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

This study develops and applies an enhanced management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) framework for UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs) in Vietnam. Building on the 58-indicator system established by Truong et al. (2024), five new indicators were added to reflect updated UNESCO MAB governance requirements—encompassing 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 6 management elements of the IUCN MEE Framework. Evaluation was conducted using a participatory expert assessment method, combining document review with descriptive statistical analysis. The expanded framework was applied to the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve (WNABR), the largest BR in Vietnam (approximately 1.3 million ha), characterised by complex multi-level governance, high ethno-cultural diversity, and a spatially extensive multi-core structure. The overall MEE score was 70.2/100 (moderate effectiveness), with Planning (73.8) and Context (73.5) performing best and Process (65.4) and Outputs (66.1) requiring priority attention. The five new indicators averaged only 49/100, confirming both their necessity and the governance gaps they reveal. The study proposes an "open system with fixed core" methodological approach and seven priority actions for WNABR in 2026–2030, with broader implications for standardising MEE across Vietnam's BR network in alignment with HSAP 2026–2035.