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Tri-border Forests (Cambodia, Lao, Viet Nam)

Tri-border Forests

Country: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam

Provinces/Districts: Rotana Kiri and Stueng Traeng (Cambodia); Champasack and Attapeu (Laos); Kon Tum (Viet Nam).

Straddling the borders of Cambodia, Lao, and Viet Nam, this biodiversity conservation landscape represents the Southeastern Indochina Dry Evergreen Forest and a smaller extent of the Central Indochina Dry Forest ecoregion. This landscape is also a major catchment area for the Xe Kong and Xe San, two major tributaries to the Mekong River and the second largest watershed in the Mekong drainage.

One of the prominent protected areas in this landscape is the large Virachey National Park in Cambodia, along the northeastern border with Lao PDR and Viet Nam. Virachey is contiguous with Mom Ray Nature Reserve in Viet Nam, and Dong Ampham National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Lao PDR. In addition to these national protected areas, there are several provincial protected areas (Nam Ghong PPA in Lao and two proposed areas in Stung Treng Province of Cambodia).

Among the important species in this landscape are the tiger, Asian elephant, Banteng, and Wild Water Buffalo. Several Globally Threatened birds are also known from this corridor, especially from the wetlands.

Key conservation issues and threats to biodiversity
Agriculture, including clearing of old growth forests for shifting, is encroaching into the natural forests. In addition to the corridors, the protected areas are also threatened by encroachment. Logging is also widespread, and poses a graver threat because large concessions extend up to, and even into, the important protected area.

As with most areas in the GMS, hunting is widespread. Illegal trade in species is also particularly heavy. Gold mining and exploration in the rivers, especially in Cambodia can also pose potential threats.

The construction of the Yali Falls dam in Gia Lai Province, Viet Nam, has caused severe changes in the downstream flow and water quality of the San River in Viet Nam and Cambodia. In 2000, excessive water released from the Yali Falls dam caused floods in Cambodia.

Impact of the GMSEC
All four major protected areas in the landscape are directly impacted by transnational roads.

There are 13 dams that are either built, being built, or proposed within the landscape, and another five within 10 km of it. Prior to building these, information about flows, sedimentation and the ecology of the river basins is needed to mitigate environmental threats and inform infrastructure development planning.