Some Main Features of the Ho Chi Minh Road Project in General, Section Through Cuc Phuong National Park

+ Con Moong Cave is located near rivers and streams, an area with rich and diverse flora and fauna, so it was chosen by ancient people as a permanent residence. The cave is wide and long, with two connecting doors. Con Moong Cave has a fairly thick cultural stratum, a very complex structure, with successive interweaving of clay, mollusk shells and traces of coal ash.

+ The ancient tree is a 45m tall tree, up to 5m in diameter and has a root system above ground running about 20m long. From the gate, follow the car road, pass the Ancient People cave about 2km, on the left is the road leading to the ancient tree, 3km long. Passing 5 rocky slopes, with many plant communities. That is the seven-leaf one-flower tree (that diep nhat chi hoa); are woody vines with a diameter of 20-30cm, about 100m long, only found in Cuc Phuong. On the way to the tree, you can observe rare birds such as red-bellied goose, red-headed woodpecker, white pheasant or animals such as don, black squirrel, red-bellied squirrel, white-rumped langur... .

+ The thousand-year-old Chò tree is a giant tree 45m high, 5m in diameter and has a circumference of more than 20 people. From the center, follow a trail in the old forest to reach the Chò tree. Visitors will encounter giant Băm Băm vines with a base diameter of 0.5m, running 1km across the forest and the strangling Banyan tree. Banyan seeds germinate in other tree holes. When their roots have taken hold of the ground, they grow very quickly, gradually strangling the host tree. Visitors can also admire Chò trees up to 70m high, with straight, round trunks. The round trip for this route takes nearly 3 hours.

+ The ancient crocodile tree is a 45m tall giant tree, with a buttress root system that branches out from the trunk at a height of about 10m and then grows up to 20m long. On the way to the crocodile tree, visitors can also admire woody vines; ancient Banyan species; epiphytes such as mistletoe, kite nest, orchids; bird species such as red-headed woodpecker, striped-bellied pitta...

+ Muong village from the center through the old forest, valley, over the steep pass with a length of about 16 km, visitors will reach Muong village (Khanh village in Hoa Binh province). Khanh village is located on the Buoi river with stilt houses, terraced fields

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The road to Muong village is long and has to go through many steep slopes, taking 6-8 hours. This route must have a tour guide from the Park.

+ Silver Cloud Peak is the highest mountain peak in Cuc Phuong forest with an altitude of 648m. From the center, go about 3km through many old forests with many rocky slopes. Up to the top of the mountain, among the clouds and sky, visitors can see the whole view of the forest and plains of 4 districts of 3 provinces: Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa. The route to Silver Cloud Peak is long and has many rocky slopes. This route must be accompanied by a tour guide from the Park. The round trip time is about 4 hours.

+ Yen Quang Lake - Pho Ma Cave , the lake has a small island, on which there is an ancient temple. The lake's surface is a gathering place for many species of water birds. The lake's surface reflects the cliffs and forests. The walking path to visit Pho Ma Cave from Lake No. 3 is about 2km long. Visitors must prepare hiking shoes, drinking water and must have a tour guide from the Park.

d. World Heritage Candidacy

Cuc Phuong National Park was one of the first four representatives of Vietnam to be nominated for world heritage status in 1991 (along with Ha Long Bay, Huong Pagoda and Hoa Lu Ancient Capital ). Currently, Ninh Binh province continues to complete the dossier to propose UNESCO to recognize Cuc Phuong forest as a world natural heritage. In the dossier to nominate Con Moong cave in Cuc Phuong forest as a world cultural heritage, chaired by Thanh Hoa province, scientists also proposed to consider expanding the scope of other nominations in the overall context of Cuc Phuong park.

e. Conservation issues

When it was established, Cuc Phuong had about 5,000 people living in the core area, and about 2,000 people still live along the banks of the Buoi River inside the park. About 50,000 people live in the buffer zone of the park, most of whom depend on the resources inside the park. The most heavily exploited forest products are wood and firewood. The harvesting of snails, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots for food as well as the collection of banana stems for food are also very common.

Livestock grazing occurs frequently. Hunting and selling of wild animals has seriously reduced the number of mammals, birds and reptiles in the park. Some large mammals such as tigers and white-cheeked gibbons have become extinct in Cuc Phuong due to pressure from hunting activities and the park's area is too small to meet the conservation requirements of these species. Regarding tourism exploitation, the large number of visitors to Cuc Phuong also creates difficulties in management. The park's activities are too focused on tourism development, which also reduces the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation. The construction of artificial lakes in the park also leads to some forest clearing and changes the hydrological regime of the area.

The Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Vietnamese Ministry of Forestry established the Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC) in Cuc Phuong in 1993 to house, breed and conduct research on Vietnam's gibbons, lorises and langurs. The EPRC receives primates confiscated from illegal wildlife traders from government agencies for treatment and care at the center. Cuc Phuong is also home to the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program (CPCP) and the Turtle Conservation Program. As of 2004, the Owston's Civet farm had 28 individuals, of which 20 were born on the farm. Six pairs of Owston's Civets have been sent to England to establish a breeding population and six more pairs will be sent to the United States for the same purpose.

The Cuc Phuong Conservation Project (CPCP) was implemented by Fauna & Flora International from 1996 to 2002. In collaboration with relevant organizations in Vietnam, FFI Vietnam program implemented a World Bank and GEF-funded project called "Pu Luong-Cuc Phuong Limestone Landscape Conservation Project" during 2002-2005 to protect the limestone mountains and wildlife through the establishment of a new protected area and capacity building for relevant agencies. The project also enhanced the conservation status of the Delacour's langur and mobilized and built community support for the conservation of the limestone mountains.

2.1.2. Some main features of the Ho Chi Minh road project in general, the section through Cuc Phuong National Park

a. Master plan of Ho Chi Minh road

The Ho Chi Minh Road project is one of the important national projects approved by the 11th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 6th session, in Resolution No. 38/2004/QH11 dated December 3, 2004 on the investment policy for the construction of the Ho Chi Minh Road. On February 15, 2007, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 242/QD-TTg approving the Master Plan of the Ho Chi Minh Road.

Ho Chi Minh Road passes through 30 provinces and cities: Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Ha Tay, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Binh Phuoc, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Can Tho, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau. The total length of the route is about 3,167 km.

The starting point of the route is at Pac Bo (Cao Bang province) and the end point is at Dat Mui (Ca Mau province). Main route (2667 km long) through the following points: Pac Bo, Cao Bang town, Bac Kan town, Cho Moi, Cho Chu, Muong pass, Trung Son intersection, Phu Thinh intersection, Binh Ca bridge (Lo river), Km 124+500 QL2, Phu Ho intersection, Phu Tho town, Ngoc Thap bridge (Red river), Co Tiet, Trung Ha bridge, Son Tay town, Hoa Lac, Xuan Mai, Cho Ben, Xom Kho, Ngoc Lac, Lam La, Tan Ky, Khe Co, Tan Ap, Khe Gat, Bung, Cam Lo, Tuan bridge, Khe Tre, De Bay pass, Mui Trau pass, Tuy Loan, Hoa Khuong, Thanh My, Lo Xo pass, Ngoc Hoi, Kon Tum, PleiKu, Buon Ma Thuot, Gia Nghia, Chon Thanh, Binh Phuoc intersection, Tan Thanh, My An, Cao Lanh town, Cao Lanh bridge (Tien river), Vam Cong bridge (Hau river), Rach Soi, Minh Luong, Go Quao, Vinh Thuan, Ca Mau city, Dam Cung bridge, Nam Can, Dat Mui.

The Western branch (500 km long) passes through the following points: Khe Gat, Ubo Pass, Tang Ky, Sen But, Khe Sanh, Dak Rong, Pe Ke Pass, A Luoi, A Dot, A Tep, Hien, Thanh My.

The investment in the construction of Ho Chi Minh road is completed according to the Master Plan, divided into 3 phases:

- Phase 1 (from 2000 to 2007): Complete investment with a scale of 2 lanes, including solidification and landslide prevention from Hoa Lac (Ha Tay) to Tan Canh (Kon Tum). The total estimated investment for the period from 2000 to 2010 with a cross-section scale of 2 lanes is 41,020 billion VND.

- Phase 2 (from 2007 - 2010): Connecting the entire route from Pac Bo (Cao Bang) to Dat Mui (Ca Mau).

- Phase 3 (from 2010 - 2020): Complete the entire route and gradually build sections according to expressway standards in accordance with approved planning and capital capacity, paying attention to connecting with the planning of the railway system, level crossings and other related planning.

b. The route through Cuc Phuong National Park

The route through the western buffer zone of Cuc Phuong National Park (NP) from Km92+424 to Km99+907 has a total length of 7.5km, of which the length of the section within the NP planning area is 6.5km, with the route following provincial road 437 running along the Buoi River valley in the territory of Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces. The terrain of this area is low, and during the flood season, it is severely flooded due to the Buoi River's overflowing water with an average flooding depth of 6 -:- 6.5m compared to the natural elevation.

In the project area within the National Park, the Muong ethnic group has lived for over 5 generations. Here, forest resources have been strongly impacted, leaving behind cultivated habitats, interspersed with barren land and some areas of depleted secondary forests, with low biodiversity. Therefore, proposing a reasonable construction method that takes into account the interactions of floods and the impacts on the biodiversity of the National Park is an important requirement.

Figure 2.1. Map of Ho Chi Minh route planning

2.1.3. Scope of research

As presented in the previous sections, this thesis studies the decision-making process (steps in the decision-making process) of a development activity and considers the Ho Chi Minh road project within the Cuc Phuong National Park as a case study. The research issues include the following main contents:

- Overview of research on decision making process;

- Institutions and laws;

- How is the decision-making process carried out? The participation and influence of stakeholders in the decision-making process;

- Environmental impact assessment of the project;

- Solutions to improve efficiency and feasibility in choosing development and conservation activities (appropriate consideration of trade-offs).

2.2. Methodology, research methods

There are a number of methodologies commonly used to study the relationship between conservation and development, between environment and development. These methodologies are: the integrated approach to studying decision-making processes,

Ecosystem Approach, Ecosystem Approach

In this study, stakeholder analysis and in-depth interview methods were used.

2.2.1. Integrated approach

Within the framework of the project Advancing Conservation in Social Context (ACSC), Paul Hirsch (2009) in exploring the decision-making process on trade-offs, the author proposed a comprehensive analytical framework, which presented a view of trade-offs through different lenses.

Valuation : focuses on values related to the environment, natural resources, biodiversity, human development, equity…. and the possibilities and limitations of measuring, calculating, comparing levels and types of values.

Process : focuses on the institutional processes and relationships through which trade-offs are discovered and negotiated and decisions are implemented.

Inadequate

Hypotheses and principles

Industry Research

Power : focuses on the influence of strategic action, overt coercion, covert manipulation, and the power to define the terms and methods of negotiating trade-offs.

Composite prism

Evaluating the Power Process

Narrowing the gap

Stories and perspectives

Connecting the dots

Note the shortcomings

Figure 2.2: Decision making process according to the integrated approach

a. Evaluation

There are many methods and mechanisms for resource valuation and many mechanisms for sharing benefits and costs. However, their application is still limited, leading to inequity in benefit sharing among different parties and at different levels.

The decisions made have varying degrees of impact. Often local people are disproportionately affected by trade-offs and compensation mechanisms do not adequately compensate. Not to mention the mechanisms for

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