02-08-2025
Petition submitted to set up conservation area for rare langur species in Ninh Bình
NINH BINH: Environmental and nature conservation organisations have urgently recommended establishing and protecting a Delacour's langur species and habitat conservation area in Kim Bang in order to restore the environment and ensure ecological connectivity following limestone mining activities.
The joint petition, initiated by the Centre for People and Nature, the Centre for Nature Conservation and Development, the Centre for Highlands Resource Governance Research, GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre and WildAct Vietnam, was submitted to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ninh Binh Province on Aug 1.
This action follows a series of articles by VietnamPlus titled 'Building Conservation Space: A Vital Mission for the Future', published late July.
According to the petition, the Delacour's langur is one of Vietnam's rarest endemic primates, listed as Critically Endangered in the 2023 Vietnam Red Data Book and the IUCN Red List. It is also protected under the Vietnamese Government's Decree 06/2019/ND-CP and Decree 84/2022/ND-CP.
The limestone forest of Kim Bang (formerly in Ha Nam Province, now merged into Ninh Bình) is home to the second-largest population of Delacour's langurs worldwide, after the population in Van Long Nature Reserve. The area hosts around 120–150 individuals.
Beyond the langurs, Kim Bang's limestone forest holds exceptional biodiversity value, with species representing the Red River Delta limestone forest ecosystem
These include rare species such as the pygmy slow loris, serow, Huong Son bent-toed gecko, slipper orchids and golden camellias. The area also forms a continuous ecological corridor linking Van Long, Dong Tam, Huong Son, and Tam Chuc, making it a critical conservation landscape connecting Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, and Hanoi.
Since 2016, conservation organisations and Government agencies have proposed establishing a species and habitat conservation area in Kim Bang for the Delacour's langur. The Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee conducted surveys, prepared documentation and reached consensus among departments for a plan to set up this area.
By 2023, the plan to preserve a core zone of 3,182ha was completed and incorporated into the National Forestry Planning Scheme.
Yet to be officially designated a conservation site, the area is currently under the limited management of the Kim Bang–Thanh Liem Forest Protection Unit, which has only four rangers.
Despite the urgency, issues with illegal hunting, trapping and timber extraction persist, threatening both langurs and overall biodiversity. Additionally, habitats are shrinking due to mining activities, noise and dust pollution, affecting both wildlife and local communities.
The petition calls for strict environmental screening of new projects like golf courses, eco-tourism zones and road construction that risk encroaching on the conservation area. Environmental impact assessments must be reviewed by both Government agencies and conservation experts before project approval.
The economic development of Ninh Binh must be coupled with environmental protection, as disruption of natural ecosystems leads to biodiversity decline.
The organisations emphasised their readiness to support Ninh Binh with resources, expertise and international cooperation to strengthen local conservation efforts.
Establishing and effectively managing the Kim Bang Delacour's Langur Conservation Area is not only an urgent measure to protect one of Vietnam's most endangered primates, but also a testament to Vietnam's commitment to biodiversity, climate targets and its Net Zero pledge.
'We respectfully urge the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ninh Bình People's Committee to review, consider and act on these urgent recommendations,' the petition concluded. — Vietnam News/ANN
