A SET OF MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS INDICATORS FOR BIOSPHERE RESERVES IN VIETNAM: A CASE STUDY OF THE WESTERN NGHE AN BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Abstract

This study develops and applies an enhanced management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) framework for Biosphere Reserves (BRs) in Vietnam. Building on an existing 58-indicator evaluation system, five new indicators were added to reflect emerging strategic priorities and international commitments relevant to biosphere reserve governance, encompassing the integration of the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (HSAP 2026-2035), gender equality, indigenous knowledge of ethnic minority communities, youth participation, and systematic reporting against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), bringing the total to 63 indicators across 20 criteria and the six management elements of the IUCN MEE framework. The evaluation combined document review with a two-stage participatory expert consultation process and descriptive statistical analysis. The expanded framework was applied to the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve (WNABR), the largest BR in Vietnam. The overall MEE score was 70.2/100 (indicating moderate management effectiveness), with Planning (73.8/100) and Context (73.5/100) performing best, whereas Process (65.4/100) and Outputs (66.1/100) require priority attention. The five newly introduced indicators averaged 49.0/100, underscoring critical governance gaps in international policy alignment and social inclusion. The study proposes an “open system with a fixed core” methodological approach and seven priority actions for the WNABR in the 2026-2030 period. These findings are based on expert assessment at a single site and require further multi-site validation before national generalization.