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Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy 2006-2020

Last updated: 23 May, 2011

The Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy (FDS) 2006-2020 seeks to modernize forestry so it plays its part in the industrialization and modernization of rural agriculture, hunger eradication, poverty reduction for people in mountainous areas, and environmental protection. In relation to REDD, it is strongest on the need for clear ownership conditions for land and forest use so they can receive benefits from that transaction. It also discusses the enforcement of land laws, providing guidance on the responsibilities involved in this activity.

Elements of REDD

Management and coordination

MARD is the focal point for organizing the implementation of the Forest Development Strategy (FDS), and incorporating FDS issues into national Socio-Economic Development Plans and plans of ministries, branches and local levels. Other Ministries, however, also have responsibilities regarding this strategy. The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and Ministry of Finance (MoFi) will balance and allocate funds. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) will provide guidance to local level governance to review the land use planning, allocation and leasing of forest land in line with objectives and tasks of the Forestry Development Strategy and develop a proposal to establish the linkage between the forest and land inventories. The General Statistics Office (GSO) will identify the contents, criteria and indicators to be used for monitoring and evaluation of the forestry sector; steer and provide guidance to local levels to conduct statistics, forest inventory and studies on the contribution to the economy and the environment, in accordance with the new concept of forestry.

Rights and tenure

The National Forest Strategy makes clear that a key to its implementation is the need for forests to be managed closely and belong to specific owners. The NFS states that "unless the forest owners (organizations, enterprises, households, communities etc.) will get clear benefits, rights and obligations, then the forest resources cannot be sustainably protected and developed." It also says that favourable conditions need to be created for land tenure rights, use and ownership of forests. The strategy couples this with an explanation that there is a need for clear regulation on the responsibilities and rights of forest owners, the government at different levels, law enforcement agencies and forest protection forces by the forest owners as well as villages and communes, regarding the loss and destruction of forests in their areas.

Compliance (incentives and enforcement)

The strategy states that forest protection is a responsibility of local authorities and law enforcement agencies. It says that Chairpersons of the People’s Committees at different levels are responsible for implementation arrangements for forest protection and any violations of the Forest Protection and Development Law happening in their localities. It also discusses forest protection in terms of national duty, saying, 'The armed forces and legal enforcement agencies should consider forest protection as a politically important duty to contribute for protection of national security, particularly for protection forests along the national borders.'  It says that responsibility for enforcement of forest laws and strategies is one for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with the colloboration of the Ministry of Police and People's Committees.

Safeguards

The National Forest Strategy mentions the possibility of co (or other) benefits stemming from the protection of forests. It states that Forestry development needs to be in line with socio-economic development in Vietnam, but that all benefits from forests need to be taken into account, including environmental services.