Con Dao National Park (CDNP) is globally significant because of its marine life, terrestrial habitat and location. The generally shallow waters of the island group contain coral reefs, sea-grass beds, and mangroves. These diverse habitats are home to a rich and significant diversity of marine biota, including 44 endangered species listed in the Viet Nam and IUCN Red Books.

While the biodiversity in the park is in good condition relative to other areas of Viet Nam, a number of threats have been identified, including:

• Incomplete institutional setups, policies, and legal frameworks for marine protected areas;
• Insufficient levels of financial, technical, and institutional support to Con Dao National Park for effective biodiversity protection;
• Weak participation of local residents and communities in biodiversity protection activities;
• Large (relative to the Con Dao Islands Region) scale economic developments slated for Con Dao that may impose potential environmental and social impacts;
• Weak consideration of environmental impacts and environmental carrying capacity in planning for socio-economic development in the Island Region.

This medium-sized GEF project aims to strengthen local capacity for marine and coastal biodiversity conservation, improve the integration of conservation and environmental management into development planning, establish a sustainable financing mechanism for biodiversity conservation, and link local efforts to national strategies and policy development, thus contributing to the conservation of globally significant coastal and marine biodiversity.

The main direct beneficiaries of this project are: CDNP, Con Dao District People’s Committee, Con Dao Fisheries Protection and Management Division, and Con Dao District fishing communities. The other main beneficiaries include the various government departments of BR-VT province, including the Department of Fisheries, Sub-Department of Fisheries Protection, Department of Tourism and Trade, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Science and Technology, and the coastal community in general.