Livelihood of ethnic minorities and sustainable development of buffer zones: a case study of the Chu Yang Sing National Park, the Central Highlands of Vietnam

摘要

Buffer zoncs play a crucial role in protecting ecological integrity of forests and maintaining the development of surrounding communities, while booming population and intra-zone dynamics may pose many threats on their survival. The main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the local livelihood of ethnic minorities on the sustainable development of buffer zones via a case study of the Chu Yang Sing National Park, Vietnam. Results indicated that most of the livelihood of ethnic minorities was related to harvesting forest products, and a large percentage of people still lived below the standard of the country. Additionally, their uncontrolled exploitation behaviours resulted in negative impacts on the biodiversity of the national park; this then triggered backward effects on people's income. Therefore, we suggest establishing a conservation strategy that encourages cooperation among local people to improve their livelihood to ensure the sustainable development of this important national park.