Posted on May, 07 2026
Buon Ma Thuot, May 7th 2026: WWF-Viet Nam and the People’s Committee of Dak Lak Province officially entered a strategic partnership to advance biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in one of the world’s most biologically important landscapes.
A critical landscape
Dak Lak Province is one of Viet Nam’s most critical regions for conservation. The largest Asian elephant population in the country primarily resides here at the Yok Don National Park (YDNP) - the second largest protected area in Viet Nam. With its mixture of deciduous dipterocarp and semi-evergreen forests bordering the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary (Cambodia), the park forms part of the Eastern Plains Landscape, often called the “Serengeti of Asia” for its unique mosaic habitats and world-class biodiversity. Notably, YDNP represents one of the few sites in Viet Nam with potential for large mammal conservation and tiger reintroduction. Dak Lak is also home to several ethnic groups, such as the Ede, M’nong and Gia Rai Peoples, whose livelihoods are deeply intertwined with nature and cultural heritage is internationally recognized.
Over a decade of impact
Since 2014, WWF-Viet Nam has partnered with Yok Don National Park and other stakeholders in Dak Lak to drive conservation impact. Initial steps included capacity building for the ranger workforce and establishing SMART patrolling for improved field operations. To enhance biodiversity monitoring and elephant conservation planning, systematic camera trapping and fecal DNA assessment were piloted. In 2018, WWF supported transboundary conservation collaboration between Dak Lak Province and Mondulkiri Province of Cambodia. In the urban area of Buon Ma Thuot, public demand reduction campaigns targeting the ivory trade and illegal wildlife products were implemented.
Between 2020 and 2025, WWF’s “Plastic Smart Cities” initiative created positive changes in environmental protection in the coastal regions of Dak Lak. The program contributed to raising awareness, improving collection systems, piloting plastic waste reduction models, and uniting multiple local stakeholders towards a common goal of minimizing plastic waste pollution. The stage has been set for systematic region-wide conservation impact for the people and nature of Dak Lak.
A new chapter for accelerated impact
Picking up on this momentum, WWF-Viet Nam and the People’s Committee of Dak Lak Province signed a Memorandum of Understanding - cementing a strategic partnership across 3 key areas:
- Conservation of biodiversity, wildlife, and other critical ecosystems;
- Marine conservation and plastic waste reduction;
- Promotion of sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries systems in conjunction with nature conservation.
Mr. Nguyen Thien Van, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dak Lak Province, delivered his opening remarks at the signing ceremony:
“The signing of this cooperation agreement with WWF-Viet Nam contributes to strengthening and developing the relationship between the province and WWF-Viet Nam, while enhancing coordination and leveraging the technical support, experience, and resources of WWF in nature conservation and biodiversity protection, environmental protection, and promoting a sustainable agricultural, forestry, and fisheries system in the province.
I believe that, with WWF's international experience and the strong commitment of the Dak Lak provincial government, the cooperation framework over the next five years will create positive changes, enhance staff capacity, and improve sustainable livelihoods while preserving and developing the province's natural resources and biodiversity.”
Mr. Van Ngoc Thinh, CEO of WWF-Viet Nam, shared:
“For WWF, this is not just a signing ceremony, but the beginning of a long-term cooperation with Dak Lak Province in nature conservation and sustainable development. We appreciate the province's trust and are committed to implementing activities transparently, complying with Vietnamese law, and always coordinating closely with the local authorities throughout the implementation process.
WWF-Viet Nam will prioritize mobilizing international resources to implement the agreed-upon activities, especially in the field of elephant conservation. We hope to continue receiving the support and cooperation of the provincial leaders and relevant departments to ensure the program achieves practical and sustainable results.”
This agreement creates the foundation for maintaining collaborative efforts to conserve the largest wild elephant population in Viet Nam, by addressing habitat loss and mitigating human-elephant conflict. To advance tiger reintroduction, a prey restoration and rewilding program will be piloted. Additionally, Dak Lak Province and Mondulkiri Province will continue working together to build an exemplary transboundary conservation collaboration model.
On sustainable agricultural and food production, the partnership will focus on promoting sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, and connecting businesses to climate finance.
To tackle marine plastic waste, both parties will pilot green public procurement and a fishermen and aquaculture waste-return model, while sustaining the impact from previous initiatives.
This MOU marks a defining moment for conservation in Dak Lak to protect one of Southeast Asia's most irreplaceable landscapes. The scope of collaboration reflects a shared vision where Dak Lak exemplify a harmonious balance between thriving wildlife populations and local communities.
