In 2021, the forest cover rate in Muong Muon commune (Muong Cha district) was only about 40%. Thanks to effective forest management and protection, the forest cover rate in the commune has not only not decreased but has also increased to over 42%. For the people of Muong Muon commune, protecting the forest has now become a duty and responsibility for each individual. This has mobilized the strength of the community in protecting and developing the forest. Mr. Lo Van Minh, from Muong Muon 2 village (Muong Muon commune), shared: “To protect and manage the forest well, the villagers have been patrolling the forest together every week, sometimes 2-3 times a week. The village's Forest Management and Protection Team has 11 people, and whenever we ask them to go into the forest for inspection, they all gather without needing much prompting. In addition, we also focus on propaganda and reminding the villagers that no one should destroy the forest, so in the past, no one in the village has illegally encroached on the forest!”
Not only in the communes, but also in Muong Cha town, the people here are deeply connected to the forest, demonstrating this through many positive actions in practice. From protecting natural forest areas to reforestation and planting trees, the people pay close attention to all of them. Especially with the policy of paying for forest ecosystem services, the people have gained additional income from forest protection, so they show even greater responsibility towards the forest. From the payment for forest ecosystem services, forest protection teams in villages and hamlets are allocated a portion to support forest patrol and protection activities. This further motivates each member of the forest protection team to carry out forest patrols with greater responsibility.
Mr. San Tai Xom, from residential group 9, Muong Cha town, said: “Before, without the forest protection and development fund, we still patrolled the forest regularly because we couldn't abandon the forest, but it was very difficult. Now, with the forest protection and development fund, we have an additional source of income, supplementing the operating costs of our team, making patrolling easier and less strenuous. Every year, the community also has money to invest in protective equipment, shoes, boots, etc., making patrolling easier. Besides uniforms, we also receive support for gasoline and drinking water during patrols, which motivates us to stay committed to the forest.”
Each community or forest owner has different ways of preserving the forest, but the ultimate goal is to protect the entire existing forest area, combined with regeneration and new planting to expand the forest area and increase forest cover. Mr. Giàng A Khá, head of the Forest Management and Protection Team in Ten Hon village, Tênh Phông commune (Tuần Giáo district), said: “Currently, the villagers no longer arbitrarily cut down trees or cause forest fires; they are more conscious of protecting the forest. Furthermore, having benefited from the forest, the villagers regularly patrol the forest to monitor the situation and developments in the area under their management. Specifically, the people of Ten Hon village always arrange time to inspect the forest together three times a month to promptly detect any fires or encroachments. If there are any developments affecting the forest, the team promptly reports to the village so that appropriate measures can be taken. Patrolling also presents difficulties such as: lack of roads, requiring the clearing of paths; slippery conditions in rain or sunshine; and the risk of falling trees in strong winds… Despite these difficulties, the team still tries to patrol fully as assigned.”
Forest cover in Dien Bien province has steadily increased year after year. To date, Dien Bien has over 415,000 hectares of forest, with a forest cover rate exceeding 43.5%. This is a well-deserved result reflecting the province's attention, the decisive efforts of relevant agencies and localities, and the sense of responsibility and significant contributions from the people. Especially when people realize that preserving forests not only benefits the environment but also provides them with a sustainable source of income without requiring excessive labor or risk, they become even more attached to the forests.
Ms. Dang Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund, stated: "The policy of payment for ecosystem services (PES) in recent years has clearly changed the responsibility of people in protecting forests. The people are the providers of PES; the people are the beneficiaries of the PES payments; and forest management and protection are primarily based on the people. Therefore, most of the existing forest area in Dien Bien province has been entrusted to community forest owners in villages and hamlets throughout the province for management, protection, and care, with the people as the core. The more responsible the people become, the more effective the forest management and protection work becomes. This further affirms the effectiveness of the PES policy in fostering trust and attachment among the people to the forest in particular, and creating positive changes in forest management and protection in general."
The humane and beneficial nature of the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) policy has brought about a strong shift in the awareness and consciousness of the local people. As a result, each individual has taken positive actions in forest management and protection, contributing to the greening of the forests in the far west of the country.
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