% of 

their potential Ramsar Sites, including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Mongolia, 

Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand. However, Vietnam, Indonesia, 

Myanmar, and South Korea have designated less than 5% of their 

potential sites. Eight countries and territories in the region are not yet 

Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention, and it was recommended 

that they accede to it and begin the process of designating some of their 

potential Ramsar Sites. 

As for Vietnam, 27 of 63 IBAs meet Ramsar site criteria, but so far only 

two IBAs have been designated as Ramsar Sites, namely Xuan Thuy 

National Park (Nam Dinh Province) and Bau Sau Lake, Cat Tien National 

Park (Dong Nai Province). 

“This publication is a small contribution by the BirdLife International Asian 

Partnership in facilitating the identification, designation and protection of 

more wetlands areas in Asia which meet Ramsar criteria for birds. We hope it will support active participation by 

Vietnam to the Ramsar Convention as this book indicates a further 25 potential Ramsar Sites in Vietnam”, Mrs Pham 

Tuan Anh, BirdLife Vietnam Programme Manager, said. 

Mrs Pham Viet Hong, representative of VEPA, said: “This publication will be an important reference document for the 

proposal of new Ramsar sites in Vietnam. In addition, we strongly believe that with its solid experience in study of birds 

and wetlands areas, BirdLife International, and the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme in particular, will make an 

important contribution to Vietnam’s implementation of the conservation and wise-use of wetlands”. She added that 

VEPA needs support from organizations and individuals in efforts for conservation and sustainable management of 

wetlands in Vietnam, especially in view of VEPA’s commitment to designate at least five new Ramsar sites before 2008. 

BirdLife International in Indochina News release, November 2, 2006 

ThailandMayDelayControversialDamProjectinMyanmar 

Piyasvasti Amranand, Thailand’s energy minister is considering a move to refocus the country’s hydropower projects 

from Myanmar to Laos, according to a source close to the minister. The projects in Myanmar, including the Tasang dam, 

are just plans at the moment that need more time for discussion by the cabinet, not only by the ministry, the source 

said. These projects are being cited as the reason for record foreign investment in Myanmar, which stands at more than 

US $6 billion for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, according to a recent Associated Press report. 

Thailand invested $6.03 billion in energy sector projects—mainly for the 7,100-megawatt Tasang hydropower plant on 

Myanmar’s Salween River in southern Shan State. Thailand has also invested in the 3,000-megawatt Namtoen 2 power 

plant in Laos, which is expected to be online by the end of 2006 and provide electricity to Thailand over a 25-year 

period. The Namtoen 2 plant will soon be operational, and therefore may constitute a better focus for Thailand’s energy 

efforts, according to the ministry source.


Environmental and human rights activists called on the Thai government in September to withdraw their support for the 

Salween project, claiming the work would displace thousands of households and permanently damage the local 

environment. An agreement on the Salween project was reached last April between Thailand’s MDX construction 

company and the Ministry of Energy’s department of hydroelectric power, under deposed Prime Minister Thaksin 

Shinawatra’s cabinet. But activists are still concerned that the project will go forward even if the Thailand’s interim 

government revokes its investment. 

Sai Sai, a coordinator of Saleween Watch, said the environmental activist group has discussed a new campaign against 

the project in November, but that they are waiting to see how the interim government will proceed. The Salween project 

is expected to take 15 years to complete, at a cost of $6 billion. 


The Irrawaddy, October 18, 2006 

TonkinSnubnosedMonkey RhinopithecusavunculusinChamChu 

NatureReservesufferfurtherdecline 

During a recent survey in Cham Chu Nature Reserve, Tuyen Quang Province, Vietnam, there was no sighting of the 

Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Rhinopithecus avunculus. Based on field data and interview information it was concluded 

that the population of Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey in the reserve is declining rapidly and that only a small group of 8-12 

individuals exists in the U Tum and Khau Sang areas. 

A major threat to Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey and other wildlife in this area is hunting pressure. Researchers could hear 

from 3 to 10 gunshots daily. The numbers of gunshots depended on the area and the amount of moonlight. Evidence 

was acquired that a Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey was killed recently in the Cham Chu Nature Reserve. 

Another threat to Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey habitat is habitat destruction. In some areas, forest was replaced by 

orange farms and other crops up to 600 m in elevation. Illegal logging and non-timber forest product collection were 

ongoing in the surveyed areas. No reliable evidence of the presence of Francois’ Leaf Monkey T. f. francoisi was found 

during the survey and the existence of this species in the reserve remains to be confirmed. Local reports from Ban Hiep 

suggest there may be a group of 15 individuals in the Khau sang area. Other mammal densities appear to be very low in 

Cham Chu Nature Reserve. Only seven of the 18 species recorded were seen during surveys and the rest were noted 

from tracks, feeding signs, and reliable reports. 

Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Rhinopithecus avunculus at Khau Ca. Photo: Dong 

Thanh Hai 

Dong Thanh Hai et al, Forestry University of Vietnam, Department of Wildlife Management, July 2006


Moreevidencefor twospeciesofHwamei 

A molecular analysis of Hwamei Garrulax canorus supports recognition of at least two species within this taxon 1 , Chinese 

Hwamei G. canorus and Taiwanese Hwamei G. taewanus, hot on the heels of similar recommendations in a paper 

reported in Babbler 19 2 . These studies are both much needed and, by helping our understanding of systematics and 

biogeography in Asia, will facilitate efficient prioritisation of scarce conservation resources. 

Subspecies of Hwamei have been described from central and southern China and northern Indochina (G. c. canorus), 

Hainan (G. c. owstoni), and Taiwan (G. c. taewanus). During the last glacial peak, all of these areas were connected by 

land but temperate broadleaf forest was restricted to areas in south and central China, and the north of Taiwan. Habitat 

separation at this time was probably the cause of differentiation between G. c. canorus and G. c. taewanus. G. c. 

owstoni was probably isolated from mainland populations on Hainan later, during sea level rise after the last glaciation, 

and so only has a smaller degree of differentiation 2 . 

Mainland or Hainan Hwamei introduced into Taiwan for the wild bird trade, and subsequently released or escaped, could 

pose a serious threat if they hybridise with Taiwanese Hwamei. Research into the frequency of this is a priority 2 . 

1 Shou-Hsien Li, Jing-Wen Li, Lian-Xian Han, Cheng-Te Yao, Haitao Shi, Fu-Min Lei and Chungwei Yen (2006) Species 

delimitation in the Hwamei Garrulax canorus. Ibis 148: 698-706. 

2 Collar, N. J. (2006) A partial revision of the Asian babblers (Timaliidae) Forktail 22: 85-112. 

ImportanceoflimestonekarstinSouthEastAsia 


John Pilgrim, Conservation Advisor, BirdLife International 

Anyone who has spent time in northern Vietnam, for example around Cuc Phuong National Park, may have been 

stunned by the scale at which the spectacular limestone karst or outcrops are being removed for production of cement – 

the major threat to this ecosystem. With the rapid rate of construction in the country, even this is not yet enough to 

satisfy domestic demand for cement. This issue is not restricted to Vietnam, but also many other parts of South East 

Asia, with Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam having protected the least limestone karst habitat 1 . 

Because of the amount of attention paid in the region to widespread (if rare) lowland forest species such as tigers and 

elephants, it is often forgotten that limestone karst areas contain high numbers of species with very restricted 

distributions. A recent paper 2 highlights this intrinsic biodiversity value of limestone karst, points out the paucity of 

research on these ecosystems, quantifies the scale of the threats, and also suggests that these rugged outcrops are 

serving an important role as ‘arks’ of biodiversity that previously occurred more widely in the region and could thus – if 

conserved – play an important role in restoring ecosystem functioning in the future. Indeed, karst systems even now 

provide an important ecosystem service by regulating water flow – when removed, rainfall more quickly reaches 

underground streams and is then lost to the sea rather than slowly being released to surrounding natural habitats or 

agriculture. 

1 

Day MJ, Urich PB. 2000. An assessment of protected karst landscapes in Southeast Asia. Cave and Karst Science 27: 

61–70. 

2 

Clements, R., Sodhi, N. S., Schilthuizen, M. and Ng, P. K. L. (2006) Limestone Karsts of Southeast Asia: Imperiled 

Arks of Biodiversity. BioScience 56 (9): 733-742. 

John Pilgrim, Conservation Advisor, BirdLife International


TheHanoiEnvironmentalEducationProject(HEEP): 

2006inaNutshell 

Introduction 

Since its launch in 2001, HEEP has been working with more 

then 20 primary and lower secondary schools in Hanoi to 

develop contents, methodologies and educational tools for 

innovative Environmental Education. HEEP is based at the 

Hanoi Retraining College for Teachers and Educational 

Managers (HRCTEM), a branch of the Hanoi Education and 

Training Department (HETD) and receives support from the Flemish 

Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance (VVOB). 

The project aims to provide in-service training for teachers and principals to 

help give environmental awareness a more central position in the curriculum of 

Hanoi’s education system. Crucial to HEEP’s methodology is a clear choice not 

only to focus on the transfer of knowledge, but also to pay sufficient attention 

to methodological and pedagogical aspects of EE. 

Overview 2006 

With the aim to strengthen capacities of schools, HEEP has been preparing and 

planning for the third phase since the beginning of 2006. Prioritizing and 

ensuring the effective use of the available resources, HEEP chooses to invest in 

the quality of its work and to that end intensifies its support in a small number 

of schools. Mini-projects, are now well underway in 3 primary schools and 2 

lower secondary schools. Each mini-project has a specific scope and strategy and schools take the main responsibility in 

their design and implementation. Different topics are: the development of an eco-garden, the establishment of a waste 

corner, and the strengthening of environmental clubs. The mini-projects aim at approaching EE more holistically and 

integrated in the community, the school and in the curriculum of the learners. In the first week of October about twenty 

people took part in a training course that aimed at establishing awareness on some basic aspects of the development of 

EE and the projects. From November onwards, and up until the end of the school year schools will design, implement 

and evaluate their project’s activities and work together on the design of a manual for teachers and principals. During 

the different stages of the projects’ development, the schools are assisted by a coach, a team responsible for the 

training and a number of experts on different topics related to EE. 

In the second quarter, a teaching EE-week was organized to mobilize schools involved in HEEP. The best examples of 

integrated and extra-curricular EE were selected, are now being edited, and will be distributed to the schools in Hanoi 

and other interested stakeholders in EE. This manual will be available in the last quarter of 2006. In close collaboration 

with PanNature, a local NGO based in Hanoi, a manual was developed to reach out to those who wish to develop EE 

using an experiential approach. This manual will also be available in the last quarter of 2006. 

Recently also, a fieldtrip to Halong Bay was organized, and in November HEEP will participate in conference organized 

by VVOB and the Centre for Experiential Education of Leuven University. Different VVOB-projects, both working in the 

field of EE and in other education related fields in Asia, Africa and Latin America will participate and share ideas and 

experiences on their educational work. 

Toon De Bruyn, Coordinator Hanoi Environmental Education Project, Flemish Association for Development Cooperation 

and Technical Assistance – Hanoi Retraining College for Teachers and Educational Managers 


HEEP 

c/o HRCTEM 

Cua Bac 67b 

Hanoi 

Tel: +84-4-7340807 

www.heep.edu.vn 

gdmoitruong@yahoo.co.uk


ColonyofChineseEgretsFoundinShangdongProvince 

An important new breeding colony of around 100 pairs of Chinese 

Egrets Egretta eulophotes has been discovered off the Shandong 

coast of China, thanks to seabird survey work funded by a British 

Birdwatching Fair/RSPB Research Fund for Endangered Birds grant. 

Researchers Qiao Yi-lun and Liu Yang of the Beijing Bird Watching 

Society came across the egrets amongst large breeding colonies of 

Black-tailed Gulls Larus crassirostris on the tiny (13.2 ha) island of 

Hailü Dao, which lies 1.6 km north-east of Rongcheng City, 

Shangdong. Images of the adult birds, their nests, eggs and chicks 

were recorded. According to local people, the egrets first nested on 

the island in 2001 and have been increasing in numbers ever since. 

Chinese Egrets breed only on small offshore islands in Russia, the 

Korean peninsula and mainland China, and winter in Hong Kong, 

Macao, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and elsewhere in South-East 

Asia. 

With a world population estimated at 2,600–3,400 pairs, the species is classified as Vulnerable. The new colony 

represents a significant percentage of this total, indicating the significant conservation value of the island, which is a 

famous location amongst wildlife photographers. 

Although currently unprotected, egg collecting is strictly prohibited on Hailü Dao, and there are no permanent 

settlements on the island. 

Lenya:Myanmar’sHiddenTreasure 


BirdLife International, December 13, 2006 

Deep in the interior of Tanintharyi Division in southern Myanmar are the forests of Lenya and Ngawun. These forests are 

one of the top global priorities for conservation, rich in endangered wildlife but currently unprotected. They are truly 

Myanmar’s hidden treasure but time to ensure their protection is running out. 

Male Gurney’s Pitta Pitta gurneyi. 

Photo: Kanit Khanikul/Friends of Gurney's Pitta 

The colony of Chinese Egrets on Hailü Dao, 

China. Photo: Qiao Yi-lun 

The lowland forests of southern Tanintharyi Division 

have been identified by Myanmar and international 

scientists as a global conservation priority because 

they support many wildlife species that are threatened 

with extinction or are found nowhere else on Earth. 

Lowland forest is one of the world’s most biologically 

diverse yet fastest disappearing forest types. Amongst 

the species found in Lenya is a species of bird, the 

Critically Endangered Gurney’s Pitta Pitta gurneyi. 

When a species is listed as Critically Endangered it 

means there is a very real risk of the species becoming 

globally extinct in the near future. The Gurney’s Pitta 

was first discovered in the lowland forests of southern 

Myanmar in the 19 th Century. It is also found in much 

smaller numbers in neighboring Thailand. The Gurney’s 

Pitta has become so rare is because of the almost total 

destruction and conversion of lowland forests in 

southern Thailand and Myanmar to oil palm and rubber 

estates. Once the habitat of a species has gone its 

extinction is assured. Fortunately, Myanmar, unlike 

Thailand, still retains significant areas of lowland forest and Lenya and Ngawun support the largest remaining numbers 

of Gurney’s Pitta on Earth. 

“Conserving Lenya/Ngawun is not just about saving a pretty little bird species from extinction,” said Jonathan Eames, 

Programme Manager for BirdLife International, “The issue is far greater than that: Gurney’s Pitta is an emblem for the


plight facing lowland forests in Myanmar. Protecting Lenya/Ngawun as a national park will conserve many other species 

for which the forests of Myanmar were once famous but have now become rare because of over-hunting and forest 

destruction. The forests of Lenya/Ngawun also support one of the two most important remaining Tiger populations in 

Myanmar as well as Elephants and Asian Tapir” added Eames. 

No fully representative example of the lowland forests of southern Myanmar is currently contained within the national 

protected areas system. Plans do exist to establish Lenya National Park but the process of formal gazettement for 

inclusion in the protected areas system of Myanmar appear stalled. However, the currently proposed park boundaries 

contain mostly hill forest, excluding critical lowland forest habitats. In early 2004 BirdLife International and local partner 

the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) identified a 50,000 ha area of lowland forest at Ngawun, 

adjacent to but outside the proposed Lenya National Park boundaries, and jointly believe this lowland forest should be 

set aside for conservation within the framework of an expanded Lenya National Park. 

“The choice is not between conservation and development as many mistakenly believe,” says Eames, “but conservation 

for development.” He adds, “The key to sustainable economic growth in the region is rational land-use planning. 

Establishing Lenya National Park will contribute to regional economic development by conserving an important 

watershed, vital for maintaining the water supplies to neighboring oil palm estates. The eco-tourism potential of this 

area is also huge and totally untapped.” 


BirdLife International in Indochina News release, November 30, 2006 

CambodiaAnnouncesProtectionofBengalFloricanHabitat 

The area will cover over 30,000 ha 

near the Tonle Sap lake. 

Photo: Allan Michaud 

The Government of Cambodia has made a significant step towards protecting 

important habitat for the Bengal Florican Eupodotis bengalensis. In an effort to 

save this Endangered flagship species from extinction, more than one hundred 

miles of grassland habitat is to be set aside as Integrated Farming and 

Biodiversity Areas (IFBAs). 

Restricted to tiny fragments of grassland scattered across Cambodia, Nepal 

and India, the Bengal Florican — the world’s rarest bustard — is known to have 

become increasingly threatened by land conversion for intensive agriculture, 

particularly from dry-season rice production. Cambodia, estimated to have 

fewer than 1,000 individuals, holds the world’s largest population of floricans. 

Surveys in spring of this year highlighted the disappearance of grassland 

habitat in Kampong Thom and Siem Reap provinces, as a key reason behind 

the decline in Bengal Floricans. The florican has suffered enormous declines 

because of large-scale changes in agricultural techniques that have occurred 

throughout South-East Asia. The surveys were undertaken by BirdLife 

International alongside the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the University 

of East Anglia (UK), the Wildlife Protection Office and the Department of Nature Conservation and Parks, both 

government organisations. 

The surveys highlighted the importance of traditional agricultural practices – grazing, burning and scrub-clearance – in 

ensuring populations of floricans can be sustained. This led to successful proposals for the designation of IFBAs – 

Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas. 

"By incorporating and promoting suitable agricultural techniques, we have a sustainable option for 

ensuring the Bengal Florican can still exist in this region” —Jonathan Eames, BirdLife Indochina Programme 

Manager 

“Bengal Floricans thrive in habitats that are also used by local communities for a range of crucial livelihood activities. 

Indeed, without human use, much of the habitat would probably become unsuitable." said Jonathan Eames, BirdLife 

Indochina Programme Manager. "Rapid agricultural change driven by larger investors is harming the birds and also has 

impacts on local smallholders. By incorporating and promoting suitable agricultural techniques, we have a sustainable 

option for ensuring the Bengal Florican can still exist in this region” 

The decision to set up the IFBAs has come from Nam Thum, the provincial governor of Cambodia’s Kampong Thom 

province, near Phnom Penh. The area will cover over 30,000 ha near the Tonle Sap lake. The decisions have been 

commended by BirdLife International and WCS. “We wholeheartedly applaud this decision and are encouraged that 

further areas may soon afford a similar status,” said Eames. 

IFBA proposals are being developed in three other nearby provinces, increasing the total number of floricans that can be 

conserved and widening the social benefits. 

BirdLife International, November 22, 2006


Important Bird Areas News 

RoadConstructionThreatensHponkanRaziWildlifeSanctuary, 

KachinState,Myanmar 

On a recent trip to Hponkan Razi Wildlife Sanctuary in the northern state of Kachin in Myanmar, we found road 

construction from Saengang village up towards Wasadum well underway. We spoke to a government engineer who had 

been camping in a lean-to of branches and plastic tarpaulins on a ridge top about halfway between the two villages. He 

told us that the government has plans to push the road through to the Mullar River beyond Ziyadum village to Chaung 

Camp. The rationale behind the road is to allow access to domestic and international tourists who want to see snow and 

mountains! Apparently, the road building has already been delayed a number of times by landslips and rain but good 

progress seems to be being made at present (November 2006). The unmade road is narrow and very unstable in many 

places with many very tight bends. It will surely be adversely affected again during the rainy season. 

The view from the Pass between Saengang and Ziyadum, 

looking towards Putao. Two weeks prior to this, the ridge 

had been just traversable on foot. Photo: Susan Myers 


A scar on the landscape. Photo: Susan Myers 

Susan Myers

20 BirdLife International in Indochina 

ContinuedDeclineofXuanThuyNationalPark 

Xuan Thuy may now be a national park and it may have a swanky new headquarters but a recent visit revealed just how 

much the quality and extent of the habitat in and surrounding the national park has declined over the last decade. When 

first established Xuan Thuy was famous for its large shrimp ponds where a low intensity aquaculture, dependent only on 

the nutrients carried by the incoming tide, was practiced. So large were the ponds that they were few in number and to 

the untrained eye, they almost appeared un-enclosed. Throughout the nineteen ninety’s these large ponds supported an 

extensive reed bed, probably the largest in northern Vietnam, which provided habitat for birds like the Great Bittern 

Botaurus stellaris and an impressive roost of harriers during the autumn. At this time the ponds also supported 

extensive stands of Kandelia candel and Sonneratia caseolaris mangroves, which provided cover for large flocks of 

wintering duck. 

Black-faced Spoonbills roosting on a shrimp pond bund in 

November 2006. Photo: J C Eames 


During the past decade however, the hand of man has 

also been at work intensifying the production of shrimp in 

the ponds. This has lead to the successive division and 

subdivision of shrimp ponds so that they are now much 

smaller with many more kilometres of embankment 

having been constructed. This has facilitated improved 

access and has lead to greater human disturbance. There 

are fewer traditional wattle and thatch houses and more 

of a permanent nature. There are more dogs and there 

are many more people about. As part of the 

intensification process the reed bed has now been totally 

destroyed and the areas of mangrove within the ponds 

has been significantly reduced. Although technically 

some of the areas affected lie outside the national park, 

they do lie within the Ramsar site so these changes are a 

cause for conservation concern. 

Above any other habitat, Xuan Thuy is famous for its 

vast areas of inter-tidal mud flats which support large 

numbers of migratory shorebirds. Here too there have 

been great changes which have been partially as a result of aforestation with Kandelia candel. Huge areas of mudflats, 

so important as feeding and roosting areas for the globally threatened Black-faced Spoonbills Platelea minor and 

Saunder’s Gulls Larus saundersi have been transformed into dense stands of mangrove. Numbers of wintering Blackfaced 

Spoonbills at Xuan Thuy have steadily declined over the last 15 years and it is more common now to find the 

small flock roosting on a shrimp-pond bund rather than out on the mudflats. Numbers of wintering Saunder’s Gulls are 

also now down and it’s a rare sight now to seen one quartering back and forth over the flats. 

The mudflats were not only important for birds but 

provided a cash income to poorer households who lacked 

adequate land for rice cultivation or could not enjoy the 

benefits of the modern aquaculture industry. Folk who 

were economically and spatially marginalized eked-out a 

living alongside the birds. But not any more. It is ironic 

that the funding that sponsored some of the planting of 

the mangrove and the mudflat destruction was 

undertaken by the Danish Red Cross with funding from 

Danida. Presumably it was not their intention to deny the 

poor a livelihood and transform a national park. Other 

funding for aforestation came from government 

programmes that the national park director was forced to 

draw upon because at that time the park was not 

receiving central government funding for its management. 

BirdLife’s involvement at this site has been a long one. In 

2007 we will review and evaluate our activities at this 

important site and consider whether it is indeed feasible to 

make a positive contribution to the management of this 

site. 

Jonathan C Eames Programme Manager 

Black-faced Spoonbills feeding on an open mudflat are 

now a rare sight at Xuan Thuy. Photo: J C Eames


Project updates 

BiodiversitySurveyStrengthensCaseforConservationofSiem 

PangIBA 

Western Siem Pang IBA is currently unprotected but threatened. BirdLife International and the Wildlife Protection Office 

(WPO) have been collaborating with local stakeholders since 2003 to initiate on-the-ground conservation management, 

using a community-based approach, focusing on the establishment of a Site-support Group at the site. Currently, this 

IBA is the subject of land claim by two large and powerful development companies who are attempting to either log the 

area or convert part of it to plantation. In recognition of its conservation importance BirdLife and WPO would like to see 

the area designated as a Protected Forest. An important step in the process to advance the designation of the site was 

taken during November and December when a biodiversity assessment by a team lead by Dr David Buckingham from 

the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB, Birdlife Partner in the UK) and Prach Pich Phirun BirdLife/WPO 

Project Officer was undertaken. 

Dr. David Buckingham (left), Prach Pich Phirun (at right with 

binoculars) and survey team members. Photo: J C Eames 


The biodiversity survey team spent 42 days 

engaged on a range of activities including 

mapping all trapeangs in the study area and 

undertaking the first biodiversity assessment 

of the semi-evergreen forests in the northern 

part of the IBA. During the survey about 220 

bird species, 21 species of mammals were 

recorded and 155 trapeangs were mapped. 

The team found Giant Ibis Pseudibis gigantea 

all across the area. White shouldered ibis 

Pseudibis davisoni and vultures appeared 

scarcer further away from the cattle grazing 

areas around Siem Pang and surrounding 

villages. Lesser Adjutants Leptoptilos 

javanicus were widespread and frequently 

encountered but Black-necked Stork 

Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus was recorded only 

twice. Access in to the semi-evergreen forest 

in the north of the study area was more 

difficult and the team finally cut a trail inland 

from the Sekong River to one of the higher 

hills and used that for surveying. Here the 

team recorded a good range of species, including several ground specialists: Hooded Pitta sordida and Eared Pittas Pitta 

phayrei, Scaly-breasted Partridge Arborophila chloropus and Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi which was quite common. 

The team also had a tantalizing, but unconfirmed sighting of an Arborophila partridge that looked like Orange-necked 

Partridge A. davidi. There were lots of good mammal signs on the north side of the O Khampa, including recent Tiger, 

Leopard, Sambar and Gaur footprints, plus a golden jackal. 

The O Khampa stream was found to have virtually intact gallery forest, though there was evidence of illegal monkey 

hunting, involving tree-felling. There were plenty of Giant Ibis along the O Khampa and the Sekong River to the north, 

plus Green Peafowl Pavo muticus, Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus and an otter-sp, possibly Smooth 

Otter. Vultures and White-shouldered Ibis occur but are much less frequent than around Siem Pang. New information 

was collected concerning exploitation of the forests for timber, NTFP, fishing, hunting and farming. The data all appear 

to show interesting relationships between grazing intensity and wildlife distribution. The next step is to complete the 

report and maps and use these as part of the supporting documentation to promote the notification of the site as a 

Protected Forest. 

Bou Vorsak, Prach Pich Phirun - BirdLife International Cambodia Programme


Conservation’sActivitiesUnderwayinLomphatWildlifeSanctuary 

Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) is located in the north-east of Cambodia covering an area of 2,500 km 2 across the 

provinces of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri. The south-west of LWS lies within Mondulkiri province covering Koh Nhek 

district, while the rest lies within Ratanakiri province covering Kon Mum and Lomphat districts. 

Heard of Gaur feeding in semi-evergreen forest of 

Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo by: LWS 

Rangers 


During rainy season, some parts of the sanctuary are flooded 

by the Srepork River and its tributaries. The sanctuary is 

bounded by 24 villages, ten of which lie partially or entirely 

within the sanctuary. The forest cover of the sanctuary is 

predominantly dry deciduous forest with patches semievergreen 

forest, bamboo and grassland. This habitat mosaic is 

characteristic of the Lower Mekong Dry Forest Eco-region which 

covers a large tract of northern and eastern Cambodia. The 

open dry dipterocarp forests are of high international 

conservation importance due to the continued presence of 

Tiger, Asian Elephant, Leopard, Gaur, Banteng and a host of 

other rare and endangered large mammals and birds such as 

Giant Ibis Pseudibis gigantea and Slender-billed vulture Gyps 

tenuirostris. LWS is one site in Cambodia where the Kouprey 

may still exist, but it is also the nesting site of the endangered 

Sarus Crane Grus antigone and home to a colony of Whiterumped 

Vultures Gyps bengalensis. 

With funding support from the MacArthur foundation, BirdLife International in collaboration with the Department of 

Nature Conservation and Protection (DNCP), Ministry of Environment, has recently begun implementing in Lomphat 

Wildlife Sanctuary a three-year project entitled “Completing protected area systems in priority landscapes in Cambodia 

and Vietnam”. The purpose of this project to support and strengthen the mandated authorities, to establish and manage 

representative protected areas that fill gaps in existing conservation coverage within priority landscapes and, thereby, 

contribute to the wider conservation of the landscape. 

The expected outcomes after the successful completion of this project include: 

Increased capacity of LWS staff to undertake conservation activities. 

Reduced incursion and poaching levels within LWS. 

Improved conservation management through development of an operational protected area management 

plan. 

Lessons learnt and shared with other initiatives in priority landscapes. 

Mr. Ung Sam Oeun (Project Officer) and Mr. By Seng Leang 

(Assistant Project Officer) were both assigned by DNCP to 

collaborate with BirdLife International Cambodia Programme 

Office to implement the project activities in LWS. Currently, 

there are 30 rangers who are under the direct supervision of the 

LWS director and his assistant, whose task it is to carry out 

management activities such as illegal activity prevention, 

biodiversity monitoring, collect data of species, and work with 

communities in and adjacent to the sanctuary boundary. 

As the project has only recently started, our project staff are 

very busy with the equipment, infrastructure, and training needs 

assessments, as well as undertaking a baseline assessment of 

poaching and incursion levels. It is expected that in first quarter 

of 2007, priority training need of LWS staff will be understood 

and training will then be undertaken. 

Rangers across Srepok River while conduct 

patrolling in LWS. Photo by: LWS Rangers 

Bou Vorsak, and Ung Sam Oeun – BirdLife International Cambodia Programme


RecordNumbersofWhiteshouldered IbisfoundbyBirdLifeand 

FAStaffinCambodia 

White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni 

photographed in western Siem Pang, 

Stung Treng Province on 4 November 

2006. Photo: J C Eames 

White-shouldered Ibis ever recorded anywhere in the species’ range. 


BirdLife International in Indochina and the Wildlife Protection Office (WPO) 

of the Forestry Administration (FA) recently recorded the largest ever 

flock of White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni, a bird species close to 

global extinction. This once again draws attention to the conservation 

importance of western Siem Pang District in Stung Treng Province, 

Cambodia. 

The White-shouldered Ibis is a large water-bird with most of the world 

population now found in Cambodia. The species survives in Indonesian 

Borneo but it is now extinct in Thailand and Vietnam. It probably lingers 

on in southern Laos and could yet be re-found in Myanmar. In 2001, 

BirdLife International, keepers of the IUCN list of bird species threatened 

with global extinction, estimated that the world population could be as low 

as 250 individuals, scattered mainly across the wetlands within the dry 

forests of northern and north eastern Cambodia, especially in Preah 

Vihear and Stung Treng provinces. 

In November 2005 the attention of conservationists worldwide was 

diverted to western Siem Pang District in Stung Treng Province when staff 

from BirdLife International in Indochina and from the WPO of the FA, 

recorded a flock of 70 White-shouldered Ibis. This was the largest flock of 

More recently, on 1 November 2006, BirdLife and WPO staff recorded a staggering 108 White-shouldered Ibis at two 

sites in western Siem Pang District. At the first site 28 birds were recorded in trees at a well known trapeang, one of the 

many forest wetlands that dot the landscape on which these birds depend. Later that day, many kilometres distant at 

another site in the southern part of the district, 80 White-shouldered ibis were counted coming into roost in the evening. 

Prich Phirun, WPO/BirdLife Project Officer said, “This is great news for the White-shouldered ibis! Because the two sites 

are so far apart, we think there is almost no chance of double-counting.” 

Although the species is found regularly breeding in a protected forest in Preah Vihear Province, it has not been found in 

significant numbers in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries elsewhere. This is of great concern to conservationists 

because it means that, with most of the global population found in Cambodia, it is vulnerable to global extinction if a 

self-sustaining population is not identified and conserved. So, once again, the attention of conservationists focuses on 

western Siem Pang District, where forests and wetlands are unprotected and vulnerable to degradation and destruction. 

BirdLife and WPO staffare currently working with 

local communities to monitor wildlife populations 

and to promote improved management of 

trapeangs in western Siem Pang However, these 

actions cannot prevent conversion of the forest 

lands to other uses, such as logging or growing 

plantations. Such conversion would be disastrous 

for local people and wildlife, as they are both 

dependent on the forest and the wetlands. 

Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager for BirdLife 

International in Indochina, added “On the available 

evidence, western Siem Pang District is the single 

most important site in the world for the Whiteshouldered 

Ibis. As we learn more about the area 

we find more and more White-shouldered Ibis. 

What we don’t understand yet is why this area 

appears to be so important for the species. The 

possibility must also exist that there are good 

numbers elsewhere too but this has not yet been 

borne out by the evidence. Conservationists are A flock of White-shouldered Ibis take flight. Photo: J C Eames 

working, for example, throughout Mondulkiri 

Province but are not finding the ibis. Given our current state of knowledge the conservation money must go on western 

Siem Pang. BirdLife believes that the establishment of a Protected Forest would be the best first course of action for the 

conservation of this species.” 

BirdLife International in Indochina News release, November 13, 2006


DesignationofKampongTrachSarusCraneConservationArea 

DrawsCloser 

As part of the process to ultimately designate Kampong Trach as a Sarus Crane Conservation Area a provincial 

stakeholder workshop entitled The results of Sarus Crane and other bird species conservation in Kampong Trach IBA 

and future conservation objectives, was held on 9 October 2006 in Kampot provincial town. The BirdLife and FA staff 

attending reported on wildlife management and conservation activities implemented by BirdLife since 2004 and 

exchanged ideas and received comments for the establishment of Kampong Trach IBA as Sarus Crane conservation 

area. 

On 24 November 2006 the FA expert group Mr. Men Phymean, Director of Wildlife Protection Office in collaboration with 

the authorities of Kampot province, Kampong Trach district, Boeung Sala Khang Tboung and Prek Kreus communes, and 

relevant provincial agencies including the Departments of Land Management, Urban Planning, Construction and 

Cadastre; Agriculture; Water Resources and Meteorology; Tourism; Fisheries Office, and Site-support group members 

conducted a mission to the site and discussed the points raised by the participants, in particular the Kampot provincial 

governor, during 9 October 2006 workshop. Following the workshop and consultations, a report will be finalized and 

submitted soon to MAFF for the establishment of the proposed Kampong Trach Sarus Crane Conservation Area. 

The expert group study the site and the potential socio-economic impacts of establishing Kampong Trach Sarus Crane 

Conservation Area. Photo: Uong Seth and Seng Kim Hout 


Bou Vorsak, and Seng Kim Hout– BirdLife International Cambodia Programme 

Deikatoestablish4,636haIFBA at ChikrengIBAtobesignedin 

December 

Following the signing of a provincial decree (Deika) designating 31,834 ha as Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas 

(IFBAs) in Kampong Thom Province by the provincial governor on 31 August 2006, rapid progress is now being made to 

secure a Deika for an IFBA at Chikreng IBA in Siem Riep Province. 

On 4 December 2006, a discussion meeting was held in Siem Reap provincial town chaired by H.E Chan Sophal, Siem 

Reap Deputy Governor, which included participants from the relevant provincial departments to discuss the 

establishment of Chikreng IBA as an IFBA. As a result the participants in particular together with the governor strongly 

supported the idea and agreed to establish an IFBA with an area of 4,636 ha in Chkireng district, Siem Reap Province. 

The next step, scheduled for December 2006, will be for the signing of the Deika to be signed and for the establishment 

of a provincial committee to implement IFBA management and conservation activities.


The BirdLife, WCS, FA team consult with provincial stakeholders in Chikreng district 2006. Photo: Duong Saroeun 


Bou Vorsak, Than Thara and Seng Kim Hout– BirdLife International Cambodia Programme 

VicepresidentofFondationEnsemble visits Chikreng 

Madame Delia-Brémond the Vice-president of Fondation Ensemble visited Chikreng IBA 

and met with WCS and CEDAC representatives in Speant Thnot commune. Photo: J C 

Eames 

On 16 December BirdLife 

hosted a visit by Madame 

Delia-Brémond the Vicepresident 

of Fondation 

Ensemble who are currently 

considering whether to support 

the BirdLife/WCS/FA proposal 

to establish IFBAs in the Ton 

Le Sap floodplain. During her 

one-day visit Madame Delia- 

Brémond met with members of 

the Chikreng SSG before going 

on to meet with 

representatives of CEDAC. 

Jonathan C Eames 

Programme Manager


SpiritExorcismandFestivalresolveConflict 

atChuYangSinNationalPark 

Following bad luck relief and reconciliation ceremonies held by M’Nong relating to the forest protection at Chu Yang Sin 

National Park (CYS NP), in April and May 2006, a number of people from S’Ruong and Bong Krang communes flocked to 

the forest in CYS NP to log Po’mu Fokienia hodginsii. Although this is an illegal activity it has been encouraged by local 

Kinh timber traders. In order to control the situation, the rangers of CYS NP have recently experienced many sleepless 

nights. Once in hot pursuit, the illegal logger was injured in a tussle with the rangers. Since then there has been conflict 

between the rangers and the people of S”Ruong village. Local people have attacked the park’s forest protection staff in 

the Guard Station No.7 in Bong Krang, Lak District with the aim of seeking compensation for the injured man who was 

hospitalized for treatment. Since then, there has been an increased strain in the relationship between the community 

and the park’s rangers. Despite a number of meetings between the local authority and the S”Ruong Community and 

with CYS NP there has been no satisfactory results. 

According to the village’s customary law, the injured man has faced bad luck which needs to be exorcized in order to 

prevent the entire village from suffering such bad luck. It is believed by the M’Nong that a forest spirit caused the bad 

luck and this will spread to the whole village without a reconciliation ceremony, and that the ceremony should be 

executed by the victim with villagers present to bare witness. 

One day in September 2006, a forest protection staff member was arrested by the local people when he went to 

S”Ruong Village. This arrest was aimed at requesting the compensation for the injured man from the previous fighting. 

The CYS NP director together with the local authority had to meet with village officials including the head of the village, 

and village patriarch in order to settle this matter. The meeting was very stressful with the local people surrounding he 

officials. Finally, a solution was arrived at in compliance with the village’s customary law as follows: the costs for both 

bad luck relief ceremony and reconciliation ceremony shall be covered by CYS NP. All relevant information will be 

recorded in the village’s book kept by the head of the village which included the following information: 

Costs for ceremonies: 

Offerings for bad luck relief: a dog valued at VND 200.000 

Offerings for reconciliation ceremony: a five-span-long pig costing VND 1,000,000, two jars of wine costing VND 

100,000 and the payment of VND 100.000 for a village prayer to be recited. 

Total amount: VND 1,400,000 (c. US $ 100) 

The date for the offering ceremonies in the witness of the villagers, the commune’s and village’s and the national park 

was agreed and recorded in an agreement, and was signed by both sides. 

Following the signing, things seemed to be going well. The local people believed all bad luck would be dispelled. 

Everyone felt relieved. Mr Linh, Director of CYS NP said happily “It turned out to be very simple but nobody told me 

about this before. This is a valuable experience in working with the local community. It is quite true as the saying goes 

“Imperial power bends to suit rural customs”. 

As indicated by the agreement a ceremony was held. The atmosphere in S’Ruong Village seemed like a festival. All 

offerings were beautifully displayed. Besides the main offerings, each villager attending the ceremony brought a small 

bag of rice, green vegetables and pumpkins with them. After the offering ceremony, the head of village and village 

patriarch happily stated “now we have got a better understanding about each other, and we are willing to be together to 

protect the trees in the forest, to take clean water for a bath, for cooking and today we all become a family”. The stilt 

house was filled with the cheers and laughter. The park’s director shook hands with “the man of bad luck” as witnessed 

by the local people in S’Ruong Commune. Everyone enjoyed the wine, and best wishes were extended between the 

villagers and the staff of CYS NP. 


Le Trong Trai, Senior Programme Officer, BirdLife International Vietnam Programme 

NewBirdLife/BANCAProject for NatmataungNationalPark 

Natmataung National Park covers a mountain ridge that extends through Kanpetlet, Mindat and Matupi Townships, and 

represents the last stand of rich, extant forest in the area. Little thick forest is left in and beyond the buffer zone, and 

this land is quickly degrading. Nearby communities are drawn into the park area to meet some of their needs for forest 

products. Communities in this area are food-insecure subsistence farmers, and most households are able to grow only 

enough food for a six months supply for the family from their shifting cultivation plots. As populations grow, land


becomes less available, and fallow periods are no longer long enough to sustain soil fertility. During the village 

discussions, farmers stated that agricultural yields have halved in some areas over the last 20 years. As a result, 

communities are falling into a cycle of rice debt, and becoming dependent on high-value resources collected from the 

forest, such as orchids and tubers, and fuel-wood. Increased areas of shifting cultivation are encroaching on the park, 

and contributing to the spread of wildfires. These practices are destructive to the IBA, as they cause human 

disturbance, encroachment of agriculture, severe fire damage, and destruction of resources such as when trees may be 

cut to access orchids on higher branches. 

BANCA began working with the SSGs in 2004 under agreements signed in each village with the SSG. Under these 

agreements, the SSG promises that villagers will monitor encroachment on the park in the village area. In the past, 

BANCA informally agreed to provide livelihood inputs in exchange for these promises. There are altogether six SSGs, 

one in each of each of six villages in and around Natmataung National Park. These SSGs are village-based conservation 

organizations that support Natmataung National Park. The SSGs have no legal status but are respected by and 

cooperate with the staff of the national park. In Myanmar, the status of community-based organizations is difficult to 

formalize. 

The experience of BANCA to date with six village-based site support groups is that when communities are engaged in 

patrolling areas of the park themselves, the incidence of incursions on the forest are sharply reduced. The park warden 

and staff have little resources for enforcement of encroachment on the park, and until recently felt that it would be 

unfair to sanction villagers for trying to achieve subsistence livelihoods. The park management has for many years been 

appealing to aid agencies to bring livelihood development and food security to the villages around the park, but due to 

serious dearth of livelihood assistance programs in Myanmar, this help did not arrive until last year. Now, both 

UNDP/CDRT and CARE Myanmar are working with local communities for livelihoods development. Before then, the only 

help was from BANCA, which had only enough resources to cover six villages in the park IBA and its buffer zone. 

BANCA’s new strategy is to provide conservation inputs while partners provide livelihood inputs. This partnership 

approach will avoid replication in the field, and make effective use of all project inputs. Under this TMF project the 

livelihood inputs are being provided by partner organizations who will encourage the villagers to comply with these 

agreements in order to promote sustainable development of the area. There is no national network of SSGs, but under 

this TMF funding, BANCA will facilitate links between SSGs around the park. With this approach, communities work 

toward developing permanent farming systems as an alternative to shifting cultivation. Permanent farming systems will 

require less extensive areas of land, and less burning, thus taking pressure from encroachment of parkland and fire 

damage. This project result will be achieved through the inputs of partner organizations UNDP/CDRT and CARE 

Myanmar. The sixteen villages targeted in the project include six villages that have already begun conservation 

monitoring and received livelihood inputs. Livelihood support for these villages will continue through partner 

organizations. 

As in the six village SSGs to date, this result will be achieved by agreements signed between SSGs (representing the 

village) and BANCA staff. The SSGs will agree to use conservation behavior, including an end to hunting and snaring in 

the park, protected against wildfires by cutting firebreaks around taungya fields before burning, and the establishment 

of monitoring teams. The monitoring teams will not be paid, but receive incentives in terms of equipment and crossvisits 

with other SSGs. Inclusion in a wider SSG network and opportunities for learning and sharing experience will be 

an important motivators for the monitoring teams. All project partners will encourage the SSGs to sign the agreements 

and engage in conservation behaviors, with the wider goal of sustainable development and conservation in Natmataung 

National Park area. Two international aid agencies are now providing livelihood inputs. As outlined above, the 

achievement of livelihood development objectives will be achieved largely by the inputs of partners UNDP and CARE 

Myanmar, whereas the achievement of conservation behaviors and monitoring objectives will be facilitated by BANCA. 

The national park staff will support these activities. Village-level Site Support Groups will join in this wider coalition, 

participating through cross-visits, exchanges and regular meetings of representatives of village-based SSGs with other 

stakeholders. Thus a broad-based Site Support Group Network will be created that includes different kinds and levels of 

stakeholders, all working toward the objective of conservation of the park. The Natmataung national Park staff are 

important stakeholders who will be engaged in helping train and support the village monitoring teams. These are 

government staff who lack resources, including a living wage, and therefore may suffer from low morale and motivation. 

The park staff will be supported with supplemental stipends and inclusion in the wider SSG network in order to help do 

their jobs effectively and with proper motivation. 

Now that the villages are receiving livelihoods assistance, park staff consider themselves justified in enforcing the 

restrictions on encroachments in and use of park resources. SSGs work closely with the park (government) staff 

through joint patrolling and reporting of findings of the monitoring teams. It is mainly through these links that the SSGs 

have a certain amount of influence on the local implementation of policies that affect conservation, development and 

land use in and around the park. SSGs are linked to international aid agencies, as most of the villages are receiving 

support from UNDP and/or CARE Myanmar. Many of the SSG members are also members of village CBOs (e.g. farmer 

interest groups or village development committees) that are responsible to effectively use the livelihood inputs of these 

organizations. By forging partnerships between BANCA and these livelihood development agencies, the SSGs will also 

become more strongly linked to international organizations. So far, the SSGs are village-based, with one in each village. 

Last year village SSGs participated in an exchange visit to share experiences and strengthen motivation and 

coordination. With the support of the TMF funding, these opportunities and forums for exchange of experience and ideas 

will be organized at least twice annually, to create a wider SSG network in villages in and around the park. To provide 

encouragement to monitoring teams and the SSG, park staff will accompany the teams on their rounds. Cross-visits and 

annual or six-monthly SSG meetings will be held with all SSGs to form a wider regional network of SSGs. This project 

The Babbler 20 – December 2006


result will help bring awareness to communities of the importance of conservation, and engage prominent community 

members in the enforcement of park rules. 

The greatest concern of the communities in and around the park is food security. Most people welcome the livelihood 

development support such as water supply and nurseries, and several villages have asked BANCA to engage with them 

in new projects. The local communities will thus be involved as beneficiaries of livelihood inputs, and as biodiversity 

conservation monitors, through local leadership committees (SSGs) and monitoring teams. It will be critical to link the 

livelihood support informally to conservation objectives and to this end, all project partners including INGOs will 

encourage the local communities to comply with conservation behaviours, conduct monitoring, and sign agreements 

with BANCA, in order to achieve sustainable development of the area. Livelihood assistance will create alternative 

income and food security sources to hunting and collection of NTFPs. These SSGs will continue to be supported by 

INGOs with livelihood inputs, and the project will work to link that livelihood support to conservation objectives. 


U Uga, Chairman, U Aung Kyaw and Khin Ma Ma Thwin, BANCA 

The first BirdLife/BANCA search for the Pink-headed Duck took place in April 2003, focusing on the Ayeyarwady River 

between Myitkyina and Bhamo towns, and nearby non-flowing wetlands, including the 96 Ins area. The second survey, 

in November 2003, focused on the ox-bow lakes along the Tanai River. The third survey, in December 2004, revisited 

these ox-bows, and also included Indawgyi Lake and River and the extensive grasslands of nearby Nawng Kwin. The 

fourth survey in November 2005, concentrated on the grasslands of the Kamaing area, the Mogaung Chaung (Mogaung 

River) and the Warazup area of Hukaung Tiger Reserve. Although these surveys received reports from local villagers, 

and included at least one tantalizing sighting of an unidentified duck species that could possibly have been Pink-headed 

Duck, the species’s continued existence remains unconfirmed. 

The latest search was undertaken by a 

BirdLife/BANCA team from the 30 November 

to 12 December 2006. This time the team 

returned to Nawng Kwin and surveyed the 

grasslands and oxbow lakes along the 

Indawgyi River. Although hampered by the 

early morning fog so typical of lowland areas 

of Kachin State during the winter, the team 

again conducted grassland searches from 

elephant-back. At one of the sites a local 

fisherman provided the best report yet 

suggesting that the species still exists. Villager 

Maung Maung reported that the species was 

shy and seldom flew from the grassland pools 

where he had seen it as recently as a month 

before the teams’ visit. He went on to say that 

he never saw the species on the nearby river 

and that it never associated with other species 

of duck. 

“These are the most convincing reports we 

have ever had,” said Jonathan C. Eames, 

Programme Manager for BirdLife International 

in Indochina, who added, “the habitat at this site remains extensive, however we will need a bigger search-effort if we 

are to comprehensively survey this area. If we can’t find the species at this site, which is the last great un-surveyed 

grassland in Kachin State, I doubt it’s continued existence there. We have found all the large waterbird species 

associated with these wetlands. Many of these are rare elsewhere within their ranges but in Kachin State they remain 

common. If the Pink-headed Duck is here why can’t we find it?” The team plans a follow-up survey later in 2007. 

 

 

PinkheadedDuckEludesLatestBirdLife/BANCASurvey 

A search team returns to camp after another fruitless days search in 

the Nawng Kwin grasslands. Photo: J C Eames 

BirdLife/BANCA search team


VultureResearchProjectLaunchedinMyanmar 

 

During early December a BirdLife/BANCA team conducted two vulture restaurants in northern Kachin State in part as 

training sessions for project staff Nay Moe Shwe, Win Aung, and Samyo Zaw. At the first restaurant held at Nawn Kwin 

on 5 and 6 December a total minimum of 55 vultures (20 Slender-billed Vultures Gyps tenuirostris [12 ads,8 juvs], 25 

White-rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis [17 ads, 8 juvs] and ten juvenile Himalayan Griffons Gyps himalayensis were 

recorded. The first restaurant was held in an area of fallow paddies over two days with the maximum vulture count on 

the second day. The second restaurant was held over three days on 8, 9 10 December along the Indawgyi River. Here a 

total minimum of 27 vultures (SBV 8, WRV 13 and 6 Himalayan Griffons [6 juvs]) were recorded on the second 

day. Young cows were used as bait both times. Hides consisted of bamboo frames covered in grass. The proportions of 

young birds at both restaurants was quite promising, with very good numbers of juv SBVs at the first. 

The team will work their way through Eastern Kachin and then Shan States between now and the New Year. They will 

then return to Yangon and fly back up to Mytkyina and work south-west through Kachin State and then Sagaing 

Division. During this period they propose to conduct 17 restaurants at intervals of at least 50 km to minimize doublecounting. 

The team plans to allocate up to three days per restaurant and to count for eight hours per day. They will also 

interview local people about the possible presence of colonies and check with local Veterinary departments and 

pharmacies regarding Diclofenac availability. In early March 2007 progress will be reviewed and a work plan for the next 

part of the project developed. 

In this photograph taken recently at a vulture restaurant in northern Kachin State, nine Slender-billed Vultures 

Gyps teniurostris Can be counted. The bird on the far left is a juvenile. Photo: J C Eames 


Jonathan C Eames Programme Manager


Spotlight organization 

Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) was established in 2000 as Vietnam’s first environmental education-focused 

local organization, built upon the success and experience of the community-based Conservation Awareness Program at 

Cuc Phuong National Park. ENV specializes in training environmental educators, and carries out a variety of educational 

programs and initiatives aimed at raising awareness and understanding about the environment, and the need to protect 

nature and wildlife in Vietnam. 

Mission 

Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) is Vietnam’s first non-governmental organization focused on conservation of nature 

and wildlife. ENV is comprised of a small group of experienced and highly dedicated young professionals, committed to 

making a difference. ENV’s mission is to foster greater understanding amongst the public about the need to protect 

Vietnam’s rich natural heritage and the living world around us. Through a creative and innovative approach to 

addressing key conservation and environmental issues, ENV aims to influence attitudes and behavior, and encourage 

greater public participation in this important and challenging task. 

ENV Activities and Programs 

Training for community-based environmental education practitioners 

ENV has carried out more than 18 major environmental education training courses for protected area staff and 

community stakeholder groups at parks and protected areas throughout Vietnam. During a typical ENV training course 

that generally lasts from a week to two months in length, trainees have the opportunity to gain important knowledge 

and skills about environmental education through a combination of work in the classroom and experience working in 

actual schools and villages. 

Community-based environmental education program 

ENV works with local partners to carry out community-based environmental education programs at parks and protected 

areas. ENV's education programs focus on community stakeholders (e.g. school children, residents of local communities 

and visitors) to raise the level of awareness regarding nature, the environment, and the need for local cooperation in 

protecting the park. The program included a variety of activities such as the development of Nature Clubs in schools 

bordering national parks or nature reserves; adult-focused programs administered at the village level; special program 

puppet show, student visits to the parks; and other activities in support of the school and village level programs. 

ENV Networking: Technical assistance and field support 

Through the Environmental Education Family Network, ENV provides resources and technical support to environmental 

education programs at parks and protected areas throughout Vietnam . In addition to producing a weekly news bulletin 

for educators, ENV also distributes educational resources, copies of relevant reports and provides ongoing technical 

input into a variety of programs in the field. 

Public awareness programs 

ENV works closely with journalists and the mass media to increase public awareness about key national environmental 

issues. A major focus of ENV's efforts has been on the illegal wildlife trade. More recently, ENV has initiated a campaign 

focused on protecting bears and has produced a public service announcement featuring a well-known pop star that aired 

on both provincial TV throughout the country. 



Green Forest Magazine and other resources 

ENV produces the ‘ Green Forest ' - a popular children's magazine that is distributed to the EE Family Network twice per 

year. Each issue focuses on an environmental topic and includes student contributions from around the country. In 

addition to Green Forest , other resources are produced that support ENVs education and awareness programs such as 

posters and illustrated stories. 

--------------------------------------------------- 

Education for Nature – Vietnam 

Office: No. 2/C5, Tap the Dai hoc Ngoai Thuong, Pho Chua Lang, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam 

Postal: P.O Box 222, Hanoi GPO, Vietnam 

Tel: ++84 (0)4 7753685 

Email: evn@fpt.vn 

Publication 

Front cover of the Book 

Source: BirdLife 

Book reviews 


Important Bird Areas and Potential Ramsar Sites in Asia, by M. J. 

Crosby and S. Chan, 2005 

The book describes 1,111 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in 28 Asian countries 

and territories that meet criteria for Wetlands of International Importance 

(Ramsar Sites). At least one IBA was identified as a potential Ramsar Site in 

each country and territory. A total of 144 Ramsar Sites had been designated 

by the Contracting Parties within Asia, as of August 2005. Of these, 123 (85%) 

overlap with one or more IBAs. Some of the Ramsar Contracting Parties in the 

Asia region have designated more than 20% of their potential Ramsar Sites, 

including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and 

Thailand. However, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, and South Korea have 

designated less than 5% of their sites. Eight countries and territories in the 

region are not yet Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention, and it was 

recommended that they accede to it and begin the process of designating 

some of their potential Ramsar Sites. 

As for Vietnam, 27 of 63 IBAs meet Ramsar site criteria, but so far only two 

IBAs have been designated as Ramsar Sites, namely Xuan Thuy National Park 

(Nam Dinh Province) and Bau Sau Lake, Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai 

Province). 

The Wild Animals of India, Burma, Malaya and Tibet 

R Lydekker (2005). Dehra Dun, Natraj. ISBN: 8181580346. 411 pages, illus. 

Originally published in 1907, the second edition of this book was authored by eminent 

naturalist and sportsman, R Lydekker. A bible on the study of wild animals in India and the 

neighbouring countries, this book is indispensable to the study of natural history in South 

Asia. Lydekker's writing is enthused by a deep fascination and interest for and in wildlife and 

related literature as his sightings are interspersed with lively snippets of information either 

form other popular texts of his time, through anecdotes or from personal experience. The 

book follows a remarkable and commendable accuracy on detailing information on several 

species, their history, distribution and habitat.


Mekong Region Water Resources Decision-making: National Policy and 

Legal Frameworks vis-à-vis World Commission on Dams Strategic 

Priorities 


Robert A. R. Oliver, Patricia Moore and Kate Lazarus, eds. (2006). IUCN, 

Bangkok, Thailand and Gland, Switzerland. ISBN: 2-8317-0919-9. x + 98 

pages 

The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (formerly the Agency for the 

Environment, Forests and Landscape) offered seed funding to support a proposed 

scoping study on the application of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) 

Strategic Priorities in the Mekong Region. With the Swiss contribution as seed 

funding, IUCN developed the framework for the research and analysis required 

for the country studies, secured a national expert to prepare the first draft of the 

China country study, and sought the remaining funding required to supplement 

the Swiss contribution. Studies were undertaken in five of the six Mekong Region 

countries: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. The objectives 

were: 

To analyze the extent to which existing national policies and 

legislation already support the ideas embodied in the WCD Strategic 

Priorities; and 

To suggest changes to the existing policy and legislative framework 

in each country that might improve water-related governance. 

The policy briefs presented in this volume were synthesized from the final versions of the national studies. In all 

countries, the formal frameworks are evolving. These policy briefs summarize current national frameworks with 

respect to the WCD Strategic Priorities. The policy briefs are not intended to be comprehensive analyses of the 

implementation of policies and legal instruments, and it is acknowledged that implementation in many cases needs 

to be strengthened. This project is the first, and to IUCN’s knowledge the only, in-depth study of regional 

agreements and national legislation in Mekong riparian countries and their relationship to the Strategic Priorities 

identified in the WCD Dams and Development Report, As such, it is a significant contribution both for its usefulness 

as a reference now and as a benchmark for future analysis. 

Southeast Asian Biodiversity in Crisis 

Aban Marker Kabraji, Regional Director, IUCN, Asia 

Navjot S Sodhi and Barry W Brook (2005). Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 

0521839300. 190 pages 

This publication of great relevance to the Indochina region is comprehensively reviewed 

elsewhere 1 , and so that review is summarized here. The reviewer points out that, although 

Latin America may be considered the most biodiverse continent, South East Asia holds the most 

threatened biodiversity and lags behind in conservation responses. The book first describes the 

state of biodiversity in the region. Next, the bulk of the book assesses threats in the region, 

with an understandable focus on deforestation. Other threats discussed include fire, hunting, 

trade, invasive species, climate change and disease. The book concludes by describing 

conservation responses in the region, a section that the reviewer acknowledges is weaker due 

to the high number of conservation reports from the region that are unfortunately not 

published, and are thus hard to access. Although the price of the book will put it beyond the 

reach of many, the reviewer hopes that it will provide powerful advocacy for the high 

conservation priority of the region. 

1 Brooks, T. (2006) Asian conservation priority. TREE 21 (9): 486-487. 

John Pilgrim, Conservation Advisor, BirdLife International


Staff news 

Vietnam Programme 

Nina Ksor 

Nina has joined the BirdLife International, Vietnam Programme team since 

November 2006. She is working as the Project Field Manager of “Integrating 

Watershed and Biodiversity Management in Chu Yang Sin National Park“ Project 

based in Krong Bong District, in Dak Lak Province. 

Nina has assumed responsibilities for representing the project in the field, 

providing day-to-day management and co-ordination of the project in the field, 

soliciting and coordinating technical support inputs from consultants and BirdLife 

staff, in order to ensure the high quality of the project outputs. 

From 1999 to June 2006, Nina worked in Danida’s Water Sector Programme 

Support - Rural water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) project in Dak Lak and Dak 

Nong provinces, as a Team Leader cum Community Health and Hygiene 

Education, IEC and Community Development. She graduated from Tay Nguyen 

Medical University in 1985, since then till 1999 Nina undertook the simultaneous 

teaching of Contagious Diseases subjects in the Faculty of Medicine at Tay Nguyen University and as a Clinician in Dak 

Lak provincial hospital, Department of contagious diseases. In August 2004, Nina received a Master of International 

Health at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. 

As a local resident in Dak Lak province, and with the technical support from BirdLife, Nina expects to raise the 

awareness of Dak Lak‘s community for a much more effective management of the spectacular Chu Yang Sin National 

Park. 

Cambodia Programme 

Ung Sam Oeun 

Ung Sam Oeun has been officially working as Counterpart- Project 

Officer for Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary project for BirdLife International 

– Cambodia Programme Office since November 2006. Sam Oeun also 

works for government as Vice Chief of National Parks and Wildlife 

Sanctuary Office, Department of Nature Conservation and Protection. 

With more than ten years working experience in the field of nature and 

wildlife conservation with government and non government 

organizations and holding Bachelor of Science, Engineer of Agronomy, 

Sam Oeun, is well qualified to play a key role in this important new 

project. 


Seng Leang 

Seng Leang was assigned by DNCP to join BirdLife International- 

Cambodia Program Office as Assistant Project Assistant for Lomphat 

Wildlife Sanctuary project from 1 st December 2006. Leang graduated 

with a Bachelors degree in Forest and Wildlife Science from Preak Leap 

National Institute of Agriculture. 

Before working with BirdLife, Leang worked as a Technical Officer for 

the Community Protected Area Development Office and conduct 

research on community forestry in Beung Yeak Lom Provincial Protected 

Area, Ream National Park, and Beung Per Wildlife Sanctuary. He also 

used to work for Mlup Baitong as Project Coordinator for project 

“Building constituency Nature Conservation in Kirirom National Park”.


Myanmar Programme 

Nay Moe Shwe 

Nay Mow Shwe has recently joined BirdLife as Myanmar Vulture Project Officer 

and is currently afield in Kachin and the Shan States. Nay Moe Shwe is 

seconded from the Forest Department and is currently on the staff of Chatthin 

Wildlife Sanctuary. An ornithologist by training, Nay Moe Shwe discovered and 

co-authored the recent paper describing the Namaung Scimitar Babbler - a new 

species from northern Myanmar. He has worked in the field with Dr George 

Schaller of WCS, Dr John Rappole of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park 

and Dr Pamela Rasmussen of Michigan State University Museum.

The Babbler No. 20 - Birdlife International in Indochina

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