Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang named UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve

The designation was announced on Friday at the 38th session of the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program in Hernandarias, Paraguay.

With this new status, Phong Nha-Ke Bang joins UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which spans 759 sites across 136 countries.

The network recognizes ecosystems of global importance that serve as models for integrating biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Vietnamese authorities said this is the first time Phong Nha-Ke Bang has been designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, further enhancing its international profile alongside its existing heritage status.

According to UNESCO-approved documentation, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Biosphere Reserve covers a total area of 515,830 hectares and is home to more than 159,300 residents.

The reserve is divided into a core zone of 123,326 hectares, a buffer zone of 220,055 hectares, and a transition zone of 172,449 hectares.

Pham Hong Thai, director of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Management Board, described the designation as an important milestone that reinforces the site's exceptional value in biodiversity, tropical limestone forest ecosystems, unique landscapes, and distinctive geological and geomorphological features.

He said the recognition reflects international appreciation of Vietnam's sustained efforts in nature conservation and sustainable development, while also helping strengthen resource management and better connect conservation with local livelihoods and tourism development.

Le Van Bao, deputy chairman of the Quang Tri administration, said the new designation is both a source of pride and a responsibility to preserve natural values for future generations.

He added that it also opens greater opportunities for international cooperation, scientific research, environmental education, and the expansion of green and community-based tourism.

The latest recognition adds to Phong Nha-Ke Bang's growing list of international honors.

The site was first inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2003 for its outstanding geological and geomorphological values, and its listing was extended in 2015 to include ecosystems and biodiversity criteria.

It also forms part of a transboundary World Natural Heritage Site shared with Hin Nam No National Park in Laos, which was recognized by UNESCO in 2025 as the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The new biosphere reserve designation is expected to further strengthen the park's global standing and support more sustainable development in the region, particularly through the promotion of eco-tourism, scientific research, and long-term conservation efforts in Quang Tri.