| Abstract: |
Forest cover in Viet Nam has significantly increased since mid1990s, reportedly as a result of numerous policies and programs that support forest land allocation, protection and development. However, little has been understood about how such policies and programs, and furthermore local community affected local forests. Our research analysed the historical (1990-2010) and future (2010-2020) forest pathways in Bac Kan province, Northeast Viet Nam, as a pilot province for REDD+ and identified the proximate and underlying factors as well as the actors involved. Spatial analysis of time-series, land-cover and forest-ownership maps was conducted at provincial level with the support of household surveys in some communes and districts.
Results indicated that illegal logging and shifting cultivation, coupled with weak forest management, were the main causes of forest degradation between 1990 and 2000. Reforestation programs, followed by financial support and land allocation, were identified as factors driving reforestation and afforestation throughout the entire period. Moreover, Program 147, which supported the conversion of natural forest to planted forest, was the driver of both forest gain and loss from 2008 to 2020. Policy makers and households were, therefore, the key actors in the process. We expect the results of this study can help slow the process of forest loss by contributing to policy improvement. The criteria of natural forest to be converted to forest plantation under Program 147 should be clarified to avoid natural forest loss in the future. |
|
