BUILDING CAPACITY TO IMPROVE THE RIGHTS AND LEGAL STATUS OF ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES TO NATURAL FOREST IN THUA THIEN HUE & QUANG NAM (2012 – 2014)

Project:  Sustainable management of natural forest through raising awareness and building capacity to improve the rights and legal status of ethnic minority communities to natural forest in central Vietnam 2012-2014.

 

According to 2010 statistics, Vietnam has a total ​​forest area of 13,38 million hectares, of which about 11 million hectares were allocated to forest owners, including state organizations, private companies, rural village communities and households (MARD, 2011).

 

Forest plays a crucial role in the livelihoods and culture of ethnic minority groups (either individual households or communities of ethnic minority groups). Forest is not only the source of livelihood but also culture. In the implementation of state policies on forest management in recent years, some localities have implemented forest allocation for community to manage and use of stable long-term forestry purposes. 

 

The process of institutionalizing and implementing policies still has difficulties and problems on many aspects of access to rights. The legal status of the community is unclear. The legal rights and obligations of community as a real forest owner have not been recognized. The system of policies on people’s rights to approach, manage and use natural forest and forestland such as rights of access to public services, credit, investment and benefit from forests, autonomy, self-responsibility as well as their ability to understand the policy system, plan and orientate for development of livelihoods from forests and market access still differ from practices so these policies difficult to come into the life.

 

This is because of two reasons. First, the traditional way of livelihood – shifting cultivation and collection of forest products – is seen as “destruction of forest” and prohibited by the laws. Second, they have no or limited understanding of the legal procedures related to land management which weakens their legal status to their forestland. They are more likely to manage their land though traditional laws / customs that is not recognized by the laws (the laws only recognize land allocation books provided by the states). The combined factors put ethnic minority owners at a disadvantaged position towards forestlands that they have used for generations. This requires managers and policymakers to tailor their policies and practices to suit each region and ensure full rights of community when they participate in natural forest management.

 

Stemming from this practical requirement, this is the rationale for C&E’s proposed project that will last for three years from 2012 to 2014 in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam with support and cooperation from Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS). C&E expect that the project will help balance environmental interests whereas sustaining the life and culture of ethnic minority communities in central Vietnam.

 

In this first-year project 2012 for sustainable forest management, C&E and local partners will explore the current socio-economic and cultural situation of local forested-based ethnic minority communities in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam. Based on the research findings, we will design and provide training to raise awareness on improving legal responsibility and rights toward forest as well as develop participatory planning and working groups and environmentally friendly forest use models. We will use the results as inputs to provincial workshops and materials for advocacy for wider application of this model.

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