COMPARING FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN VIETNAM: ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES

The case study of Tam Thai commune, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province
GIS group, Center for Argicultural Research and Ecological Studies

The uplands of Vietnam are in a state of deepening environmental and social crisis. Over the past 40 years, extensive deforestation has seriously depleted the natural resource base. Biodiversity has plummeted (Jamieson et al. 1998; Quy 2002).Forest cover of Vietnam dramatically declined from 43% forest cover in 1943 to 28.4% in 1990 (Quy 2002).

Several reasons for deforestation in Vietnam were brought out by scholars (CRES 1997; De Koninck 1999), such as war destruction, population growth, over exploitation, shifting cultivation, expansion of agricultural land and building new economic zones, forest fire, poverty, recently hydro-power dam and road construction. The report named Root Cause of Biodiversity Loss in Vietnam conducted by CRES (1997) states that the macro policies and their forms were the main factors causing deforestation in the country. According to the report, State Forest Enterprises (SFEs) were responsible for the loss of perhaps 80,000 ha of forest per year during the period of collectivization from 1986 to 1991. Moreover, Lung (2001) stated that one of the most important reasons of forest loss over the country was the lack of a appropriate regime and a forest institution despite of the launch of many forest policies over decades.

The government of Vietnam has put on so much effort to improve the situation. One of the important actions was the improvement of the land tenure systems whose part was forest management through the issue of the Land Law in 1993.The new regulation has concerned the allocation of forestland to individual households, social organizations. The revised Forest Protection and Development Law passed by the National Assembly in the late 2004 has been acknowledging residential communities as legal entities to which forests are allocated. A series of programs has been conducting to improve forest cover and local livelihood, but the effectiveness

Up to date, there has been actually existing kind of mixed systems of forest institutions between common and private property in Vietnam. The forest institutions including state, household, and community are all responsible for managing and protecting over forest resource. State forest enterprises (SFE) are responsible for forest management on behalf of state. Households are responsible for management of allocated forests by given the usufruct certificates, whilst communities are responsible for managing and protecting so-called community and/or spirit forests through signed contracts with the government.

Community forestry, in reality, has been existing for generations in Vietnam, and is reflected in the forest protection customs and management rules of many ethnic minorities and traditional villages (Quan and Mai 2000). However, the community forestry has been influenced by the land reforms of government during 1960s due to the massive changes of collectivization strategy. Fortunately, practices of common property have been still presenting and functioning in many places with potential advantages for sustainable forest management until present.

On the contrast, the household systems have shown some disadvantages in term of social and ecological performances.The extent of social differentiation between the richer and the poorer households has increased due to forest land allocation (CRES 1999; T.D. Vien, et, 2005). Those with capital and stronger social connections have gained control over large tracts of hill land while more disadvantaged households have obtained much smaller plots or lost out entirely (Cuc et al. 1996). In addition, several authors have shared the same conclusion that while forest cover in Vietnam has increased in the last few years according to the official statistics, the quality of the forest continues to decline (Quy 2002; SIDA 2003).

In reality, the problems facing in the upland region of Vietnam and other area over the world imply effects of forest institutional arrangements on socio-economic and environmental aspects.

OBJECTIVES:

General objective:

To compare forest management systems in selected area, and based on that to find out which is the most efficient system/policy to archive a sustainable management for the forest

Specific objectives:

Understanding the present situation of forest management and the outcomes of forest land allocation policy in the study site

Understanding the effectiveness of forest institutions by discovering bio-ecological and socio-economic outcomes of the forest management systems in the study site; and

Proposing appropriate tenure and institutions towards sustainable forest management and poverty reduction in the uplands

METHODOLOGY:

Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to comparing outcomes of the three forest management systems.

1. Secondary data collection

The author will concentrate on two main fields including forest policy and land tenure issues. All of main forestry polices and forest management of Vietnam from the past will be reviewed and analyzed. Therefore, it provides a historical background of the social and ecological context of changes and trend over time.

2. Field study

In order to assess ecological outcomes of the three forest management systems, 3 sampled plots under different management systems will be investigated. The bio-ecological outcomes, which include several major criteria, such as number of species, diameter at tree breast height (dbh), number of saplings, and biomass produced by different forest institutions, will be measured.

2.1. Plant diversity index measurement

The researcher is going to conduct survey on standard plots (10 m x 10 m) under the similary-controled biophysical conditions but different management systems, which will reflect through different stake-holder groups. The geographical location and elevation of each standard plot will be recorded by using a global positioning system (GPS). The author will receive technical supports from botanical expert in identifying plant species. Diameter at breast height of trees is also measured in order to understand forest growth by each management systems.

2.2. Socio-economic data collection

Since one of the objectives of this research is to look at contribution of different forest management systems into local livelihoods. In which, three groups of households having resource from the forest under the different three management systems will be selected to study. Therefore, it is necessary to apply social survey methods such as in depth household interview, key informant, and group meeting/interviewing . Beside that, the socio-economic data collected would be helpful for analyzing and interpreting ecological outcomes of forest institutions. It would explain why and how the forest institution could achieve the ecological outcomes.

3. Spatial analysis

• Satellite imageries will be used to generate landuse/landcover maps by using image processing and classification in combination with field sampling.
• GIS (geographic information system) techniques will be used to compare landuse/landcover change.

4. Field data analysis

• Description statistic
• T-Test will be applied to compare out come of forest institution systems

EXPECTED RESULTS:

• Ecological outcomes from forest management systems
• Economic outcomes from forest management systems
• A scientific report with implications regarding forestry policy

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