Ninh Binh province prioritizes biodiversity over limestone mining
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Ninh Binh Province in Vietnam decided to establish the Kim Bang White-cheeked Langur Species and Habitat Conservation Area to protect the endangered white-cheeked langur.
The new conservation area covers more than 3,182 hectares of natural forest on limestone mountains. To protect the habitat, local authorities implemented a strict resource management policy that prohibits new licenses or expansions for limestone mines within the conservation area and its ecological corridors.
The province also approved a project to close and stop operations at limestone mines that have expired licenses or violate environmental standards. The move follows a period of industrial pressure where the province had over 420 hectares of planned limestone mining and 35 active mines. Mining activities previously threatened the fragmented habitats of rare wildlife. For example, one company illegally extracted more than 4.4 million tons of limestone over nine years but received only a fine of 80 million dong.
By shifting toward conservation, Ninh Binh aims to protect its international tourist destinations, such as the Trang An complex and Tam Coc, while preserving the white-cheeked langur, a primate species endemic to northern Vietnam. Conservationists note that the white-cheeked langur population has grown significantly in protected areas. Dr.
Ha Thang Long of the Vietnam Conservation Fund stated that the population at Van Long Nature Reserve increased from about 40 individuals in the early 2000s to between 250 and 300 individuals after two decades of protection. Combined with 120 to 150 individuals in the Kim Bang and Tam Chuc areas, these sites now host about 400 individuals, representing more than 90% of the remaining white-cheeked langur population on Earth.
