According to the Nghe An Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund, as of November 10, 2025, the total revenue from forest environmental services of the Forest Protection and Development Fund reached over 162.4 billion VND, equivalent to 132% of the plan, and is estimated to reach 165 billion VND by the end of the year - the highest level in many years.
Mr. Nguyen Tien An, Director of the Fund, stated: "Under limited budget conditions, forest environmental services not only provide a stable source of income for tens of thousands of households but also ensure essential funding for forest protection. This is a sustainable resource for forestry today."
This year's revenue increase is mainly due to: increased electricity production from hydropower plants; units using forest environmental services complying with payment deadlines and deadlines; and the vigorous monitoring and verification of revenue collection since the beginning of the year.
Along with increased revenue, payments to beneficiaries are also implemented quickly and transparently. For many households in western Nghe An, especially the Thai, Tho, and Kho Mu ethnic minorities, forest environmental service fees have become the main source of income each year, helping them feel secure in their connection with the forest, reducing pressure on their livelihoods and preventing illegal logging. Ms. Lo Thi Yen (Mon Son commune) shared: “Every year my family receives more than 10 million VND for forest protection. The amount is not large, but it is very timely, helping us have a stable income to cover living expenses, buy necessities, and pay for our children's education.”
As of November 10th, total expenditure on forest environmental services reached VND 135.5 billion, of which VND 120.8 billion was directly disbursed to forest owners, including households, communities, and forest management boards; the remainder was allocated for contingency and price adjustments for hydropower basins with low unit prices.
2025 marks the first year that Nghe An province will implement a two-tiered administrative system after the restructuring. The reduction from 412 wards and communes to 130 has resulted in: many forest environmental service dossiers requiring adjustments to maps, area, and legal status; and initial difficulties in the financial planning process of the two-tiered local government as it takes on the new responsibilities.
Nevertheless, coordination between forest rangers, the government, and the Forest Environmental Services Fund is assessed to be increasingly better, contributing to ensuring timely payments. The goal is to achieve "transparency, accuracy, completeness, and timeliness" in forest environmental services policies. The development of the 2026 forest environmental services plan was proactively initiated in the early fourth quarter of 2025; Inspection and supervision, especially payments through third parties, are being strengthened; digital transformation is being applied to manage areas and beneficiaries; and ensuring that no households or communities benefiting from the process of administrative unit restructuring are overlooked.
Revenue exceeded targets, and timely disbursement helped tens of thousands of households gain a stable source of income. This result confirms that forest environmental services have become a financial pillar of Nghe An's forestry sector. In the context of slow disbursement of many other funds, forest environmental services, with their "reward based on forest protection results" mechanism, is proof of a sustainable development model: forests are preserved, people benefit, and the state's budget burden is reduced.
In 2026, Nghe An province has a great opportunity to further improve the effectiveness of payments for forest environmental services, aiming for the goal of: sustainable forest preservation - stable livelihood development - building a green economy in western Nghe An.
Source: https://baonghean.vn/dich-vu-moi-truong-rung-gop-phan-xay-dung-kinh-te-xanh-mien-tay-nghe-an-10314925.html
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