19174 PNKB show cave management report EN brian clark 2010

MANAGEMENT OF THE TOURIST CAVES OF PHONG NHA - KE BANG NATIONAL PARK A REPORT TO THE QUANG BINH PROVINCIAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT BY BRIAN D...  Providing a consolidated report whi

MANAGEMENT OF THE TOURIST CAVES

OF PHONG NHA - KE BANG NATIONAL PARK

A REPORT TO THE QUANG BINH

PROVINCIAL PROJECT

MANAGEMENT UNIT

BY BRIAN D CLARK (PSM)

Following the presentation of two reports to the GTZ Project in Quang Binh Province in 2009, a third inspection was requested with a view to:

 Providing comment and recommendations regarding the pilot walkway in BiKy Grotto

 Proposing areas for cleaning of the floor of Phong Nha Cave

 Providing advice on and supervision of practical implementation of such cleaning process

 Providing a consolidated report which includes :

o Preparation of a proposal for the tourist caves improvement with a particular focus on:

 Cleaning and rehabilitation of the tourist caves

 Development of a defined walkway through the caves

 Upgrading of the cave lighting system

 Recommendations for signage in the Park

o Formulation of a management manual, specifically for public use of the Phong Nha and Tien Son caves according to international standards

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian Clark has 25 years of practical experience in the development and management

of tourist caves in World Heritage listed National Parks in Australia and Malaysia; he

is an Honorary Life Member and former President of the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association Inc

He has served as an advisor to the management of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in Queensland (Aust), the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (Aust.) and on a global scale has worked with the IUCN as an advisor to regional and provincial management authorities on World Heritage management issues in Malaysia, Laos, Korea and China

In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Public Service Medal for ‘an outstanding

contribution to nature conservation through the innovative blending of tourism with education’

TOURIST CAVE MANAGEMENT IN PHONG NHA - KE BANG NATIONAL PARK

PREFACE

Along with the benefits of being recognized as a World Heritage Property there comes an obligation

to protect the Park’s World Heritage (and other) values to the best of our abilities, ensuring that those values remain in the same, or better, condition than when the site was declared to be ‘World Heritage’

In order to meet their World Heritage obligations it is vital that the agency which is responsible for management of the World Heritage Property immediately embarks upon a strategic management plan based on the principles of

 PROTECTION

Any human use of the area will potentially have negative impact on the areas values so appropriate steps must be taken to avoid such impacts Even though damage may already have been done prior to its recognition as a World Heritage Area there must be appropriate strategies developed and implemented to prevent ongoing damage

 REHABILITATION

Any damage which may have already occurred must be identified, quantified and recorded Strategies must be developed to prevent ongoing damage along with the actions taken to repair the damage and monitor the recovery

 PRESENTATION

The role of tourism in World Heritage Areas is not simply about providing economic opportunity to surrounding communities Tourism activities should be focused on opportunity to raise the visitors’ awareness of the Park’s purpose and significance

Unfortunately, there is always the risk that the economics of the tourism opportunity will be put in

front of the requirements to protect and rehabilitate but this must not be allowed to happen as it is

vital to the long term economic viability of the tourism opportunity that the site is protected and maintained as an attractive destination

The community leaders and the members of the managing agency responsible for the site must make themselves aware of the long term business viability issues and embrace the need for protection of the

site against damaging processes even when it may mean placing limitations on short term financial gains

Not to do so will eventually result in the attraction being destroyed – along with the economic opportunity it offered

It is often difficult to get people to understand that the most serious of all the potentially damaging processes are not always the big obvious issues like mining or logging or illegal hunting or building a dam in the middle of the Park

It is the little things like inadequate controls of how many people are allowed into the Park at any one time, inadequate control of what they are doing while they are there or inadequate and inappropriate facilities provided to facilitate visitor access in the Park

Each by themselves may not be such a big problem,

but if you put all of the little things together in the same place and at the same time?

DISASTER!

BACKGROUND

The following report is submitted in fulfilment of contract between Brian D Clark (PSM) and GTZ to :

 Prepare a proposal for the improvement of the show caves within Phong Nha – Ke Bang National park including a timeline and cost estimate for necessary improvements of the cave infrastructure (walkways and lighting system) and a road map for possible further cave development The schedule of improvement caves should cover the following improvement steps:

i Protection and rehabilitation of the caves (walls and floors)

ii Construction of walkways in the caves iii Modification or replacement of current lighting system

 Partly supervise development of the walkways piloted by PNKB/GTZ Component in the BiKi Grotto section of Phong Nha Cave

 Comment on the walkway designs of PNKB caves

 Propose areas for upgrading/cleaning of the floor of Phong Nha Cave and supervise practical implementation of such cleaning process Propose further solutions and give instructions to further treat negative visitor impacts

 Propose a new/ upgraded lighting system, for example, a system based on ultra-bright LED lighting and sensor controlled switching This proposal should recommend necessary improvement and/or replacement of the existing lighting system and alternatives for spots

of installation in the PNKB caves

 Prepare a Cave management manual, specifically for public use which addresses the following specific issues

Accordingly there are several attachments to the Report.:

Appendix 1 is an abridged version of the IUCN guidelines for the management of karst and caves Appendix 2 is the guidelines for a cave access classification system

Appendix 3 is the International Show Caves Associations guidelines for management of show caves

Appendix 4 is a draft of the International Union of Speleology’s ‘Code of Ethics”

Appendices 5 and 6 are two internationally accredited case studies in the control of lampenflora.

CONTENTS

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2 INTRODUCTION

3 THE KEY MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

3.1 CROWDING OF BOATS WITHIN THE CAVE

3.2 CROWDING OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE CAVE(S)

3.3 TRAMPLING OF THE CAVE FLOOR AND TRANSFER OF SEDIMENTS TO SPELEOTHEMS3.3.1 A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A WALKWAY THROUGH THE CAVES

3.4 LAMPENFLORA DAMAGE FROM INAPPROPRIATE CAVE LIGHTING

3.4.1 A PROPOSED LIGHTING PLAN FOR THE CAVES OF PHONG NHA - KE BANG NATIONAL PARK

3.5 ACCUMULATION OF LITTER WITHIN THE CAVES

3.6 LIMITED MANAGEMENT CAPACITY

3.7 INSUFFICIENT SITE ORIENTATION, INFORMATION AND INTERPRETATION

3.7.1 A CONCEPTUAL SIGNAGE PLAN FOR PHONG NHA – KE BANG NATIONAL PARK3.7.2 A CONCEPTUAL INTERPRETATION PLAN FOR PHONG NHA – KE BANG NATIONAL PARK

4 AN OPERATIONAL MANUAL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CAVES OF PHONG NHA

A) REVIEW AND REVISE THE REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO VISITATION TO THE CAVESB) DEVELOP GUIDELINES TO FACILITATE ACCESS APPROVAL TO CAVES WITHIN THE

PARK

C) ACCESS TO THE SHOW CAVES OF PHONG NHA – KE BANG NATIONAL PARK

D) CONTROL OF BOATS ENTERING THE RIVER PASSAGE OF PHONG NHA CAVE

E) CROWD CONTROL

F) INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING

Appendix No 1 IUCN GUIDELINES FOR CAVE AND KARST PROTECTION

Appendix No 2 GUIDELINES FOR A CAVE ACCESS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Appendix No 3 INTERNATIONAL SHOW CAVES ASSOCIATION’S MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES

FOR SHOW CAVES Appendix No 4 DRAFT INTERNATIONAL UNION OF SPELEOLOGY CODE OF ETHICS

Appendix No 5 A CASE STUDY IN LAMPENFLORA MANAGEMENT

Appendix No 6 AN EXTRACT FROM THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF CAVE MANAGEMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Much has been written about the caves of Phong Nha and much literary license used in the writing and there are many claims regarding the longest, the widest, the largest, the deepest, the most beautiful and even ‘best of their kind’ IN THE WORLD!

These are very big claims and while some can be measured and proven one way or the other, others are merely a matter of opinion

But fact or fiction, proof or opinion, whatever they are is meaningless if they are not properly managed

Regardless of literary license the show caves of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park are indeed spectacular, but they are being spectacularly under-managed and a number of threatening processes are severely impacting on the values of the caves

The following report identifies these processes along with their primary causal factors and proffers various solutions which, if implemented correctly, will negate the threatening process and in some cases reverse the negative impacts already incurred

 Crowding and insufficient crowd control are primary causal factors contributing to the physical damage to the cave and both detract from the enjoyable/learning experience that a visit to the caves should be A combination of administrative and engineering solutions are proposed to minimize crowding and enhance the ability of staff to manage crowds

 While the absence of an appropriate walkway, along with crowding and insufficient crowd control are the causal factors leading to trampling of the cave sediments and transfer of sediments to cave decorations, the lack of a structured walkway is also a causal factor leading

to insufficient crowd control Although the raised timber walkway proposed as the

engineering solution to the problem is contrary to international standards – (“wooden walkways should never be used except in ice caves”) the former chairman of the IUCN Working Party on caves and karst has acknowledged that there are exceptions to this in that “except for Borneo Ironwood there is no other timber which is known to be suitable for use in caves” Perhaps there are

other exceptions and the recommendations to use the local ‘Vietnamese Ironwood’ for a walkway through the caves is couched in caution to monitor and review the performance of this timber BEFORE proceeding with its large-scale introduction to the cave environment

 An inadequately designed and operated lighting system along with a lack of management awareness of internationally accepted control strategies is the cause of some serious lampenflora damage throughout the caves The solutions to resolve this problem include a shift

in management awareness of the problem, its causes and accepted control methods, a simple maintenance program and an engineering solution – replacement of the lighting system

 Littering, eating, drinking, smoking, toileting and even just touching are all activities which are internationally accepted as very damaging to caves and their environments, and these are all activities which are rampant in the caves of Phong Nha The primary cause of the problem is a lack of management and staff awareness of the impacts of these activities on the cave coupled with an apparent unwillingness to adequately address the problem

 The lack of orientation, information and interpretation within the Park is a contributing factor

to the inappropriate behaviours in the caves and the solution lies in a combination of policy change, administrative procedures and engineering solutions detailed in the body of the report

INTRODUCTION

The caves of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam province of Quang Binh have a substantial history of human use dating back to pre-historical times as evidenced by the yet to be interpreted Champa script adorning the walls in the BiKy Grotto More recently they played a significant role during the American War and in the last 20 years both Phong Nha and Tien Son have been developed as ‘show caves’ to help the development of the provincial economy through tourism The Park’s core visitor area comprises:

 The ticket selling office and boat boarding area

 a boat landing area near the entrance to Phong Nha Cave,

 a picnic area where local hawkers sell refreshments and souvenirs,

 the access stairs to Tien Son cave,

 the river cave passage of Phong Nha and its two dry passages

 a walkway from the Phong Nha cave entrance past a pagoda of indeterminate age and up to the entrance to Tien Son Cave, and of course Tien Son Cave itself

Today the Park attracts around 300,000 visitors per year and whilst the vast majority are domestic tourists the number of foreign tourists visiting the Park has steadily increased since it became a World Heritage Area in 2003 The caves are the primary attraction to the Park with 100% of visitors going to Phong Nha Cave and an estimated 60% also going to Tien Son Cave Other visitor attraction/facilities include the volunteer cave memorial and the Nuoc Muc Eco-trail

The core of visitor experience in the Park is to travel by boat up river from the visitor reception facility to the entrance of Phong Nha Cave where they get out of the boat for a visit to the washroom and/or a coffee break before either reboarding the boat and entering the Phong Nha Cave or climbing the steps to visit Tien Son Cave before visiting the Phong Nha Cave The vast majority enter the Phong Nha Cave first and many do not bother with the climb to visit Tien Son

In terms of tourist cave experiences the boat ride into the cave, the karst features of the cave itself

and the truly spectacular stalagmites and stalactites in Phong Nha Cave should rank this as one of the

World’s great cave experiences Similarly the karst forms coupled with the diversity and abundance of stalactites, stalagmites, shawls, rim-pools, flowstone and spectacular cave shields to be seen in Tien Son

Cave make it too what should be one of the World’s great cave experiences

Most regrettably, they are not

The condition of the caves denies them such recognition because:

 most of the cave floor and their delicate rim-stone pool features have been severely trampled

 most areas of flowstone have been encrusted with dirt carried on the feet of visitors

 many of the stalagmites have been damaged by people climbing on them and rubbing them with their hands - and even with money!

 significant rim-stone pools have been filled with concrete to make steps

 notwithstanding the significance of the Champa inscriptions in BiKy grotto there is an enormous amount of modern graffiti throughout the caves

 food scraps and food wrappers, drink cans and other containers are scattered and hidden throughout the caves The floor in many areas is covered with cigarette butts

 inadequately designed lighting has produced an exceptional amount of ‘lampenflora’ (plant life

forms growing under an artificial light source) throughout the caves, and it is exceptional in

terms of extent, intensity and form (the early stage of lampenflora infestation is simple green algae which in time will be replaced by more advanced life forms such as mosses and lichens and eventually even ferns will flourish In Phong Nha and Tien Son all are common!

ALL of these have had a severe impact on how the caves look, and it is important to understand that simply touching the stalactites and stalagmites interferes with their natural growth, that the lampenflora along with food scraps – even sugar from spilled drinks – disrupts the natural ecosystem by providing unnatural food supplies for competing populations of cave fauna and that the cigarette butts simply poison everything!

In addition to the physical condition of the caves there are also a number management issues which are having a negative impact on the condition of the cave including:

 the highly seasonal nature of visitation with some serious peaking problems of 10,000 per day during national holiday times

 the lack of defined walkways within the caves

 the lack of an awareness among Park staff (and concessionaires working within the caves) of their role in assisting with the protection of the caves

 the lack of proper supervision of tourists by park staff

 visitors entering the caves with no requirement to be supervised by a guide

 the quality of site interpretation by guides is highly variable with a strong leaning towards fantasy

The direct consequence of these issues is a steady deterioration of the aesthetic, geological and biological values of the caves and a failure to deliver any meaningful experience to visitors such that they have an opportunity to understand and appreciate the site’s significance as a World Heritage Area

While there is no doubt that the pre-tourism era of human use of the caves has had significant impact

on the natural conditions of the caves it is obvious that it is the current pattern of use is bringing the

caves of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park close to being considered ‘beyond repair’

4 THE KEY MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

There are many issues affecting the environment of the caves in PNKBNP; all of them relate to management of visitors or the way that the cave has been developed for tourism

The most significant cave management problems identified and proposed solutions include:

The boat ride into the cave is an outstanding experience which differentiates it from many other cave experiences However, it does present problems of crowding in the BiKy Grotto area even on days of medium to high visitation On days of extreme visitation it must be all but unmanageable

There are two options to resolve this

Option 1- initiate and enforce a policy limiting the maximum number of boats permitted to be in the

cave at one time During the busiest days it would be best to close the BiKy Grotto section Boats should pole to the entrance of the Grotto, then turn around to off-load visitors to walk through the Fairy and Royal Chambers back to the cave entrance/exit

Option 2- employ an engineering solution (which would also add to the experience in the cave) and

install a suspended walkway above the river between BiKy Grotto and Fairy Grotto to facilitate a ‘boat in – walk out’ system This will require an initial geotechnical survey to vouch for the integrity of the rock strata and then a detailed structural design prepared by

an engineer The height of the walkway should be 3m above the height of the median water level to allow the passage of a boat with a person standing on its deck below the walkway

The International Show Caves Association’s “Draft Guidelines for Show Cave Management” (see

Appendix 3) recommends that a maximum number of people allowed into the cave at the same time

be set, and that number should never be exceeded

Determining what that number should be is an issue worthy of serious debate as the matter of

‘carrying capacity’ can be viewed from three very different perspectives

First is the ‘facility’ carrying capacity

How long, how wide, how strong is the walkway?

If it is not long enough or wide enough or strong enough then there will be an engineering solution to the problem and the carrying can be said to be limited only by how many square metres and how fast the visitors can walk

Second is the ‘environmental’ capacity

How many people can fit in without causing irreversible change to the environment?

In the case of a show cave this means how many people can be in the cave without causing the cave temperature to rise above acceptable levels? How many people does it take to change the carbon dioxide levels in the cave?

These are easily measurable parameters, but how do you determine ‘irreversibility’ and who is

to say what degree of change is harmful to the cave?

Third is the most difficult of all to assess The ‘social’ capacity of the experience

3.2 CROWDING OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE CAVE(S)

3.1 CROWDING OF BOATS WITHIN THE CAVE

How many people can be in the cave before the quality of the experience is so badly affected that visitors wish that they weren’t there at all?

For some cultures if they can see or hear other people then the place is already too crowded while for others the crowd is a major part of enjoying the experience Mixing the two together can be a problem

Determining the carrying capacity for show caves with an international audience must

be based on all three of these perspectives

In the case of the show caves of Phong Nha the main river and dry passages of Phong Nha Cave are so large and so well ventilated that an increase in the temperature or carbon dioxide levels even under (short term) extreme visitation would be so minimal as to be unworthy of wasting resources to prove

it However, the BiKy Grotto and Tien Son Cave would be at risk of raised ambient temperature and carbon dioxide levels during peak periods of visitation

The only reason that the caves are able to accommodate the extreme numbers of 9000 and more in a single day is that is virtually no limitations on where they can spread out to within the caves, so a walkway must be constructed as soon as is possible to protect the caves from ongoing degradation,

But - - - - when this has been achieved there will be the need to consider the ‘facility’ capacity of the cave

Similarly the walkway in Tien Son will generate the need to consider the facility capacity as well as the environment capacity

Management of the social capacity is both difficult and contentious The growing number of international, mostly western, tourists is going to be limited by the dissatisfaction with the experience

if something is not done to ‘tone down’ the current behaviour of many domestic tourists Crowds of shouting, cheering, singing, smoking young people surging through the caves detract from the experience and the opportunity of word of mouth promotion of the site by satisfied customers will be lost It is therefore important for both the environment of the cave and the sustainability of the local tourism economy that infrastructure be installed to restrict movement to all parts of the cave and that procedures be put in place to regulate the behaviour of visitors in the caves

Due to the highly seasonal nature of visitation the management of visitors is proposed to be adaptive

to the particular volume of visitors The following is an initial recommendation subject to practical trial and modification

a Very low to Low visitation = up to 200 people per day

Average people per hour = 25 with a variance of 18 to 30

Boats with up to 12 persons plus 1 Guide can depart from the Phong Nha village on demand and enter the Phong Nha River passage at their leisure In addition to each visitor paying the scheduled boat fee as it is they will be required to pay a Park entry fee which will include the compulsory services of a Guide who will lead the group which will be variably sized from 1 to 14 persons For those requiring a private Guide an appropriate fee will be payable

The Guide will provide a pre-cave entry briefing about required behaviour while in the cave and subsequently monitor and control behaviour while presenting an interpretation of the caves and their values

If the group or part thereof is also visiting the Tien Son cave the same Guide will also accompany them to and through that cave

One cave guard and one electrician will be on standby at the waiting area to assist Park Guides as required

b Low to Moderate visitation = 250 to 500 people per day

Average people per hour = 45 with a variance of 25 to 75

The same procedure as for Very Low to Low visitation except than in addition to one cave guard and one electrician on standby at the waiting area there will be one cave guard stationed in Biky Grotto, one in the Royal/Fairy Grotto and one in the Tien Son Cave to assist the Park Guides as required

c Moderate to High visitation = 500 to 1,000 people per day

Average people per hour = 95 with a variance of 50 to 150

The system of managing visitors will remain the same as for Low to Moderate visitation except that

i the ratio of visitors to Guides will increase from 12:1 to 14:1

ii the cave guard stationed at the waiting area outside of the Phong Nha cave will monitor the number of boats entering and leaving the Phong Nha River passage and limit the number of boats in the cave at any given time to 12

iii an additional one guard will be stationed in the Royal/Fairy Grotto

d High to very high visitation = 1,000 to 3,000 people per day

Average people per hour = 250 with a variance of 150 to 450

On days of High to Very High visitation the system for managing visitors will remain the same as Moderate to high visitation except that:

i Park Guides will not accompany the boats from the visitor centre but will meet them at the waiting area outside of Phong Nha Cave

ii The number of boats permitted to be in the cave at any one time will be increased to

e Very High to Extreme visitation = 3,000 to 5,000

Average people per hour = 500 with a variance of 275 to 750

On days of Very High to Extreme visitation guards stationed at the boat boarding area will limit the number of boats on the river at any one time to 75 and guards stationed at the waiting area will limit the number of boats in the cave to a maximum of 25 Management of visitors in the caves will be based on:

i All visitors will disembark at the waiting area where Park Guides and Guards will brief them on critical behaviour issues and direct them to site information and interpretation panels and direct those going to Tien Son Cave to do so before entering the Phong Nha Cave

ii Four Guides and four Guards will be stationed at strategic points within Tien Son Cave

to control behaviour and answer questions as required

iii Those not going to Tien Son Cave will be directed to reboard their boat for the trip

into Phong Nha Cave where

1 four guards will assist with unloading and loading of passengers in BiKy Grotto

2 a Park Guide will be stationed every 20 metres to supervise behaviour and answer questions as required in BiKy Grotto

3 two guards will assist with unloading boats at Fairy Grotto and direct boats to leave the cave and wait for their passengers back at the boat landing area

4 a Park Guide will be stationed every 20 metres throughout Fairy and Royal Grottos

to control behaviour and answer questions as required

5 an additional two guards will be stationed in BiKy Grotto and four guards stationed

in Fairy/Royal Grotto will be equipped to respond to calls for assistance by Park Guides

f Post extreme visitation = 5,000 plus

On those days when more than 5,000 ** visitors are likely the recommended strategy is to close BiKy Grotto and have all visitors walk into the cave and come out by boat The (estimated) 5 to 6 Guides and 6 guards no longer required in BiKy Grotto should be allocated

to duties at the waiting area and in Fairy/Royal Grottos

The number of people allowed in Tien Son Cave should be restricted to a maximum of 150 This is based on the length and width of the walkway and the nature of the cave Controlling the number in the cave should be initiated at the ticket sales area by limiting the number of tickets sold per hour and followed up by guards at the waiting area near the entrance to Phong Nha directing people either to Phong Nha first if Tien Son is already too crowded or directly to Tien Son if not

On days where guides and guards are on station within the caves it is desirable to have sufficient resources to rotate the guards after 4 hours to a 1 hour meal break followed by alternate duties for the second 4 hour shift

For the Park Guides the days of high level to post extreme visitation are very stressful It is desirable

to have sufficient resources to rotate them after a 2.5 hour shift through a 1 hour break to alternate duties for a further 2.5 hours, another one hour break then a final 2.5 hour shift, remembering that for

a Park Guide working diligently, a period of three continuous days is about the limit of effective service they can provide before taking at least one full day of rest

**While this strategy for managing post extreme visitation levels should be trialled and re

assessed it is most stringently recommended that the Park Management Board and the

Provincial Peoples Committee investigate some means to limit the number of visitors in any

one day to less than 5,000

A strategy employed in some European cave sites is to have seasonal variation in the Park/cave

entrance fee

By having a very low price in the off peak season, a high price during the peak season and a

median price in the in-between or ‘shoulder’ seasons, the peaks and troughs in visitation can be

levelled out to make management needs more consistent throughout the year

In the absence of a clearly defined walkway it is not surprising to see visitors walking over every square foot of the cave floor and in so doing, they are destroying the habitat for cave fauna and damaging any deposition of calcite in the form of stalagmites, flowstone and rim-stone pools Unfortunately they are not only walking over the entire cave floor they are climbing up the sloping walls and walking on, climbing over, sitting on, touching, rubbing and scratching every piece of calcite formation they can reach

In general, it appears that many of the Park staff and concessionaires (the boat operators and the

photographers) are insufficiently aware of their role and responsibility to help with the protection of the cave This is evidenced by the many occasions on which boat operators and staff were seen smoking in the cave, staff were noted to be touching and encouraging others to touch the cave formations and the cave photographers encouraging visitors to climb on everything they can

This must be addressed by:

 establishing the flexible visitor management protocol according to the number of visitors expected to visit the caves on any given day as described in section 3.2 above

 establishing stronger control of tour groups in the caves

 All visitors to the caves should be under the supervision of a park employee (or a person licensed by the Park to supervise cave visitors)

 Staff and licensed operators must be provided with an identifying uniform

 Staff should be given appropriate training and empowered to enforce compliance by visitors with the regulations of visiting the caves

(yet to be defined and adopted by the Park Management Board)

 All staff and concessionaires licensed to enter the caves must understand the rules about not touching, eating or smoking in the caves and why visitors should be confined to a defined walkway and they must sanctioned by fine or suspension for breaching any of these protocols/rules

 identifying an appropriate route through the caves and at the very minimum defining these with post and rope barrier fences

3.3 TRAMPLING OF THE CAVE FLOOR AND TRANSFER OF SEDIMENTS TO SPELEOTHEMS

 by cleaning the cave floors

and walls as follows

BIKY GROTTO

This section of the cave comprises a

tubular passage approximately 10m

in diameter sloping gently up from

the river to a height of about 17m

at about 120m from the river where

there is a barrier to prevent visitor

access further into the cave

From this point a considerable amount of

ancient Champa script is visible on the walls of

the cave and, unfortunately, an even greater amount of modern graffiti can also be seen

The floor of the whole area has been heavily impacted by foot traffic; the flow-stone and rim-stone pools of which the original floor was composed have been encrusted with clay as have several of the stalagmites where visitors have been climbing on them

Many of the cave’s calcite formations have been severely degraded by people touching them and

transferring fatty acids which discolour the calcite Early hopes of restoring the floor in this area

were ill-founded and further attempts to clean the floor are not recommended, however that

does not mean that it is acceptable to continue allowing visitors to walk all over this area and

the cave can be greatly improved by cleaning that zone of the cave which has been only

moderately impacted by foot traffic and inappropriate activities – the narrow band of rock rising

from the cave floor to a height of some 2 to 3m on the cave walls as indicated on the diagram

below

The zone to

be cleaned

Much of the impact here CAN be remedied by rinsing with large volumes of low pressure water and only the areas of graffiti treated by washing with high pressure water – with care taken to avoid any graffiti which predates the last significant point in the human history of the caves: this being the period of the American War

If any of the graffiti can conclusively be demonstrated to be from this era then it must be

protected; however, ‘believed to be’ or ‘might be’ or ‘could be’ is not acceptable

If it can be proven to be from something as significant as this then it is part of the cave’s heritage If not it is simply vandalism, and every attempt must be made to remove it without excessive damage to the cave wall or formation

PHONG NHA DRY PASSAGE ( Fairy Grotto to Royal Grotto)

This truly spectacular section of cave provides an excellent opportunity to present the basis for the Parks inscription on the World Heritage List It has numerous excellent examples of karstic features to demonstrate the genesis of the limestone and the caves - but they too are being severely impacted by visitation, primarily due to the lack of a structured walkway and an inappropriate lighting system

The cleaning program should begin with a detailed photo record made of all areas significantly affected by transfer of mud/soil by foot traffic or by graffiti Cleaning must start with all areas being dry swept very thoroughly to remove the dry sand and loose stones from all areas which

are not subject to seasonal flooding

Calcite formations are to be cleaned using the technique of high volume/ low pressure water followed by a low volume / high pressure treatment for ingrained materials left after the first treatment If the calcite surface is damaged by the high pressure water then work must be stopped and the ingrained dirt mechanically mobilized by scrubbing with a stiff nylon bristled brush and thoroughly rinsed with low pressure water Cleaning of the less fragile cave walls which have been impacted by soil deposition or graffiti can be cleaned with high pressure water

The cave need not be closed during this process but care should be taken to direct the water runoff to areas which do not impede the movement of visitors or it may be necessary to provide a series of temporary raised walkways to keep visitors away from the wet areas

Tien Son Cave

Tien Son Cave has numerous outstanding calcite formations – and it has similar problems to the Phong Nha Cave in that soil has been deposited on many of the cave formations by foot traffic and the cave has been badly defaced by people scratching their names and other words into the surface of many areas of calcite

Some of this may be partially removable by pressure washing the area and scrubbing with a stiff nylon bristled brush AFTER a photographic record is made of the more severely affected parts of the cave

The floor of the cave has many excellent examples of flowstone and rim-stone pools which must be swept clear of all loose dirt and then the whole area washed with low pressure water Some of the ingrained dirt may require pressure cleaning but if the surface of the calcite is damaged by this then cleaning should stop and a stiff bristled brush used to mechanically mobilize the dirt before rinsing thoroughly with unpressured water

On completion of the cleaning program which are primarily rehabilitation works it is essential that

‘preventative’ steps are taken to ensure that ongoing damage cannot happen This requires the planning and installation of a raised walkway with appropriately placed platforms for groups to gather for presentations by the guides and to take photographs This should be of appropriate width to enable one group to stand comfortably while another group passes

Integrated within the plan should be a process of removing the concrete steps which have been designed to look like part of the cave calcite formations as this is contrary to the educational function

of cave tours ie cave visitors must be discouraged from walking on the cave formations

At the point where the access route passes up and over a series of severely impacted rim-stone pools near the end of the Royal Grotto there are a number of large rim-stone pools which have been filled with soil and capped with concrete to provide a stairway

The concrete and soil in-fill must be removed and these important features restored to their original beauty after a proper set of stairs and a viewing platform are installed as part of the next stage of development which is essential for the management of the projected increase in visitation

Note The accepted practices for development and management of caves for tourism require

access routes to be limited and clearly defined to minimize trampling of the cave floor

Walkways should be ‘hardened’ to prevent incremental damage from large numbers of

visitors by providing a stable but porous walking surface such as pavers or other inert

materials

Concrete or bitumen should not be used directly on the floor of the cave Wherever possible

access should be provided by means of walkways suspended above the floor of the cave, and

that such walkways be constructed of inorganic materials such as preformed concrete,

stainless or galvanized steel or plastic compounds

Organic material such as wood should not be used unless it has been proven to be a species

which is resistant to termite and fungal attack

A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A WALKWAY THROUGH THE CAVES

3.3.1 (a) General Guidelines

The internationally accepted philosophy applied to the development of tourist caves is that a clearly defined route within the cave must be is identified and all visitors must stay within the defined pathway: for the sake of visitor safety and prevention of erosion ‘hardening’ of the walkway is generally required

The means of ‘hardening’ vary widely but in general terms it is recommended that the surface of the walkway must remain porous therefore concrete and bituminous compounds are not recommended

The terrain and format of the Phong Nha and Tien Son Caves are not readily suited to the formation of an ‘on-grade’ porous surfaced pathway and as the best practice recognised for tourist caves is to provide walkways suspended above the cave floor this is what is proposed

The indicated material is a local timber considered to be water-proof, but this timber must be tested to determine its vulnerability to fungal attack

Materials selected for walkway construction should be durable and inert Timber is not generally recommended as most species of timber are prone to insect and fungal attack which severely disrupts the natural processes of the cave biota However, there are some timber species, such as Borneo Ironwood which is proven to be both termite and fungus proof, which can be used

If the walkway in the Phong Nha caves is to be constructed from timber then a sample of (say) 6 pieces of the nominated timber placed in the cave under varied conditions, from very dry to very wet The samples should be monitored and photographed every month for at least 6 months If

white filaments of fungus appear in this time then the timber is not suitable for use in the

The platforms must be of sufficient size to comfortably hold at least two full boat loads of visitors (say 40 people with guides included) and have enough free space for a third group to move through and continue into the cave

Calculated at 0.75 square meters of standing room per person this means that a platform must

be a minimum of 30 square meters plus the 1,400mm walkway

Both sides of the walkways and platforms must be fitted with barrier ropes made from polypropylene fibre as shown in Figure 3.3.1 (A)

Figure 3.3.1(A)

75/100mmx40/50mm hardwood posts buried in sand or anchored to rock floor of the cave 300mm

holes for one top-rope of

28 to 35mm dia and two

12 to 16mm ropes

and MUST not exceed a gradient of more than 1:12 As shown in Figure 3.3.1 (D)

Figure 3.3.1(D)

1:12 gradient

1.67m 20m

Gradients of between 1:12 and 1:20 must have a 20x10mm ‘slip-stop’ batten every 400mm as shown in Figure 3.3.1.(E)

Existing barrier fence (to be removed)

Fairy and Royal Grotto

The present pattern of access is for visitors to disembark from their boats at Point A on Figure 3.3.1 (G) but if the proposed walkway between BiKy Grotto and this part of the cave is ever built the visitors will enter the cave at Point B

The present pattern of use also means that two, three or even 4 boat loads of people could be gathered at Point A at any particular time It is also important to understand that Point A offers one of the best positions for viewing the roof of the cave here which is an excellent example of roof collapse exposing a bedding plane in the limestone Appropriate interpretation of this feature is vital to the task of imparting an understanding of how the limestone and its caves were formed and it is proposed that a platform of at least 65 square meters is provided at this point

The next key site for interpretation and photo opportunities is about 25m into the cave and about 5m above the height of the landing deck A stepped walkway tapering from 3,500mm to 2,000mm between these two platforms is proposed in order to ‘train’ the visitors to comply with a constricted walkway

Figure 3.3.1 (G) also shows the nominal location of platforms for appropriate interpretation and photo opportunities throughout the rest of the cave The connection walkway, stepped and/or ramped to suit the topography of the cave, is nominally 2,000 wide with two ‘loop track’ alternative routes for small groups of 1,400mm width

The section from Point C to Point D should be tapered out to a width of 3,000mm in the centre and then tapered back to 1,400mm to allow for people to stop and photograph the spectacular columns through here This section of walkway should also be of significant height

to minimise the gradient between these points

Figure 3.3.1 (G) The plan view of the proposed walkway in Fairy to Royal Grotto

Tien Son Cave

The indicative arrangement of interpretation/photo points proposed for Tien Son Cave is shown in Figure 3.3.1 (H) The connecting walkway of 1,400mm (and less in several parts of the cave due to structural aspects of the cave and its formations) should be ramped and stepped to achieve a walkway as close to horizontal as is reasonably achievable throughout the cave

An exception to the 1.400mm width is the section shown as ‘D.’ This section of the walkway which will be subject to two way traffic flow and will be 2,800mm

Figure 3.3.1 (H) The plan view of the proposed walkway in Tien Son Cave

Caves provide significant habitat for a wide variety of fauna types and species, and caves demonstrate a high level of endemism due to the isolation of the populations from one cave to another

From a habitat perspective a cave is divided into three primary zones based on light

Immediately within the cave entrance is a light zone which has sufficient daylight penetration to support

the growth of both vascular and non-vascular plant life forms which in turn support a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate fauna, most of which are really only occasional or incidental visitors to the cave rather than true cave inhabitants

Further into the cave a twilight zone receives just enough light for non-vascular plants (algae and

lichens) to survive and support a variety of vertebrate and invertebrates which may include species which are incidental visitors and species which are entirely cave dependent

Even further into the cave is the dark zone where no natural light ever reaches The fauna here is not

as abundant as in the light and twilight zones but tends to be more fully adapted to life in the dark and

it is here that endemism is the greatest It is also here that the populations are most vulnerable to

D

3.4 LAMPENFLORA DAMAGE FROM INAPPROPRIATE CAVE LIGHTING

disturbance by outside influences affecting their habitat and the dark zone is the area most drastically affected by the phenomena of ‘lampenflora’ - the growth of algae, mosses and even ferns as a direct result of introducing artificial light to the cave environment

– and lampenflora is a problem with many faces

Superficially, - it changes the appearance of the cave as the once beautiful stalactites and stalagmites

slowly change from shining, white crystals to dull grey, green and finally black algae before mosses take over Left unchecked more advanced vascular plants, (in the form of ferns) will grow

At a more fundamental level, the growth of plant life is accompanied by organic acids which attack the

surfaces on which the lampenflora is growing and the cave slowly deteriorates both aesthetically and geologically

At the same time the growth of plant life forms where they don’t belong encourages the invasion by fauna species which do not belong The species which do are quickly over-run and the natural ecosystem of the cave is under threat

Cave managers throughout the world have for many years sought a solution to this problem and there are only two One is to remove all lighting from the cave and keep tourists out

The other is to apply a solution of simple household bleach containing sodium hyperchlorite.#1

Any search of the internet for lampenflora will yield numerous articles about research undertaken to resolve this issue of lampenflora in tourist caves Most advocate the application of either calcium or sodium hyperchlorite

Apart from doing nothing at all, which is not an option, the only solutions to the lampenflora

problem are to remove all artificial lighting from the caves or to apply a mild solution of sodium hyperchlorite to kill the lampenflora The treated areas should then be washed with freshwater pumped from the river in the cave

Ultimately a new lighting system designed to enhance the presentation of the caves and at the same time minimise ongoing lampenflora growth should be installed

 all areas affected by lampenflora are to be identified and photographed

 the affected areas should be sprayed with a fine mist of clean water taken from the river (karst water) and left for 30 minutes to hydrate the lampenflora species (When this is done the area often looks even more green than it did.)

 after the 30 minutes the area should then be sprayed with a 4 to 6% solution of sodium hyperchlorite (laundry bleach) applied as a fine mist to thoroughly wet the affected area but without any discernable run-off The lampenflora will turn yellow within minutes and should disappear within a couple of hours of treatment, although some resistant species of lampenflora may require a secondary treatment

 When the lampenflora appears to have gone the area must be low pressure rinsed with a large amount of karst water to dilute any residual chemical to the point of harmlessness

The people applying the chemicals must wear plastic overalls, eye protection and a dust mask

It is important to note that during the application of the sodium hyperchlorite the cave will be filled with a strong odour Consequently, it would best to apply the chemical at the end of the day and warn visitors for the next 24 hours that the strong smell is unpleasant but harmless

and necessary for the good of the cave

A test site in BiKy Grotto was sprayed with a commonly used household bleach which contains

sodium hyperchlorite

Before treatment and then

a few after treatment

- the treated area turned

yellow after 5 minutes and

after 45 minutes the treated lampenflora was gone!

3.4.1 A PROPOSED LIGHTING PLAN FOR THE CAVES OF PHONG NHA KE BANG NATIONAL PARK

The primary issues influencing the growth of lampenflora are:

 the amount and colour of artificial light

 the type of light used (Florescent vs incandescent vs LED)

 the placement of lights within the cave

 the duration of time that lights are on

At present the best practice in show cave lighting to minimize lampenflora growth is to use a low voltage and minimal wattage lighting system with illuminaires of a colour range which is least conducive to plant growth An example is a 12 volt dichroic halogen lamp system controlled by a manual switching or movement sensor control such that the lighting is only on while visitors are

in the area of the lights The colour range is better than most other light sources in terms of discouraging plant growth but they generate excessive heat which in turn does increase plant growth An emerging trend in cave lighting is to use ‘ultra-bright’ LED fittings which can be designed with variable shaped beams which facilitate the design of spectacular cave lighting options The LEDs can be produced in any nominated shade of white

While the use of coloured lighting to exaggerate the drama and fantasy of the cave experience is still common in some areas, it is becoming more and more widely accepted that the use of white lighting which high-lights the natural colours of the cave walls and calcite formations is preferable, particularly so in caves situated within National Parks and World Heritage Areas

A switching system based on all the lights being on throughout the operating hours of the show cave may be the cheapest system to install but it is both unnecessarily expensive to operate and extremely damaging to the cave

There are several alternative strategies which can be considered

1- The cave can have a basic lighting system which provides just enough lighting for visitors to move safely along the walkway from one viewing station to the next where the guide (or a motion sensor) turns various scenery lights on and off in a desired sequence

2- The cave can be divided into various segments with a path and scenery lighting arrangement which the guide (or a motion sensor) activates as the group enters that particular segment of the cave and then de-activates it as they leave and move to next segment of the cave

3- An alternative is to install pathway lighting which is either manually or sensor controlled from segment to segment and scenery lighting controlled by timer switches The guide (or motion sensor) activates the scene lighting which has been preset to turn off after a given time This is very useful with lager groups as the guide can activate the light, talk about the scene then lead

on Those at the back of the group can still enjoy the view as they pass and then the light goes off when all have passed

4- For caves experiencing a higher density of visitation the most appropriate system is to have various sections of the cave controlled by motion sensor activated lighting If nothing triggers the motion sensor for a nominated period – say 10 minutes – then the lighting in that section of the cave turns itself off

5- Another emerging trend is the use of computer controlled switching systems which provide for the development of pre-planned and fixed dramatic lighting effects where visitation is rigidly confined to only one group being in any given section of the cave at any given time

THE DETAILED SCOPE OF WORKS

3.4.1 (a) Immediate Action

Until such time as the system has been fully designed and funded it is strongly recommended that the existing means of switching be changed by installing a number of motion sensors throughout the caves Each motion sensor should be linked to a programmable timer switch which is preset

to (say) 12 to 15 minutes AND which resets itself every time a person triggers the sensor For example please note the sequence of events depicted in Figure 3.4.1

When person A approaches point (a) and triggers the sensor mounted there the lights between point (a) and point (b) are activated as shown in Figure 3.4.1(A)

When person A gets to point B the sensor there activated the lights from point (b) to point (c)

as seen in Figure 3.4.1(B) and the same will happen when person A is detected by the sensor at point (d), however by this time, assuming the preset time (12 to 20 minutes) has elapsed the lights from point (a) to point (b) will have been automatically turned off by the timer and that part of the cave will be in darkness – figure iv.3.4.1(D))

As person A passes through the cave the lights behind are progressively shut down and the entire cave is dark – until the next person enters the cave and the systems starts over again However, it is essential that the timer is set to re-zero itself every time a body is detected by the sensor This means that when person A has passed by and the timer starts its count from zero to (say) 720seconds (12 minutes) and person B is detected after any amount of time from 1

to 719 seconds has lapsed then the timer is reset to zero elapsed time

The timer is reset by any number of persons being detected until a period of the full preset time has elapsed with no-one entering the detection zone of the timer

Figure 3.4.1 ”Imagination Cave”

Time elapsed = zero

Fig 3.4.1(A) Time elapsed = zero+1second

Fig 3.4.1(B) Time elapsed= zero +300seconds

Fig 3.4.1(C) Time elapsed= zero +600 seconds

Fig 3.4.1(D) Time elapsed = zero +720 seconds

Section a-b is now dark

Fig 3.4.1(E) Time elapsed = zero +1440 seconds

This simple and inexpensive strategy will reduce the regrowth of lampenflora after cleaning, however as soon as funding is

available to further improve the lighting an LED based system is strongly recommended in line with the trend towards

using lighting which brings out the natural colour of the cave

3.4.1 (b) Replacement of the existing lighting system

In consideration of the nature of visitation and visitor management practices both existing and

anticipated it is proposed that the lighting system for the caves of PNKBNP be based on:

 a low voltage (12 to 36 V) system for public and staff safety

 ‘super bright’ light emitting diode (LED) lighting

 two parallel systems One being a very low level LED lighting to illuminate the walkway and the other being sensor controlled LED lighting to illuminate the cave

‘scenery’

Path lighting should provide just enough lighting for visitors to see their way along a defined pathway Power to this system must be provided via an ‘Uninterrupted Power Supply’ unit which activates a 220/24volt power supply to the LEDS This will ensure that this particular lighting does not fail in the event of a failure of the power supply to the cave

It should be controlled by a manually activated switch which initiates a timer The timer should

be set for the duration of the caves scheduled open time (say on at 8am and off at 5.30pm) To minimize the risk of lampenflora growth the LEDs controlled by this system must be very carefully placed to ensure that their light beams are not in close proximity to the cave walls or calcite features of the cave

Scenery lighting should be based on LEDs of varied wattage to create spectacular viewing points and to high-light aspects of particular interest and importance in understanding how the cave formed It should be controlled via a motion sensor activated timer switch which ‘re-sets’ itself

to zero elapsed time as described earlier in the section “Immediate Action”

This means that the ’path lighting’ will be on all day and the ‘scene lighting’ only on while there

are visitors moving through that particular part of the cave It is important to ensure that Guards stationed in the cave are instructed not to move about within the detection range of the sensors

It is also very important for the Parks Management Board to have an understanding that cave lighting is as much an ‘art form’ as it is a technical achievement

The finished product must be safe for park staff and visitors, environmentally sound, instrumental

in serving to help interpret the geological and cultural history of the cave while at the same time

be aesthetically pleasing

While it is technically possible to prepare a concept plan indicating an assessment of how many

and what type of lights are required the Management Board must also understand that the exact location of the light fittings can only be determined on-site as the lights are being installed and

this exact location dictated by:

 The aesthetic appeal of the object/area being illuminated

 The story the object tells about the cave

 The amount of ambient light reflected to the floor of the cave for visitor safety and the accumulative impact of each light added to the system as light is reflected by the various surfaces in the cave

 How readily the light fitting can be concealed

 Most importantly each light must be checked from many different locations to ensure that the glare of the light is not directed into the eyes of cave visitors

Implementation of the Project

If the task of installing a lighting system according to a conceptual plan is given to a contactor then a disaster is the most likely outcome

It is critically important that the task of overseeing the lighting installation is the responsibility of

a park employed person who has some affinity with the cave environment and those selected to undertake the actual works understand why they are doing the work and how their behaviour while in the cave must not be allowed to damage the cave

To progress this concept it is proposed that the lead electrician for the Park who is most likely

to be in charge of the installation and subsequent maintenance of the lighting system be provided with a 10 day work experience/training program in Mulu NP

The following pages provide the conceptual plan for the proposed lighting system for Phong Nha

Cave and Tien Son Cave based on sensor controlled timers activating a series of LED lighting fixtures specifically designed for cave lighting

These are commercially available from an Australian based company, and while such light fitting

are expensive to buy;

 they require minimal power

 they require only very small cable sizes

 they operate on a 24volt power supply and have a high tolerance for ‘voltage drop’

 they are guaranteed for 50,000 hours!

The 24 volt LEDs must be wired to a 220volt/24volt power supply unit These are available in various size capacities from 72watts through to 250watts, but the power supply units should not

be loaded to more than 80% of their rated operating maximum

NOTE

The number and location of each switch, control box and light fitting is purely indicative

The precise location of control boxes will be reviewed in conjunction of the location of existing 220 volt mains distribution boards within the caves The precise location and type of light fitting can only be determined as each individual light in installed and the cumulative effect of each additional light is evaluated

sub-The schedule of materials provided is a guide which will require review once the work has been initiated and the estimated unit cost of general materials are based on current retail costs in Malaysia The estimated cost

of the LED components and the power supply units is based on 2009 costs ex Australia It does not include any provision for freight or Vietnamese import duties

The author accepts No Responsibility for any variance between the following recommended quantities and their indicative costs and what is eventually required and what

it actually costs

3.4.1(b) i THE CONCEPTUAL LIGHTING PLAN FOR BIKY

Also required are 15 units each of 1.5 watt narrow, wide and rectangular beam LED’s to be placed as required to hi-light particular features of the cave and/or to add light to the darker sections

24volt power supply to sensor controlled lights

2 way sensor switch

Sensor switch UPS with manual timer switch

40watt wide beam LED 18watt narrow beam LED

12 watt wide beam LED 12 watt narrow beam LED

6 watt wide beam LED 6 watt narrow beam LED

6 watt ultra wide beam LEDs manually switched via UPS

1.5 watts LED 2.5mm 24volt cable to sensor controlled LEDs 2.5mm 24volt cable to manually controlled LEDs

3.4.1(b) ii THE CONCEPTUAL LIGHTING PLAN FOR FAIRY AND ROYAL

GROTTO

The estimated LED lighting requirements include 3 units x 40watt wide beam, 13 units x 12 watt wide beam, 8 units x 12 watt narrow beam, 9 units x 6 watt ultra wide beam, 11 units x 6 watt wide beam and 28 units x 6 watt narrow beam

Also required are 40 units each of 1.5 watt narrow, wide and rectangular beam LED’s

to be placed as required to hi-light particular features of the cave and/or to add light to dark parts of the walkway

3.4.1 (b) iii THE CONCEPTUAL LIGHTING PLAN FOR TIEN SON CAVE

24volt power supply to sensor controlled lights

2 way sensor switch

Sensor switch UPS with manual timer switch

40watt wide beam LED 18watt narrow beam LED

12 watt wide beam LED 12 watt narrow beam LED

6 watt wide beam LED 6 watt narrow beam LED

6 watt ultra wide beam LEDs manually switched via UPS

1.5 watts LED 2.5mm 24volt cable to sensor controlled LEDs 2.5mm 24volt cable to manually controlled LEDs

The estimated LED lighting requirements include 30 units x

12 watt wide beam, 15 units x 12 watt narrow beam, 17 units

x 6 watt ultra wide beam, 16 units x 6 watt wide beam and

18 units x 6 watt narrow beam

Also required are 70 units of narrow beam, 40 units rectangular beam and 30 units of wide beam 1.5volt LED

EST'D UNIT Grotto Royal Cave Passage total COST - us$ TOTAL

220 volt sub-mains power

220/12 volt Uninterrupted

1.5watt narrow beam LED 15 40 70 25 150 $67.50 10,125.00 1.5watt rectangular beam LED 15 40 40 25 120 $67.50 8,100.00 MISCELLANEOUS CONNECTORS/FASTENERS/

CONTINGENCY COSTS FOR

3.4.1 (d) Human Resource Costs

Estimating the cost to redevelop an existing tourist cave is very difficult for a number of reasons

The first question to ask is “how long will it take to do?’ and the answer is dependent on the second and third question ‘Who will do the work?’ and ‘will the cave be closed while the work is being done?’

If the answer to the second question is ‘an external contractor selected on the basis of

competitive tender’ and ‘yes’ to the third then the answer is ‘not very long at all’ because the

contractor will want to get in out and as fast as possible The results will be mediocre at best and potentially disastrous

If the cave is to be kept open during the work then there will be serious liability issues to resolve before the work starts

If the answer to the second question is ‘existing staff’ and ‘no’ then the work will take a lot more time – but the quality of the end product will be vastly superior If the cave or parts of the cave can be closed then the work will progress more quickly and more smoothly, but it is not always possible to close the caves completely

A workable solution may be to negotiate a flexible working day with the staff and / or other human resources involve such that they start at say 1200 hours and undertake preparatory work in the cave until a meal break at 1600 hours They resume work at 1700 when the last visitors have left and then work to 2100hours on tasks which cannot effectively be undertaken while tourists are present

With an experienced team of say 2 electricians and 2 to 4 general workers providing assistance under a project leader who makes the final decision of aesthetic placement of lights it is believed that the following time commitment would be needed

1- Training and development (5 people x 10 days) 50 person days 2- Planning and site assessment (3 people x 10 days) 30 person days 3- Installation of sensor switching and Power Supply Units and

the UPS with manual timer switches in the

 Fairy and Royal Grottos (5 people x 5 days) 25 person days

Note* All work to date can be done during a normal work day When this part of the work is complete there will be the old wiring and 220volt lighting system in place along with the new 24volt sensor and timer switch wiring To determine where the LED lights are best position it will be necessary to turn the old lighting system off This means that unless the cave is to be closed during the following phase then the flexible work day option will need to be invoked

From 1200 to 1600hours the team will lay cables and connect some of the new LED lights After a meal break they recommence working at 1700hours when the exiting lighting system is turned off in order to connect and place each LED fitting

As each section is completed the old lights can be disconnected and removed from the cave

4- Installation of LED lighting and simultaneous removal of the existing lighting system in:

a BiKy Grotto (5 people x 10days) 50 person days The majority of lighting here will be ‘ambient lighting’ of the

walkway provided by light from LED’s reflected from the walls and roof of the cave It will be a good area for the team to practice their skills for the more difficult areas to come

b The river passage (10 persons x 8 days) 80 person days This will require the use of two boats and the support

of at least 2 additional general labourers

c Fairy and Royal Grottos (5 people x 20 days) 100 person days After the more simple task of lighting BiKy Grotto followed by the

physical challenge of the river passage phase of the project, the team will now by challenged by the highly arbitrary choice of light placement based on personal taste It will be important for the team to understand that it is not necessary to light every little part of the cave and that the lighting to highlight the most important aspects of the caves features in terms of telling the story of how the cave formed

Although by this time the team is expected to be more efficient, the looped nature of the walkway in Tien Son will result in a large amount of time lost to checking for ‘hot-spots’ or glare in people’s eyes from other parts of the walkway

In total an estimated 475 person days over a project period of 5 to 8 months will be required to install a new LED based lighting system in Phong Nha and Tien Son caves

On completion of the new installation it is essential that all of the old light fittings and all of the old cable which has not been re-used for the new low voltage lighting is removed from the cave and disposed of appropriately

Food and sugared drinks should not be carried in to caves as any food scraps or spillage of sugared drinks will provide artificial food sources which severely disrupt the natural ecology of caves

Paper products may not register as ‘food’ to us but they certainly do to a huge range of organisms so paper products of any sort should not be discarded in caves Aluminium can and foil wrappers left in caves will interact with the limestone to produce polluting minerals while plastics and glass, although inert, are aesthetically displeasing

micro-Cigarette smoke and cigarette butts are highly poisonous to cave fauna and damaging to the cave environment to the extent of corroding the cave formations

From March 2009 to March 2010 there was a notable reduction in the obvious litter and it was apparent that a process of cleaning had been put in place There were however still rubbish bins in the caves and while the rubbish which was easily seen had been removed there was still a large amount of rubbish hidden behind cave formations and many thousands of cigarette butts still litter the floor

A peculiar amount of money in very small denomination notes was found on each occasion the caves were visited It seems that tourists are told that leaving money in the caves will bring them luck (Perhaps even more luck to the guards working in the cave?)

 A major clean-up of the caves is required immediately

A team of 4 people are to systematically move through the caves and search out all hidden rubbish, place it in bags and remove it from the caves It is important that they look very closely at the floor of the cave to identify all cigarette butts and remove these as well This should be done systematically and by the same small team so that it

does not become the matter of ’But I thought someone else was doing that part!’

 The staff must be subjected to an intensive training program so that they understand the implications of smoking in the cave, of allowing food and drinks to be taken into the caves, of leaving any rubbish in the cave AND that they have a major role in preventing these things

 The Park Director must prohibit the carriage of food, cans, and bottles into the caves

 Rubbish bins must not be provided in the caves and a strict policy of ‘you carried it in so you must carry it out!’ must be enforced

Most of the Park staff have had little (if any) exposure to cave management practices in other countries and are unaware of basic standard practices which should be in place to protect the caves

The Guides and Guards are not provided with a uniform which suggests that they are in fact in charge

of behaviour in the caves, and they do not seem to be fully aware that they are in charge of behaviour

It is essential that this be addressed by

3.6 LIMITED MANAGEMENT CAPACITY

3.5 ACCUMULATION OF LITTER WITHIN THE CAVES

 providing training of staff to control the behaviour of visitors in the caves,

 providing all guides and guards with a uniform

 providing a ‘train the trainer’ program in collaboration with other World Heritage cave sites and establish an ongoing staff training program

A critical aspect of presenting a World Heritage Property to visitors is to provide sufficient information for them to understand the significance of the site in terms of its World Heritage and other attributes They should also be provided with sufficient orientation and general information to understand the layout of the site and where the various amenities are located, what the procedures are for visiting key and restricted areas within the site and what the local rules and protocols

The information available is limited to the cost of boats and the cost of cave entry fees and some behavioural signage placed at the entrance to Tien Son Cave (in Vietnamese language only) while the

‘No Smoking’ signs were in English only

Interpretation by guides is unreliable in the sense that going with a guide is optional and even if this option is taken then the content of information provided is focused on fantasy based entertainment

It is essential that this is resolved by:

 preparing and implementing a park signage plan to improve visitor orientation and basic information

 preparing and implementing a park interpretation plan

 developing a cave guide training plan

 requiring all visitors to the caves to be

o briefed about behaviour in the caves

o accompanied by a park employed or park licensed person

3.7.1 A CONCEPTUAL SIGNAGE PLAN FOR PHONG NHA – KE BANG NATIONAL PARK

Signage within National Parks is provided to serve a variety of purposes from basic identification

of the simple fact that the area is a National Park to legal requirements regarding public safety and obligations to complex signage to interpret what park visitors are experiencing

The signs may be all text, or text with graphic diagrams or photo images or simply internationally recognized symbols

It is a sad but well known fact that most people – particularly people on leisure trips – don’t read signs, and it is also a sad but well known fact that the more signs that are visible from any given point, the less likely they are to be read

It is therefore very important to the success of the signage that unnecessary signs are not detracting from those that really are necessary

Background

During three visits to the tourist caves of the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park between March

2009 and March 2010 a considerable amount of inappropriate behaviour was observed Such behaviour included smoking and eating in the caves, spitting, touching and climbing over the cave formations – even when it meant climbing over the barrier fence which says KEEP OUT!

3.7 INSUFFICIENT SITE ORIENTATION, INFORMATION AND INTERPRETATION

Screaming and shouting don’t particularly harm the cave but, for other people in the cave at the same time it certainly detracts from the experience of visiting the caves

The lack of orientation and information signage upon arrival and around the Park is a contributing factor to the undisciplined behaviour of many visitors, much of which is the product

of ignorance and indifference rather than malice or mischief

The lack of interpretation of the Park’s values, purpose and significance is a contributing factor leading to the indifference of visitors to the impact of their behaviour on the sustainability of visiting the caves

Proposal

To address the visitor management issues it is proposed that a comprehensive park signage plan

be developed The plan must determine the location, purpose and design principles (size, colours, fonts, mountings) for all signs (directional, orientation, information, interpretation) leading to and within the Park

In parallel with a signage plan, a park interpretation plan which identifies what is to be interpreted, to whom the interpretation is targeted and what mediums for interpretation (maps, leaflets, brochures, booklets, books, on-site and off-site posters and panel signage, guided tours, audio visual presentations and internet web sites) will be used

AIM OF THE CONCEPTUAL SIGNAGE PLAN

To provide the management of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park with a guideline for the development of a detailed plan for all signage within and associated with the Park

OBJECTIVES

 To create a sense of arrival at an important place

 To inform visitors of the Park’s World Heritage status

 To communicate the recreation opportunities provided within the Park

 To communicate the restrictions to behaviour within the Park

 To enhance visitor experience by providing orientation to the Park and directions to points of interest

 To manage risk by identifying potential physical and behavioural hazards

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Signage should be kept to a minimum and every sign must serve a distinct purpose

Multiple signs should be clustered rather than scattered

As the Park’s visitors comprise a diversity of language groups, sign text will be provided in Vietnamese as the primary language and in English as the secondary language

International symbols will be substituted for written signs in all appropriate circumstances, or added to text signs as an aid to comprehension

To present a cohesive signage system all signs within the Park will be designed within determined standards

pre-Different standards should be set for different signage functions

(E.g promotional, identifying, informative, instructive, directive signs will be varied, but within a fixed framework.)

Standards will include appropriate consistent graphic design (font size, style, and colour) and selection of base materials

Signage, which may encourage visitor access to places which require an accompanying Park guide, will not be provided

(E.g Wild caves will not be sign posted as uncontrolled as visitation can be detrimental to the conservation values of the caves Identifying signs and legal warnings may be provided at the cave entrance if required to minimize impacts.)

Definitions

Promotional means to inform and encourage potential visitors to the Park These will be external

to the Park and located in such places as airports, travel agents offices and hotel lobbies They will be primarily photo images with very limited text

Place/Feature Identifying means to name a particular place of significance This includes the main

signs to create a sense of arrival at the Park entrances, signs to identify a cave or river junction

of significance These will be text with no images

Orienting means to provide visitors with an understanding of:

 The location of attractions and facilities within the Park

 The range of recreation/education opportunities available

 Particular requirements and limitations and generally, these will be a schematic map/plan with inset text and images

Safety Warning means to identify hazardous places or specific restrictions to activities that pose a threat to visitor safety while Legal Warning means to inform visitors what is not permitted

behaviour in the Park (These are essentially text only or a combination of text and International Standards symbols.)

Directive means to provide visitors with clear advice on which way to proceed to desired

destinations such as attractions or amenities such as washrooms and refreshment sales areas

Interpretive means to provide an understanding of a function or a process of significance such as geological features or interfaces between forest types while Informative means to provide general

information about the Park, its features and attributes (These are usually a combination of graphics, photo image and text.)

Materials

The selection of materials for each type of sign should be based on location, aesthetic values and cost effectiveness