The success of scientific support for biodiversity conservation policy: The case of Ngoc Son Ngo Luong nature reserve in Vietnam

The successful transfer of scientific knowledge is an increasingly important activity for addressing complex problems of biodiversity conservation. This study used the Research-Integration-Utilization model of scientific knowledge transfer to analyze the research, integration, and utilization activities in the establishment process of Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve in northern Vietnam. The results found successes and failures of scientific support for Vietnam's biodiversity conservation policy. High-quality scientific solutions of the Limestone Landscape: Improving Negotiation for Conservation Project were not utilized by stakeholders due to those solutions' weak integration. Weak research conducted by the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute of Vietnam was transferred through professional integration, which thereby achieved some successes in utilization. The results suggest three options to strengthen scientific support of policy: (1) need for professional integration, (2) improvement of the local scientific basis, and (3) need for improved communication between research and practice.