News

Second Mekong Resources Forum opens

The second Mekong Resources Forum on investment cooperation and the sustainable development of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) – was held in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on May 10, 2013.

Another five-needle pine species discovered in Vietnam

The third among world’s five-needle pine species, after Pinus dalatensis and Pinus kwangtungensis, has been recorded for Vietnam in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve, Son La province. The white pine with large cones and wingless seeds was preliminarily identified as Pinus armandii. Its current conservation status is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), requiring immediate protection. In addition to conservation values, this pine species also has potential uses in forest plantation for timber and for edible seeds.

Forest habitat in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve. 

In bonsai art five-needle pines are considered as a symbol of strength and beauty due to its neat and solid looking trunk, with fresh green coniferous foliage harmoniously arranged on the branches. The five-needle pines are used to create many bonsai shapes, ranging from simple to complex, from modest to sophisticated, but wherever the tree always reserves its noble but very lively contemplation.

Five-needle pines have been on top of dream collections of many Vietnamese bonsai growers. Some enthusiasts spend lots of money trying to get a specimen of the five-needle pine from China or Japan in their bonsai collection. However, these pines cannot tolerate climate and soil conditions in lowland of Vietnam. Therefore, many bonsai lovers eventually lost their trees after one or two years of unsuccessful cultivation.

However, not many bonsai growers know that there are five-needle pines growing naturally in forests of Vietnam. Vietnam has not one but three species of five-needle pines. Two species Pinus dalatensis and Pinus kwangtungensis have been known since the French colonial time. In January 2013, a research team of PanNature discovered a population of another five-needle pine species in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve in Son La province. The pine species grows relatively straight with height from15 – 25 m and diameter at breast level reaches 0.8 m.

Collection of specimens of the five-needle pine.

Different from Pinus kwangtungensis, this new pine has leaf bundles with very long needles of 12 – 24 cm, drooping down. Seed cones are quite large with length of 7-10 cm and diameter of 5-7 cm, containing many big seeds of 0.5 x 1 cm in average size. Particularly, seeds of this species do not have real wings.

The population of the five-needle pine in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve grows in a nearly pure stand with total estimated number of mature trees around 200 individuals in an area of approximately 6 square km. This is a mountainous area of altitude from 900 to 1,200 m on clay soil developing on mother sandy stones. Mature individuals of this pine distribute quite evenly in the area. Regenerating saplings are very rare. Only 3 young seedlings (two year old) were observed. Under the pine canopy there is a layer of shrubs and small trees of 2-3 m high, including species of families Theaceae, Lauraceae and dense clumps of small bamboos and tall grasses.

In lower elevation down of the pine ridge, there are primary evergreen forests with occurrence of other conifer species such as Podocarpus neriifolius and Dacrycarpus imbricatus. On the cliffs of the revealed sand stones an interesting slipper orchid has been found. The leaves of the orchid are of white-green color with dark-green spots. Although its flowers were not observed, the orchid is premilinarily identified as Paphiopedilum appletonianum, an orchid species normally found in the Central Highland.

The newly discovered five-needle pine species has many distinctive characteristics as compare to the known Pinus dalatensis and Pinus kwangtungensis. Based on the collected specimens and existing information, it has been preliminary identified by taxonomic experts as Pinus armandii, or the Chinese White Pine.

In China, this pine species distributes from Southern Shandong to Southern Gansu in the West and to Southern Yunnan in the South, with some isolated populations in Anhui and Taiwan. The species is also found in the North of Myanmar.

The new population of Pinus armandii found in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve therefore is the furthest distribution in the South of this species and is separated from the nearest population in Yunnan. This feature suggests that the pine in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve may belong to another variety rather than the white pine in China. Additional study should be done to clarify the taxonomic position of this pine species.

Chinese White Pine is named after the French missionaries and naturalist Armand David, who was the first one introduced the tree into Europe. The species now is planted as a horticultural tree in parks and gardens in Europe and Northern America. The pine also plays important role in forest plantation in some areas in China. Seeds of this pine are collected and sold as edible food. Wood of this species is used in general construction.

The population of five-needle pine in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve is the only known population of this species in Vietnam. Since it has a limited number of individuals, small area of occurrence, low regeneration ability due to wingless seeds, we recommend that the pine should be categorized as Critically Endangered (CR) in Vietnam. Pinus armandii should be included in the national list of endangered species for strict protection for its valuable genetic resource. At the same time, research on propagation and cultivation of the pine as a new potential tree for forest plantation in the Northwestern region should also be considered.

Below are some photos of the five-needle pine in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve. Photo credit should be given to Minh Xuan/PanNature if used.

Pine stump.

Pine trunk.

Pine canopy.

Pine young cones.

Pine seeds.

Pine cone branch.

PanNature joins conservation groups to honor outstanding journalists and law enforcement officers for wildlife conservation efforts

Hanoi, April 22, 2013 – Today Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV), under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s ARREST Program, hosted Vietnam’s first national awards ceremony to honor five excellent individuals for their outstanding contributions to wildlife protection.

The Outstanding Service in Wildlife Protection Awards Ceremony, held at the Hilton Hanoi Opera hotel, recognized three law enforcement officers and two journalists, who were selected from more than 60 nominations received during 2012.

A panel of judges with representatives from the U.S. Embassy, ENV, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature), TRAFFIC, and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) selected the five award winners:

• Mr. Tran Thanh Binh – Head of Lam Dong Forest Protection Department
• Mr. Nguyen Van Duong – Deputy Head of Environmental Crime Prevention, Quang Ninh Police
• Mr. Hoang Hai Van – Journalist with Thanh Nien Newspaper
• Mr. Lam Hieu Nghia – Team Leader of Team Two, Division of Environmental Police, Ho Chi Minh City Police
• Mr. Nguyen Duy Tuan – Journalist, VietnamNet Online Newspaper

“We are very proud to recognize these five individuals today,” said Ms. Vu Thi Quyen, Executive Director and Founder of ENV. “On any given day, the situation in Vietnam can look rather bleak for wildlife, but these award winners are some of our most valuable partners in the movement forward towards a better future for Vietnam’s wildlife. It is important that we show our appreciation for their efforts, for their dedication and commitment to making a difference, and for helping to transform the way we protect our rich natural heritage.”

US Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Ms. Claire Pierangelo, the ceremony’s guest of honor, praised the efforts of the award winners. “There is no quick fix for wildlife conservation,” she said. “But by working together, we – government, the international community, civil society, and individuals like today’s award winners – can protect Vietnam’s wildlife and eliminate the demand for trafficked goods.”

Mrs. Vu Thi Quyen,Executive Director and Founder of ENV, delivering the opening remarks. Photo: ENV.

Mr. Nguyen The Dong, Deputy Director General, Vietnam Environment Administration, MONRE, delivering a speech. Photo: ENV.

Mr. Taylor Tinney, Representative of US Embassy, delivering a speech. Photo: ENV.

Mr. Trinh Le Nguyen, Executive Director of PanNature, announcing the Outstanding Journalist Award. Photo: Xa Cam.

Read the full press release on ENV’s website here.

Source: ENV

A community of endangered conifers found in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve

During a field survey in the middle of December 2012 PanNature’s research team discovered an area near Pha Luong peak in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve (Son La province) where several precious and rare coniferous tree species are thriving. These conifers include Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus mannii) and two species of Catkin Yew (Amentotaxus).

The investigation in Xuan Nha Reserve is a part of the project “Conservation of conifer tree species in Hoa Binh – Son La limestone corridor” implemented by PanNature and supported by the Rufford Small Grants.

The forest area is about 120 hectares, locating in the southwest slope of Pha Luong mountain (at altitude 1,580 -1,635 m) in the boundary of Cot Moc village (Tan Xuan commune, Moc Chau district, Son La province) and adjacent to Xam Neua district (Lao PDR). There is a mixed subtropical mountainous forest grown on sandstone. Three rare conifer species were found in this area, including Cephalotaxus mannii, Amentotaxus argotaenia and Amentotaxus yunnanensis.

The population of Cephalotaxus mannii in Pha Luong consists of 10 mature trees. Some of them reach 25m in height and 0.8 m in diameter. Trees growing on rock cliffs of the mountain are usually smaller, with main stems broken and many side branchlets. The team also found  dozens of young seedlings of Cephalotaxus mannii well regenerating on moist humus layer of the forest.

Bark of Cephalotaxus mannii trees has brown-red color, peeling away into thin layers. The upper side of its leaves is dark green while the underside has white stomatal bands. Cephalotaxus mannii is scatteredly distributed in Vietnam. Its current conservation status is listed as Vulnerable (VU) in both Vietnam Red Data Book (2007) and IUCN Red List. The species is also included in the Appendix IIA of the Decree 32 of Government of Vietnam on Management of Endangered, Precious, and Rare Species of Wild Plants and Animals.

A sapling of Cephallotaxus mannii in Pha Luong mountain

In the same area where the population of Cephalotaxus grows, the research team also found a big tree of Amentotaxus yunnanensis. It has a large trunk, with diameter 85 cm and height approximate 30 m. Amentotaxus yunnanensis is a very rare conifer listed as endangered (EN) in the IUCN Red List. It is normally found on limestone areas in Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang provinces. In Pha Luong, the tree just grows on the sandstone-derived clay soil and has an unusual large size. In the past, a similar tree of Amentotaxus yunnanensis with the same size was found in Pu Luong Nature Reserve (Thanh Hoa province).

Another species of Amentotaxus was found  in Pha Luong area. The conifer is identified as Amentotaxus argotaenia. This species has two white stomata bands in the underside of its  leaves, which are narrower than the ones of Amentotaxus yunnanensis. The research team found only two young trees of 3-4 m height in the area. In Vietnam Amentotaxus argotaenia can be found in several areas but all the populations is relatively small. Its conservation status is ranked as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

Amentotaxus yunannensis with diameter of the trunk of 85 cm.

The existence of Plum and Catkin Yews on Pha Luong mountain has significant implications for research, conservation and biodiversity values of Xuan Nha Nature Reserve. Even though the forest area is not yet affected by human activities thanks to its remoteness, small population size, narrow area of occurrence, difficult natural regeneration and forest fires are all current threats to survival of these remaining conifer populations.

In additionto the above-mentioned species, the research team also observed occurrence of other conifers in adjacent areas such as Keteleeria evelyniana, Dacrycarpus imbricatus and Podocarpus neriifolius. These findings suggest further research and conservation work to explore and protect many potential biodiversity values of Xuan Nha Nature Reserve.

Reported by Dang XuanTruong and Phan Van Thang

Central coastal areas turn topsy-turvy with mineral exploitation

The whole land strip in the central region, which is believed to possess big tourism potentials with beautiful beaches, has been damaged by the mineral exploitation activities.

For the last many years, central region’s people have been nourishing the dream of getting rich from titanium exploitation.

Titanium is a very important material in the aviation and cosmology industry. Titanium and its products have become more and more expensive in the last 10 years.

The titanium dream

According to Truong Duc Chinh from the Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industry Group (Vinacomin), Vietnam ranks the 11th in the world in terms of titanium reserves. Of the 14 million tons worth of titanium reserves, 9 million tons are believed to be situated in the coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Ba Ria – Vung Tau, mostly in Ha Tinh.

The latest report of the Vietnam General Department of Geology and Minerals showed that a huge titanium source in the red sand layer, estimated at 200 million tons of heavy minerals, has been found in the south of the central region, from Ninh Thuan to Ba Ria – Vung Tau province.

The latest optimistic estimates say the reserves could be 650 million tons, a huge number if noting that the total titanium reserves all over the world are just 1,400 million tons.

The figures have made people hope that Vietnam would become a “titanium power.”

However, Pham Quang Tu, MA, Deputy Head of CODE, a development consultancy institute, stressed that the figure was just the predicted reserves, while it does not mean the figure Vietnam can exploit and sell for money.

“One must not entertain the illusion about the huge titanium reserves. It may happen that Vietnam can only exploit titanium in the areas with easy exploitation conditions, while the remaining would still be in earth’s crust forever, or they would be exploited, but have no economic value,” Tu said.

Hurrying to exploit titanium for sale for money

CODE and PanNature, which once conducted a survey in Binh Dinh province, the locality with the largest-scale titanium exploitation on the black sand layer, met a Chinese language interpreter, who did the marketing for a Chinese enterprise specializing in collecting titanium to export to China.

The interpreter said that the Chinese enterprise would buy all the titanium to be offered to it.

The years 2008-2009 were the highest peak time of titanium exploitation. At that time, 800,000 tons of titanium was exploited every year in Binh Dinh. The figure did not count on the illegally exploited titanium, which was not shown on the report. The figure 800,000 tons was much higher than the amount of titanium the Prime Minister allowed to exploit every year.

The Binh Dinh provincial authorities granted 36 licenses to enterprises, allowing to exploit titanium on an area of 656 hectares. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment granted 7 licenses.

On March 19, 2013, the People’s Committee of Ninh Thuan, the neighboring province of Binh Dinh, granted a license to Vinaminco Ninh Thuan, allowing the enterprise to exploit titanium on the area of 1,200 hectares in Thuan Nam district.

On the central beaches, titanium exploitation sites have mushroomed. It’s too easy to get titanium from the black sand layer. According to Dr Dang Trung Thuan, in Binh Dinh province, ore can be found just several meters beneath the sand layer.

The large-scale uncontrollable titanium exploitation has damaged a lot of beaches in the central region.

Source: VietNamNet Bridge

Consultation Workshop: Participatory Governance Assessment for REDD+ in Vietnam

The Participatory Governance Assessment for REDD+ in Viet Nam is about to complete Stage 1. The objectives of Stage 1 are: conducting an Institutional and Context Analysis for improved understanding of the context and identifying relevant stakeholders, and reaching agreement on prioritized governance issues that the PGA will be focusing on. To conduct stage 1 of the PGA, UNDP engaged a research team lead by Center for Sustainable Development in Mountainous Areas – CSDM in consortium with Centre of Research and Development in Upland Area – CERDA and Center for People and Nature Reconciliation – PanNature. All three organizations are national NGO. After three months of research, data collection, and interviews with stakeholders, on March 6th 2013, the research team held a consultation workshop in Da Lat with relevant stakeholders from the province and REDD+ pilot districts.

Groups discussion. Photo: Tina Hagerberg/UN-REDD Vietnam Program.

• Full report of the workshop
• Workshop presentation

Source: UN-REDD Vietnam Program

Improving the economic efficiency of the mining industry

On March 20, 2013, in Binh Dinh, the People’s Committee of Binh Dinh, People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) and Consultancy on Development Institute (CODE) have jointly organized the workshop on “Revenue management measures and improvement of the economic efficiency of the mining industry.” This is an opportunity for managers and experts to share experiences and methods for management of revenues from mineral resources in the world, discuss the cooperation to develop a revenue management model for mining activities in Binh Dinh, and propose policies for better governance of mineral resources at the national level.

Titanium mining in Binh Dinh.

It is known that Binh Dinh has abundant mineral resources. To date, the province has identified 24 kinds of mineral with 154 mines. The minerals with potential, both in terms of volume and quality, are titanium, building stone and hot mineral water. Each year, the revenues from resource and environmental charges of Binh Dinh are up to hundreds of billions of VND. However, a recent study of the Consultancy on Development Institute (CODE) has pointed out a number of shortcomings, in economic efficiency and revenue management, in mining activities in Binh Dinh that need to be addressed.

Source: MONRE

Bear rescue center escapes eviction in surprise decision

Vietnam’s sole bear sanctuary, facing eviction on spurious grounds allegedly cooked up in a corruption-ridden land dispute, has got the Prime Minister’s backing to stay put in a move that has surprised many.

Activists see it as a welcome, rare victory for conservation in the country, but are not confident this heralds an era where conservation efforts would prevail over vested interests.

The Tam Dao Bear Rescue Center will be allowed to sustain its operations and continue with the project to expand the bear sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc Province, about 42 miles north of Hanoi, a government decision said Tuesday (January 15).

This picture taken on March 14, 2012, shows bears at the Tam Dao Bear Rescue Center run by Animals Asia in Tam Dao National Park. The center, which houses animals saved from the Asian bile trade and has been at the center of a high-profile land dispute, will not be evicted, a government decision said January 16.

As late as last October, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had told Animals Asia, the Hong Kong-based animal welfare group running the US$2-million center, that the sanctuary should close down and move elsewhere if it can.

Conservationists did not have much hope that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who had the final say over the fate of the center, would act contrary to the advice of the agriculture ministry, and the decision has been a cause for cheer.

“I’m surprised by the outcome because we didn’t expect this kind of decision,” said Tuan Bendixsen, the Vietnam director of Animals Asia.

“This is a very significant decision that shows Vietnam is very committed to conservation and to saving the bears,” Bendixsen told Vietweek.

The agriculture ministry had ordered the center’s eviction following a July conclusion by the Ministry of Defense, which said that the expansion of the center, currently home to 104 Asiatic black bears rescued from Vietnamese farms and illegal wildlife trading, would affect national defense work in the area.

But conservationists dismissed this rationale as having no basis in reality.

“The national security case was never clearly articulated, whereas the costs of closing the center were well documented,” said Trinh Le Nguyen, executive director of People and Nature Reconciliation, a Hanoi-based local conservation group.

Animals Asia said evicting the center would spell doom for the mental and physical well-being of the bears, leaving over 70 Vietnamese staff jobless and compromising the nation’s commitment to conservation safeguards.

The charity group set up the center in 2005, when the agriculture ministry issued a directive on phasing out bear farming, a vocation notorious for the extraction of bear bile (sold mostly to Korean and Chinese visitors).

Those who sell bear bile extract it regularly in an agonizing procedure for the animals. The bile is used in traditional medicine. Usually, between 100-120ml is withdrawn at a time and sold for between $3 and $6 per milliliter.

Around 3,500 bears are being farmed in Vietnam, concentrated mostly in the north. Vietnam, China and South Korea are the only three countries in the world to legalize bear farming.

Conservationists have praised the sanctuary as one of the most successful conservation models in Vietnam.

In the dock

The government directive also asked that the agriculture ministry “verify the responsibility of the director of Tam Dao Park in…implementing regulations on the [bear sanctuary] project.” Any violations found must be dealt with seriously in accordance with the law, it said.

It is not clear if any action is being taken against the director, Do Dinh Tien.

“All I can say now is that everything will be carried out in accordance with the procedures,” said Ha Cong Tuan, deputy agriculture minister.

Animals Asia had accused Tien of aggressively lobbying the defense ministry to evict the sanctuary to give way for a hotel project planned by Truong Giang Company, of which his daughter is listed as a founding member.

“For the last year and a half, we have faced a lot of barriers and things that the Tam Dao Park director placed to close the project,” Bendixsen said.

“This is basically one man who tried to destroy the project for his own benefit.”

Tien, who has dismissed all the allegations of cronyism and corruption leveled against him, said he was not aware of the PM’s decision when reached by Vietweek on the day it was issued.

But he said this move did not surprise him at all.

“Now we will just have to do what we are told to do. I’ll answer all the questions brought to the table,” he said.

In November, the Associated Press quoted documents it had obtained as saying that Truong Giang Company had asked Tien for permission to lease 48 hectares of land in Tam Dao for an “ecological tourism and entertainment project.”

Truong Giang’s registration papers list Tien’s daughter, Do Thi Ngan, as one of its major shareholders, a document obtained by Vietweek showed.

But in an indication that other mysteries remain in the case, Ngan flatly rejected this.

“There is no such company,” Ngan told Vietweek.

She said she had quit her job as an administrative assistant at the bear sanctuary this month, unable to bear the hostility of her co-workers.

“I just have no idea about the dispute. I don’t know (anything) about my father’s business either,” she said.

“The thing is the closure of the center would have also made me jobless.”

‘Too early’

Activists say the dispute over the bear sanctuary is a vivid example of how conservation efforts are undermined by people with vested interests in Vietnam. They say that when developers want the land, power and money do the talking and environmental conservation has no chance of winning.

In Vietnam, “all too often, it seems the voices who are heard with regard to the trade-offs only seem to be the well-connected, politically powerful, or rich people, and the benefits of the trade-offs seem to accrue to those powerful and wealthy people as well,” said Pam McElwee, an assistant professor of human ecology at Rutgers University with extensive research experience in Vietnam’s protected areas.

All land in Vietnam is owned by the state. But because land-use rights are not always clear or protected, they remain a “super-lucrative” commodity sought by vested interest groups who put business benefits before anything else, experts say.

Vietnam’s legal system incorporates a large number of globally accepted principles on environmentally sustainable management, and it is one of the few countries with a biodiversity law, a World Bank report said in 2010.

But in practice, such provisions are minor considerations in land use and infrastructure-planning decisions, it added.

Given that Vietnam’s current growth trajectory does not hold out much hope for conservation efforts, the Tam Dao sanctuary decision is likely to be a-flash-in-the-pan victory, experts say.

“It is too early to say if this marks a trend,” said Jake Brunner, program coordinator for Vietnam with the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Observers say the bear sanctuary had been spared eviction because the evidence in favor of its continued operation was “so compelling.”

It is clear that strong public advocacy has played a crucial role in the case, they add.

Faced with the prospect of closing the center, Animals Asia had mounted a public relations campaign against the eviction, enlisting widespread support from international politicians to British celebrities. A number of conservation groups, foreign embassies in Vietnam, and US politicians sent a letter to PM Dung, urging him to not close the sanctuary.

“Who knows if other similar cases will be able to gain such momentum?” said Nguyen, the Vietnamese conservationist.

“Vietnam has plenty of such cases and they all have remained unknown to the public.”

Source: VietWeek

Damning evidence no match for dam pushers

By normal standards, the scrapping of two controversial dams planned in a protected area should have been a done deal by now.

But victories for the environment have become extremely rare in Vietnam in recent years and opponents of the two dams, to be built in the core of the UNESCO-recognized Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, appear to be seeing the writing on the wall.

Civil Society Consultation Workshop on Vietnam’s Legality of Timber and Timber Products

On 23rd -24th November, 2012, the Center for People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) in collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) organized a two day consultation workshop for civil society organization on Vietnam’s legality of timber and timber products. The event also was opportunity for the Vietnamese Non-Governmental Organizations Network for Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (VNGO-FLEGT) members plan their main activities for the year 2013.

The workshop is one of VNGOs-FLEGT’s capacity building and participation activities in negotiation process between Vietnamese government and European Union (EU) on the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). Over 40 representatives from nearly 30 civil society organizations (NGOs/CSOs), including: members of VNGO-FLEGT, European Forest Institute (EFI) and experts participated in the workshop.

Main objective of the workshop is to inform, discuss and unify some initial results of community consultation on legality of timber and timber products activities, that were conducted from 9th – 11th November 2012 by VNGO-FLECT in 06 provinces: Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien Hue, Lam Dong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. More than 30 local communities in 14 communes of 6 districts were selected for participating in these consultation activities. They are local forest-dependent communities living in and near forest, known as forest owners or contractees to forest management, protection or exploitation in both natural and plantation forest areas.

The initial results show that, there is limitation in community awareness on legality of timber and timber products. In case of timber from plantation forests, most of communities do not concern about legality of timber and timber products. The reason is that products from plantation forests (standing trees) are usually sold all to buyers and these people have to comply all legal procedures from exploitation to transportation phase. In case of timber from natural forests, legal procedures are complied by forestry enterprises that carry out timber exploitation. In some other cases, even communities have rights as natural forest owners that are official allocated by Vietnamese government, they are also very vague about legality of forest timber.

Policy on contracting natural forest management and protection as well as forest plantation lands for households, household groups or village communities are implemented in many provinces nationwide. During exploitation period, contractors (state forest owners) will conduct legal procedures related to exploitation design and organization, and then decide a sharing proportion of products (timber) for both contractors and contractees bases on signed contracts. By this way, it is very difficult for contractees to know the volume of harvested timber because they are not able to participate or monitor during timber exploitation process in contracted forest areas.

Additionally, although forest exploitation process has been complied with regulations on environmental impact assessment, in fact, it still causes negative impacts on environmental and local communities living adjacent exploited areas, especially in some areas, it can cause depletion of water resources and dangerous flash floods.

In order to ensure rights and benefits of local communities when Vietnam officially joined in VPA/FLEGT, VNGO-FLEGT suggests that a risk assessment of timber benefit mechanism should be conducted. Then, base on the study’s results, some risk management solutions in VPA/FLEGT implementation process will be recommended.

In cases of natural forest management/protection contracts (if exploitation) or forest land contracts, contractees should be able to participate in monitoring exploitation process in forest contracted areas (in collaborate with forest ranger department) to ensure transparency and equitable of timber benefit sharing mechanism.

For communities living adjacent natural forest areas, the role of forest in environmental protection is very important, especially in regulating water resources, hence, we should apply “restricted exploitation” method in the certain forest areas. In phases of exploitation design and implementation, a community consultation should be carried out to achieve consent of local communities, especially community participation in exploitation monitoring process (in collaboration with forest ranger department) is needed.

In parallel with the recommendations above, the State also needs to quickly issue official certificates of land-use rights (“red book”) for forest owners who has already been allocated forest lands, and households who have not had “red book” yet but already used forest land areas in stable and long term without disputes. The idea can help local communities legally eligible to participate in VPA/FLEGT process.

Photo: PanNature

VNGO-FLEGT will sum up these initial results of community consultation activities and share to all stakeholders in negotiation process between Vietnamese government and European Union on FLEGT/VPA. These results will contribute to efforts for implementation in controlling illegal timber exploitation and trafficking; strengthening forest legal and institutional system toward sustainable forest management and ensuring equitable benefit and responsibility sharing mechanism among local communities, enterprises and related forest owners.

Source: SRD