1. The local people now have realized that securing sustainable livelihoods requires the local coral reefs and marine ecosystems to be well protected and their participation with much enthusiasm in the project activities for this purpose; the four CBOs established in the four communes/wards, have involved 230 local households in local aquatic resources protection. Through training courses provided by the project, members of the local Representative Boards and local communities have had a basic knowledge of and skills in the management, protection and rational exploitation of local coral reef ecosystem and marine biological resources.
2. The project has successfully developed the first model for empowering local CBOs to implement the co-management of four coastal waters of 46.2 hectares with coral reefs assigned by the local competent authorities to the CBOs (under the provisions of the 2017 Fisheries Law) to protect the coral reef ecosystems and develop community-based tourism in Quy Nhon Bay. The CSOs have been very capable of better co-managing the assigned coastal waters.
3. The project has established four community support funds managed by the local CBOs and recognized by CPCs to protect coral reefs and aquatic resources in the four communes. The funds have provided financial resources mobilized from contributions made by local communities for the management and protection of local marine ecosystems and aquatic resources in the long run.
4. With the support of the project, the four fisheries and tourism service cooperatives in the project area have maintained their operations, increased the number of members, started running their businesses profitably, and invested in developing new services. The cooperatives have made great contributions to the improvement of local environmental sanitation and the creation of a friendly and civilized image for the locality to attract tourists. The cooperatives? leaders have been trusted and elected by the local communities and local government authorities to the CBO Representative Boards as a core group of players in the co-management work.

On the Environment and Natural Ecosystem Conservation
In Quy Nhon Bay, the four local coastal waters of 46.2 hectares with coral reefs have been zoned for protection and livelihood activities implemented by the local communities according to the approved plan for local coral protection associated with community based eco-tourism development. Such coral protection activities as catching crown-of-thorns starfish, collecting domestic wastes on tourist rafts, guarding and guiding visitors to explore the coral reefs, have been carried out regularly. The results of the 2-year coral reef monitoring (2020 - 2021) in the protected areas indicate that the coral coverage remains unchanged and shows some signs of its restoration (the most widespread live coral coverage increased to around 75% at Bai Dua - Nhon Ly). In 2021, female sea turtles returned to lay eggs at Nhon Hai beach after many years. The project's activities have involved the local communities, especially tourist operators, restaurant and homestay owners... in the collection and reduction of domestic wastes, especially plastic wastes, keeping the beaches of the four co-managed areas more clean and beautiful.

On Local Economy and Community?s Livelihoods:
There are nearly 500 households in the four communes directly benefiting from tourism services and fishing activities in the four coastal waters assigned to the local CBOs for management and adjacent seawaters. During the 2 years of project implementation, the COVID-19 pandemic waves continuously occurred and have badly affected the community based tourism service business in Quy Nhon Bay, thus it is impossible to accurately evaluate the project?s impact in quantitative terms on the local economy and community?s livelihoods. However, the local well-protected coral reefs will provide a rich habitat and good breeding grounds for aquatic species of fauna to produce their young to spread out other sea areas of the bay, thus increasing aquatic resources for local exploitation and creating seascapes for community based tourism development in the long run. The local fisheries and tourism service cooperatives have better provided public services contributing to improving the green, clean and civilized environment, and attracting more tourists to the bay. The cooperatives also have created employments from their ecotourism services for the local communities to generate incomes.


Social impact
On the community?s awareness: The project activities have been designed to aim at raising the local communities? awareness and improving their skills in order to attract them and their support to protect local coral reef ecosystems and aquatic resources. As the result, the local communities have been well aware of the significant importance of coral reef ecosystems and the environment for local tourism and fisheries development and they voluntarily have joined the four local CBOs (230 households) and consciously abided by their operational regulations and the approved plan for the co-management in aquatic resources exploitation and protection. The CBOs?members and the local people have proactively protected marine environment and natural resources without the financial support provided by the project. (For example in 2021, as soon as female sea turtles occurred on the spawning beach, the Nhon Hai CBO has protected them and then their hatchings later. By the time of reporting, the mature nesting females have returned for 5 times to create nests for laying their eggs, and their clutches were moved to a safe place, and now there are 53 hatchings found in the first clutch)