The India Biochar and Bioresources Network (IBBN) is a collaborative platform that promotes and educates on the use of biochar and circular agriculture for a collective usage of bioresources. This network facilitates the sharing of information between farmers, policy makers, and researchers, to bridge the knowledge-policy-application gap and promote biochar application on a large scale. IBBN is in the process of establishing bioresource and biochar supply chains to ensure that the produce is marketed and sold at a fair price. Furthermore, the network is working towards establishing credible partnerships with carbon market platforms to facilitate generation and trading of carbon credits that will help farmers and village panchayats involved in agroecological and natural farming practices. A network like the IBBN can be replicated in other regions to support the use of biochar, as its integrative and knowledge-sharing methods are highly adaptive. 

This building block strengthens knowledge management and promotes gender-inclusive awareness to support sustainable governance of Viet Nam’s Biosphere Reserves. It began with identifying the low levels of understanding among communities, tourism operators, and sector agencies about threats to biodiversity and the impacts of unplanned development. The project then designed a coordinated training and knowledge-sharing approach to build local skills and create systems for transferring lessons across sites.

A total of 92 training courses were delivered at central and provincial levels on Biosphere Reserve management, biodiversity integration in planning, monitoring tools, and sustainable livelihood models. More than 3,100 participants—around 40% of whom were women—were trained on biodiversity monitoring, METT application, and natural resource management. By September 2024, awareness levels among community members and tourism operators reached 75%.

To sustain learning beyond individual trainings,  knowledge management systems were strengthened. Open-access websites for the national Biosphere Reserve target sites were created or upgraded to host guidelines, resources, and training materials. In addition, 19 potential best-practice models were identified and documented, including those related to set-aside zones and eco-tourism,  for potential replication, helping ensure that successful models can be adapted and scaled across other Biosphere Reserves in Viet Nam.

Biosphere Reserves were not formally recognized in Vietnam’s national law, resulting in fragmented governance and unstable financing. To address this, the project supported the integration of Biosphere Reserve management into the Law on Environmental Protection (2020) (No. 072/2020/QH) and contributed to the issuance of Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP and Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BTNMT, which together provide clear legal mandates for Biosphere Reserves under Article 153.

These policies were then translated into actionable guidance includingthe development of the National Strategy for Biosphere Reserve Management, the Plan for Expanding and Strengthening the Biosphere Reserve System, and technical guidelines on Key Biodiversity Areas, High Conservation Value Forests, sustainable forest management, and biodiversity mainstreaming in provincial planning. To ensure effective implementation, 92 capacity-building courses were delivered for national and provincial officials, resulting in a 35% increase in institutional capacity.

Biodiversity Impact Assessment requirements were also integrated into the national environmental assessment system, ensuring that new development projects within Biosphere Reserves apply biodiversity safeguards. Together, these efforts created a coherent governance framework, strengthened cross-level coordination, increased Biosphere Reserve financing by 305% between 2017–2024, and enhanced the long-term sustainability of Biosphere Reserve management in Viet Nam.

Jabal Shada was declared a Special Nature Reserve (IUCN Category Ia) in 2002, following a reconnaissance survey conducted in 2001 by the former National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD). After establishment of the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), a new management plan was developed (meant to be updated after every 5 years) which integrates biodiversity protection with local livelihoods supporting Shadawi coffee cultivation, community-based development, ecotourism, and regular biodiversity monitoring to ensure long-term conservation of this unique mountain ecosystem. Jabal Shada was also registered on the world database of protected areas (WDPA).

This building block focuses on strengthening 19 NWFP Community Groups through well-developed management plans and bylaws that ensure sustainable harvesting, monitoring, and equitable benefit-sharing. JWS is known for the sustainable collection of Rubia spp., Swertia chirayita, star anise, soft broom grass, mushrooms, and other high-value NWFPs.
Management activities include resource assessment, setting harvest quotas, training communities on proper harvesting techniques, enforcing bylaws, and supporting community-led monitoring. JWS also supports market linkages, pricing transparency, and annual reviews of the management plans.
Community participation is central: members help monitor resource conditions, report illegal extraction, follow sustainable harvest practices, and collectively manage income distribution.
In 2024, these groups collectively earned around Nu. 3.5 million from the sale of Rubia spp., Swertia chirayita, and star anise alone, excluding income from other NWFPs, demonstrating the livelihood potential of sustainably managed forest resources.

Lastly, this solution has included capacity-building activities and awareness-raising meetings across all 21 provinces and the capital since 2022. For capacity-building, trainings have been provided online and in-person, while forums and workshops were also organized for broader discussions. Awareness-raising meetings have targeted specific local decision-makers and have been conducted in-person.  

The objective of these activities is to equip local actors with the knowledge and skills needed for environmental management and budgeting aligned with the NRUF, through exercises on planning, execution reporting, and monitoring and evaluation of local environmental budgets. Trainings have also focused on the Environmental Budget and Expenditure Database, helping local governments to disclose their information and improving data-driven planning and decision-making.  

 Moreover, UNDP BIOFIN is working with the government of Mongolia in the development of an expenditure taxonomy, which will provide a standardized categorization of environmental expenditures, adding clarity and consistency to budget reporting.  

A public Environmental Budget and Expenditure database was developed to disclose environmental budgets and expenditures (since 2023). Its intuitive and visual layout allows users to track how much each province has spent on biodiversity each year. This has two main implications.  

 First, by having to thoroughly fill the database, local governments can use it as a tool to better understand how to develop their own environmental budgets and clarifying which categories should be included.  

 Second, the public database promotes accountability and transparency in environmental planning and budgeting, encouraging governments to fulfill their biodiversity finance responsibilities under the NRUF and, ultimately, functioning as an effective monitoring tool.  

BIOFIN and the National Audit Office of Mongolia jointly assessed the implementation level of the NRUF and examined institutional and regulatory gaps affecting law enforcement. The review found that weak enforcement resulted from legal ambiguities, inconsistent regulations, and ineffective coordination among government agencies. Following this process, BIOFIN provided technical assistance to develop revised regulations that address these legal ambiguities.  

Beyond regulatory enhancements, a fundamental component was strengthening cooperation and communication between government agencies — ensuring that the NRUF and its revised regulations are understood and effectively implemented. This is particularly important since local governments are responsible for incorporating the NRUF, a national law, into their budget processes. To support this, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) began to issue bi-annual budget call circulars: official instructions that explain the procedures to prepare next fiscal year’s budget, helping local governments to incorporate biodiversity expenditures. The MoF also increased efforts to review and approve dedicated budgets for environmental protection and natural resource rehabilitation.