Adding motivation to protect and develop forests.

According to the Kon Tum Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund, in 2012, the Fund collected 163,797 million VND in forest environmental service fees and paid forest owners 68,635 million VND for 285,278.65 hectares of forest providing forest environmental services (equivalent to 240,588 VND/ha). By 2021, the total revenue from forest environmental service fees had increased to 329,105 million VND, with payments to forest owners totaling 307,626 million VND for 378,272.93 hectares of forest providing forest environmental services (equivalent to 813,238 VND/ha).

Residents of Dak H'ring commune participated in a policy awareness session on payment for forest environmental services organized by the Kon Tum Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund.

Thus, after more than 10 years of implementing the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) policy in Kon Tum province, the protected forest area in the province has steadily increased. People participating in forest management and protection receive higher PES payments each year, creating a strong incentive to continue preserving the forests. To date, Kon Tum province has 3,333 forest owners (households and individuals) and 128 village communities participating in forest management and protection.

Having been contracted to manage and protect 134 hectares of forest from Dak To Forestry One-Member Limited Company for the period 2021-2025, 43 households in Dak Tong village, Ngoc Tu commune, Dak To district have agreed to divide into groups to patrol and create firebreaks to prevent forest fires in the contracted forest area.

Mr. A Doanh, head of Dak Tong village, said that the groups will go on forest patrols 2-3 times a month, with more trips during the dry season due to favorable weather conditions and the increased risk of forest fires and encroachment. People participating in forest management and protection receive corresponding payments according to village regulations, making them very responsible in managing and protecting the forest. In recent years, the village no longer experiences the problem of deforestation for farming that existed before.

“In 2022, Dak Tong village received 80 million VND in forest protection and development funds. This money has improved forest protection and development, providing the village with funds to organize community activities, repair lighting, pay electricity bills, and support poor households with loans for business. As a result, the villagers are more connected and work together to better protect the forest,” said Mr. A Doanh.

Similarly, the community of 260 households in Dak K'Long village, Dak H'Ring commune, is entrusted by the State with managing and protecting 162.63 hectares of forest providing ecosystem services. Mr. AY, the deputy head of Dak K'Long village, said that in 2022, Dak K'Long village received 152 million VND in ecosystem service funds. Besides spending on forest patrols and inspections, Dak K'Long village allocated a portion to a fund to support loans for villagers to develop livestock and agricultural models.

“Now, the villagers no longer need to contribute to the village fund, yet they still have the funds to organize festivals, celebrations, and community activities, so everyone is happy. The village also educates the villagers not to clear forests for farming or to exploit timber. Anyone with fields near the forest must monitor and inspect them regularly, and if they detect or suspect anyone is destroying the forest, they must immediately report it to the village and commune so that it can be stopped in time,” Mr. AY shared.

Speaking about the effectiveness of the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) policy, Mr. Phan Van Hoc, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dak Hring commune, affirmed: "The PES policy has helped improve forest management and protection in the area. The loan fund derived from PES money has served as a foundation for the implementation of several livelihood development models, which have initially yielded positive results, such as the goat, cattle, and striped pig farming model in Kon Proh Tu Ria village. The income and living standards of the people have clearly improved."

Clearly, thanks to the benefits from the forest, people's awareness of forest protection has been raised day by day, and the protected forest area is increasing. Mr. Ho Thanh Hoang - Director of the Kon Tum Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund - said that to achieve the current good results in forest protection, a significant part is due to the joint efforts and cooperation of villages, communities, and people in participating in forest protection; the payment for forest ecosystem services has become a stable source of income, creating motivation for people to protect the forest.

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