163 billion VND to help Quang Tri preserve saola from extinction

On July 15, in Dong Ha ward (Quang Tri), WWF-Vietnam coordinated with the People's Committee of Quang Tri province to organize a conference to announce the "Central Truong Son conservation strategy for the period 2026 - 2030".

Attending the conference were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri and representatives of ministries, Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, domestic and international organizations.

Tireless efforts to find saola

WWF's new strategy aims to restore forests, conserve biodiversity and increase resilience to climate change through nature-based solutions.

The provinces and cities in the project area from Ha Tinh to Da Nang are ranked by WWF as one of 200 ecological areas of global importance.

The Central Truong Son Range - home to the saola, once known as the "Asian unicorn" - has been identified as a priority conservation area, with global importance both in terms of ecology and sustainable development. The area is also home to many other endangered and endemic species such as the large-antlered muntjac, Truong Son muntjac, and Truong Son striped rabbit.

Quang Tri is the first province to sign a 5-year cooperation agreement with WWF in October 2023. After nearly two years of implementation, WWF has implemented 14 projects with a total budget of 163 billion VND, including a saola conservation program in Bac Huong Hoa, supporting forest livelihoods and agroforestry models in Huong Hoa district (old), reducing plastic waste in Dong Ha and Con Co island...

In order to detect and preserve the saola in the wild, the project has provided equipment (machines, protective gear), training and set up camera traps in 68 potential locations in the special-use forest of Quang Tri province. Currently, officers and employees are waiting to collect the camera traps.

Trung Truong Son will be the foundation for expansion.

In particular, the program "Nature-friendly solutions in forestry and environment" for the period 2025 - 2030, with a budget of more than 114 billion VND, was just approved in June 2025 and is expected to make significant contributions to forest conservation, biodiversity and community development.

Mr. Thibault Ledecq - Conservation Director of WWF-Vietnam - shared: "WWF-Vietnam wishes to work with partners to build the Central Truong Son into a model landscape, where nature-based solutions not only preserve valuable biological values but also bring sustainable livelihoods and resilience to climate change for local communities.

Success here will be an important foundation for replicating the model to other landscapes across the country."