KwF, a German non-governmental organization, wants to stop funding a project to preserve the Phong Nha-Ke Bang world natural heritage site. KwF, a German non-governmental organization, wants to stop funding a project to preserve the Phong Nha-Ke Bang world natural heritage site in the central province of Quang Binh because the project management board reneged on its commitments.

The German Government started the 12.63 million euro project in October 2008, with technical and financial assistance provided by KfW Entwicklungsbank and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation.

The 8-year project aims to maintain biodiversity in Phong Nha-Ke Bang, develop the buffer zone, protect natural resources in the park, and reduce poverty for 56,000 residents living there. However, many of the projects have stagnated or have not yet developed after nearly two years.

The project’s target is to develop 4,250 hectares of forest and to protect over 11,000 hectares of existing forest, including 600 hectares in 2010. So far no tree has been planted.

KfW provided the project management unit with over 350,000 euros to plant forest in July 2009 and the board has disbursed EUR114,000, but no tree has grown.

The German NGO asked the project management unit on several occasions to provide records showing its disbursement in 2009, but the board has evaded these requests.

On June 14, 2010, KfW sent a note to Quang Binh provincial authorities, the local Department of Planning and Investment, and the project management unit asking them to give back the remaining 200,000 euros that had not been disbursed.

According to KfW, Quang Binh province and the project management unit violated agreements signed between Quang Binh and KfW. The project management board has not reacted effectively to the clearing and burning of natural forest in the buffer zone. The project management board has also not taken the initiative in managing the project.

KfW didn’t approve the project management unit’s budget or activities plan for 2010.

PV