Located on the Lao-Vietnamese border, the Hin Nam No National Protected Area covers 82,000 hectares and occupies part of one of the largest karst regions in the world. Hin Nam No’s landscape is spectacular, marked by unique limestone formations. It is home to endangered monkeys, deer, leopards and more than 520 plant species. More than 20 villages are located around this national protected area. They have a combined population of 7,000 people (2005), many of whom are from ethnic minorities. Most of these people are very poor and rely on the natural resources from within the protected area and on its margins, which provide as much as 70% of their nutritional and domestic needs. Poaching, illegal logging and the weakness with which park regulations are enforced are putting pressure on Hin Nam No’s sensitive ecosystem. While there is increasing awareness at the national level of the need to actively protect biodiversity, at the local level the technical, financial and human resources for managing and protecting the nature reserve remain inadequate.
The project in the Hin Nam No region is part of the programme "Climate-relevant environment and resource management in Laos".
Boundaries
The Eastern border of Hin Namno is the international boundary with Vietnam and is adjacent to Ke Bang forest area and the Phong Nha Nature Reserve in Vietnam . This complex forms one of the largest continuous limestone ecosystems in Southeast Asia . The northern tip of Hin Namno borders Nakai Nam Theun.
Area: 865 km2
Physical Features
Hin Namno is an area where the Central Indochina Limestone meets the Annamite Chain. As a result, this area has prominent limestone escarpments and many caves, including a five km cave along the Xe Bangfai River.
The geology of the region is composed mostly of karst limestone.
Climate
Climate in Boualapha District can be characterized as mostly cool, with a short, one-month long hot season. A distinct rain-shadow effect from the Annamite Mountains between Lao and Vietnam helps explain the cool temperatures and strong winds common in Boualapha. Temperatures range from the mid-teens to the upper thirties (Celcius).
Wild life Habitat Features
Mammals: A total of 45 mammal species have been either confirmed or provisionally identified. 10 of these are listed as Globally Threatened or Globally Near Threatened (Walston and Vinton, 1999). There are potentially nine species of primates inhabiting the area, including Douc Langur (Pygathrix namaeus) and Francois's Langur (Semnopithecus francoisi). The Giant Muntjac (Megamuntiacus vuquangensis) also occurs within the NBCA. A total of 25 species of bats have been identified in Hin Namno, including three new records for Lao PDR: Horsfield's Fruit Bat (Cynopterus horfieldi), Harlequin Bat (Scotomanes ornatus) and Great Evening Bat (Ia io) (Vinton and Walston, 1999).
Birds: A total of 217 bird species have been identified, four of which are listed as Globally Threatened, and nine of which are listed as Globally Near Threatened. The Sooty Babbler (Stachyris herberti), which is endemic to the belt of limestone which spans central Vietnam and central-northern Lao PDR and only found in three protected areas in the world, has been encountered in all zones within the NBCA and is of high Global Importance. The presence of four hornbill species has also been confirmed for the area: Wreathed Hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus), Brown Hornbill (Ptilolaemus tickelli), Great Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) and Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthraceros albirostris).
Fish: 130 species of fish have been collected in the Xe Bang Fai River, 25 of which were found in and around Hin Namno NBCA. At least two species are possibly endemic to the Xe Bang Fai River. Additionally, 29 of the 130 species (or 17.5%) of fish surveys in 1996 were previously unnamed (Kottelat, 1998).
Reptiles and amphibians: The only reptile and amphibian survey conducted in Hin Namno (Stuart, in: Vinton and Walston, 1999) collected or observed 46 species of reptiles and amphibians. All six turtle species collected are key species. These include Asiatic softshell (Amyda carilaginea), Wattle-necked Softshell (Palea steindacheri, Yellow-headed Temple Turtle (Hieremys annadlaei), Asian Leaf Turtle (Cyclmys dentata), Keeled Box Turtle (Pyxidea mouhotii), and Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata).
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