Community management group patrols to manage and protect the forest. Photo: Van Bach

Leverage from forest environmental services

In the period of 2020-2024, the Hue City Forest Protection and Development Fund has affirmed its position, the forest area paid for forest environmental services averaged over 157 thousand hectares/year, growing steadily, accounting for more than 50% of the total forest area of ​​the city. The total revenue from forest environmental services within the province and coordinated from the Central Fund during this period reached nearly 225 billion VND. The total accumulated amount of replacement forest planting over the years reached over 176 billion VND, showing an increase in both resources and restored forest area.

Revenue from forest environmental services has become an important driving force to improve the lives of people living in forests. The entire city of Hue has 27,200 hectares of forest belonging to communities, household groups and individuals receiving forest environmental services, with 313 forest owners being households and 292 communities and household groups (including 5,360 members, of which 70% are ethnic minorities). The money received not only ensures social security, political security and order in remote areas but is also reinvested by the community in rural infrastructure development programs such as making concrete roads, installing lighting systems, contributing to the construction of new rural areas.

Mr. A Tiu, Head of the Dut Community Management Board, Trung Son Commune, A Luoi District, shared: “Since receiving money for forest protection, I have invested in raising bees for honey, buffaloes, chickens, etc. to increase my income, reduce poverty, and make life less difficult. Many years ago, people in Trung Son Commune often went into the forest to illegally exploit, but since the DVMTR policy was introduced, many households have volunteered to take on forest protection contracts, and their lives have improved significantly.”

Mr. Ho Duc Kieu, Head of the Community Management Board of Village 3, Thuong Nhat Commune, Phu Loc District, said: “In 2024, Community Management Board 3 received 116 million VND from DVMTR, this amount of money helps members invest in developing their family economy . The Management Board also has a capital source of 20 million VND for members to borrow in rotation with a preferential interest rate of 0.5%/month; thanks to that, it has helped many households invest in economic development, overcome difficulties, and now have a more stable life.”

Towards a sustainable future

Along with DVMTR, ERPA, piloted under Decree 107/2022/ND-CP, is opening up a new direction. In the 2023-2024 period, the total ERPA amount coordinated by the Central Fund and deposit interest reached VND 107.48 billion; VND 70 billion was paid to more than 205 thousand hectares of forest of 620 forest owners, reaching 85% of the plan.

Communities in Hue city alone have received more than VND 20.5 billion from ERPA to protect more than 52.6 thousand hectares of natural forests. Of which, more than VND 10.5 billion supports more than 21.6 thousand hectares of forests assigned to communities and more than VND 10 billion for nearly 31 thousand hectares of natural forests assigned by the State for management. This revenue contributes to increasing resources for natural forest management and protection and improving people's livelihoods.

To ensure transparency, fairness and efficiency, monitoring is identified as a key task, while the application of digital technology such as GIS and remote sensing in forest management, protection and forest fire prevention and fighting is considered a breakthrough solution.

Mr. Tran Quoc Canh, Party Cell Secretary, Deputy Director of the Hue City Forest Protection and Development Fund affirmed: “The unit will continue to promote its leading position in applying modern technology to payment for forest environmental services and forest database management. The merger of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Environment will create more favorable conditions for connecting, sharing and unified management of forest databases in the coming time.”

In the future, the formation and development of the Carbon market in Vietnam is expected to create more important and stable financial resources, not only enhancing the potential of the forestry sector but also creating conditions for the Hue City Forest Protection and Development Fund to better perform its task of paying for forest environmental services, increasing income and stabilizing the lives of forest workers.

The impressive results from the DVMTR and ERPA policies in Hue are vivid evidence of the correctness of the Party and State's policy of socializing forest protection and development, creating consensus and positive response from the people, contributing to the stable and sustainable socio-economic development of the locality.

CONVENIENT

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/chinh-sach-lam-nghiep-o-hue-huy-dong-hieu-qua-nguon-luc-xa-hoi-va-phat-trien-ben-vung-154232.html