Nghe An highlands benefit greatly from ERPA policy

The North Central Region Emission Reduction Payment Agreement (ERPA) has created positive effects throughout the Nghe An highlands.

In recent years, the appearance of the Nghe An highlands has improved a lot, the lives of the people in this remote area have been clearly improved, the burden of making a living is no longer as constant as before. That breakthrough has been the spread of a series of forestry programs and policies, which have been resonated thanks to the fertile and widespread forest area.

Highlanders in Nghe An benefit greatly from the forest. Photo: Viet Khanh.

In fact, the policy of payment for forest environmental services, the Sustainable Forestry Development Program, the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, or most recently the Agreement on Payment for Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the North Central Region (called ERPA for short) have helped Nghe An province to remove persistent bottlenecks surrounding forest management and protection, combined with livelihood development for indigenous people.

Mr. Nguyen Danh Hung, Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized the importance of the ERPA policy. Photo: Viet Khanh.

Mr. Nguyen Danh Hung, Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Environment affirmed: “In recent times, the whole industry has proactively implemented solutions to ensure sustainable development in the context of complex and unpredictable climate change. During the implementation process, solutions have been applied to agricultural and forestry production to store, reduce emissions, and low emissions in all fields, contributing to the goal of carbon neutrality.”

The forestry sector is the biggest beneficiary as Nghe An is in the top 3 localities (along with Lam Dong and Gia Lai ) with the largest forest area in the country. Currently, the whole province has over 1.036 million hectares of forest, including more than 790,000 hectares of natural forest, nearly 246,000 hectares of planted forest, with a forest cover rate of 59.01%.

In the 2023-2025 period, Nghe An was selected to participate in the Agreement on Payment for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction in the North Central Region. Through classification, there are about 790,000 hectares of natural forest, more than 38,400 forest owners (organizations, households, individuals, communities) and commune-level People's Committees receiving payments from forest carbon credits.

The ERPA effect is truly different, likened to a "shower in the middle of a dry season", at the same time reducing the daily livelihood pressure for tens of thousands of households in the highlands of Nghe An, while also enhancing the responsibility of forest management and protection for the whole community.

During the ERPA pilot implementation process, Nghe An Forest Protection and Development Fund has effectively advised and been an extension of the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Environment. In addition, the Fund continues to closely coordinate with the Forest Protection Departments to review the area of ​​natural forests, synthesize information, and make a list of forest owners including households, individuals, and communities to serve the payment work in 2025. This is a solid legal corridor to avoid unnecessary mistakes in the future.

Reporter of Agriculture and Environment Newspaper (far left) talks with people of Luong Minh commune about the benefits of forestry policy. Photo: Khoi An.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Forest Protection and Development Fund, forest owners, organizations, and commune-level People's Committees in Nghe An have strengthened and accelerated the disbursement of ERPA funds. The progress has been smoother over time, with disbursement reaching over VND 134 billion from January 1, 2025 to October 23, 2025, reaching 75% of the plan.

Of this amount, households and individuals were allocated more than 22.2 billion VND; communities received more than 10.2 billion VND; the People's Committee of the commune assigned to manage the forest received more than 8.8 billion VND; forest owners who are organizations received nearly 91 billion VND; and the fund was allocated more than 2.2 billion VND.

Coincidentally, the leaders of Na Ngoi, Chieu Luu, Huu Kiem, Luong Minh, Yen Hoa, Nhon Mai, Nga My communes, and forest owners who are state organizations all share the same view that thanks to practical policies such as ERPA, the task of forest management and protection has been significantly reduced. The beneficiaries have raised their awareness and responsibility towards the community; they consider the forest a valuable asset and should join hands to preserve it.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/vung-cao-nghe-an-huong-loi-lon-tu-chinh-sach-erpa-d784958.html