Sustainable forest management in Vietnam: Transferring forest rights in a “socialist market” Nhung Lu Rots NINA & NMBU

Is reforestation process in Vietnam ‘a successful story’ after “Đổi mới” ? Will transferring forest rights lead to sustainable forestry management?

Deforestation in Vietnam 1954: forests cover 43% total land surface 1990: 27%(FAO, 2009) Deforestation in mangrove forests: 5%/year (Pham et al., 2012)

Causes of forest loss Land conversion to agriculture Unsustainable logging Institutions Market forces Infrastructure construction

Impact of intensive logging Deforestation Fragmented habitats Changes in ecosystems Land degradation Challenges in water management

State Forest Enterprises 1975-1995: the ‘Golden age’ of state enterprises in Vietnam State forest enterprises (SFEs): were given high logging quotas conducted logging without replanting or replant with poor seedling (McElwee, 2012) Networks of wood trade in Indochina

“Đổi mới” and reforms in forestry sector 1991- Forest Protection and Development Law Decentralization of forest management(devolution process) Forest land was redistributed to households and small forest managers National reforestation programs: new forest plantations 1992: Decree 327-QD - Reforestation program 2006: Five million hectare Program In 2000s: Privatization of state forestry enterprises

Replanting trees About 250 out of 400 SFEs are still in operation Changes in forest area in Vietnam (Nguyen, 2008) About 250 out of 400 SFEs are still in operation 1990-2005: Forest land increases +2.54% Fast growing species: eucalyptus, acacia and pine

Devolution process in Vietnam Share land use, timber benefit and natural forest resources between people and forest companies People have rights to collect timber (partial right) and non timber forest products (total right) Households have to apply logging permit for timber Households who do not have the legal right collect more timber than those who do

Mangrove forests in the Mekong Delta Subject to loss of forest cover and forest degradation due to land conversion into aquaculture areas National reforestation program neglects o replant trees in large mangrove areas Shrimp farming pollutes coastal water and depletes mangrove forests

Mangrove’s ecosystem services Protect coastal areas Improve soil nutrition Conserve biodiversity Contain mangrove-associated flora (bacteria, fungi, alga… ) and mangrove-associated fauna (zooplankton, shrimp, birds and mammals…) Provide livelihood for millions of people in Vietnam

Shrimp farming in mangrove forests Construct shrimp ponds in mangrove forests Use coastal tides to regulate water, seedling and feed Stocking density: 2-5 shrimp/m2 (traditional practices) and 6-8 shrimp/m2 (improved extensive systems) The production yield: 200-300kg/ha (traditional)and 800-1500kg/ha (improved) Mangroves’ roles: promoting high shrimp yields, balancing the natural environment and preventing shrimp diseases

Forest rights and the standing mangrove trees Forestry laws in Vietnam regulate: mangrove wood can only be harvested 11 years after planting mangrove area: 50-70% of the total farm land. An unfair sharing system of mangrove wood (Ha, van Dijk and Bush, 2012): Most farmers do not have full rights over their mangrove forests Farmers have to sell mangrove wood to forest companies at given price shrimp revenue is 1539USD/ha year while income from mangrove wood is 596USD/ha per production cycle of 15 years

Sustainable forestry management Decision 10/QD.UB (22/9/2010) by the authorities of Ca Mau province Long-term land use rights are transferred from forest companies to farmers REDD+ and Payment for Environment Services: secured farmers’ right over the mangrove forests and shrimp ponds FAO: certifying farmers who own sustainably managed shrimp farms (WWF, 2015)

Conclusion “Đổi mới” and forest transition in Vietnam Mangrove forests in the Mekong Delta Forest devolution and sustainable forest management

Sources FAO (2009). Vietnam forestry outlook study. Working Paper No. APFSOS II/WP/2009/09. Bangkok, Thailand: Forestry and Agriculture Organization Ha, T. T. T., van Dijk, H., Bush, S. R. (2012). Mangrove conservation or shrimp farmer’s livelihood? The devolution of forest management and benefit sharing in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Ocean & Coastal Management 69, (2012), 185- 193. McElwee, P. (2009). Reforesting “bare hills” in Vietnam: Social and environmental consequences of the 5 million hectare reforestation programme. Ambio, 38(6), 325–333. Nguyen, T. Q. (2008a). Re-inventing forestry agencies: institutional restructuring of forestry agencies in Viet Nam since 1994. In Durst et. al. (eds.). Re-inventing forestry agencies: Experiences of institutional restructuring in Asia and the Pacific, p. 19-44. Bangkok, Thailand: Food and Agriculture Organization. Pham,T.T., Moeliono, M., Nguyen,T.H., Nguyen, H.T., Vu, T.H. (2012). The context of REDD+ in Vietnam: Drivers, agents and institutions. Occasional Paper 75. CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia. WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature (2015). Sustainable financing in the Mekong Delta. Final report, April, 2015.

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