Community-based forest management (CBFM) capacity building in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam: Current situation and challenges.

Allocation of natural forests to people for management has been implemented in Vietnam for more than a decade. In looking back, we can find hundreds of models which have been applied to communities, groups of households and households. Similarly, there were hundreds of workshops which examined, analyzed and provided suggestions and solutions. Everyone would acknowledge that forests would continue to diminish if the owners (i.e. people) do not get real benefits from the forests and the lack of intellectual investment and sustainable livelihoods continue. Raising awareness and capacity for the community and other stakeholders in their access to rights in forest management and relevant policies and laws play an equally important role in land and forest allocation (LFA). Within the framework of the project "Community-based forest management capacity building in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam: the rights-based approach" funded by Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS), C&E in collaboration with the Department of Forestry and Forestry Science and Technology Association in Thua Thien Hue and Forest Protection Department in Quang Nam province held two workshops in Hue City and Tam Ky City in October and November respectively. The purposes of the workshops were to share information and lessons learned about the results of CBFM training and capacity building of the project with competent authorities at commune, district and provincial levels and other local stakeholders who participate in the project. This will pave the way for cooperation between the stakeholders as well as proposals of recommendations and solutions to develop appropriate CBFM models from 2012 to 2014.

The workshop in Thua Thien Hue took place in Hue Festival Hotel on 14 October 2011. There were 52 participants from  agencies in the province, including the Office of Provincial Party Committee, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Center for Agro-forestry Extension, District People’s Committees of Nam Dong and Phong Dien district, Commune People`s Committees of the four communes in the project site and community representatives. Some non-governmental organizations such as CORENARM, CSRD, WWF, University of Agriculture and Forestry and the local media agencies also attended the workshops. Especially Ms. Nadja Charaby, Director of RLS representative office in Vietnam participated in the workshop.

After having listened to “Results report on capacity- building training on CBFM in Thua Thien Hue” by Pham Ngoc Dung, member of the Standing Committee of Thua Thien Hue Forestry Science and Technology Association and the presentation “Enhancing CBFM Capacity: An SWOT analysis and solutions” by Mr. Nguyen Trong, Head of Thua Thien Hue Department of Forestry, the participants contributed more than ten ideas. They  focused on analyzing, sharing information and lessons learned from the results of CBFM training and capacity building of the project with the competent authorities at commune, district and provincial levels and the local stakeholders involved in the project. The workshop also proposed suitable recommendations and solutions to develop CBFM models in the 2012-2014 phase in Thua Thien Hue. It was recommended to integrate livelihood models to generate short-term incomes to support long-term development in combination with seeking markets for forest products which were produced on forest lands managed by people. It is necessary to advocate for authorities and other stakeholders to raise their interests and care in FLA and take concrete actions. The participants also recommended to integrate investment resources of the state, people and other organizations in the FLA. They said it was necessary to assess the overall land allocation to consolidate and standardize LFA procedure to suit each locality. Based on these, legal rights could be established for management and use of forest communities. The participants also agreed that the approach that C&E used to promote the rights of people in CBFM of which the model in the village of Phu Mau, Nam Dong District was a good example, was very reasonable and should continue and be replicated. The workshop also proposed C&E to organize more training, study tours and workshops to help improve CBFM capacity for the community in four communes that were involved in the workshop in particular and in other communes in Nam Dong district and Phong Dien district in general.

Quang Nam workshop was held in Hung Vuong Hotel in Tam Ky City from 21 to 22 November 2011. Attending the workshop were 47 participants from Quang Nam authorities, including Forest Protection Department, the Office of Provincial Party Committee, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Song Thanh Natural Reserve, People`s Committees of involved districts and communes and community representatives in the project area along with reporters from local mass media agencies. After hearing reports and presentations, the participants contributed many ideasas to how to do local CBFM more and more efficiently. Particularly, it was necessary to conduct awareness training for people in a longer duration and more times. The training scope should be widened. There should be specific models. Especially, it was necessary to organize early local workshops which should invite national experts and managers to provide advice to Quang Nam on better ways to protect forests. After the workshop, 23 participants visited the CBFM model in the village of Phu Mau, Nam Dong district, Thua Thien Hue. The delegation acquired many good experiences and agreed that Phu Mau model could be applied in Quang Nam, depending on the local circumstances.

Some pictures of the workshop in Hue city:


Some pictures of the workshop in Tam Ky city:

 

Some pictures of the fieldtrip to the model in Phu Mau village, Huong Phu commune, Nam Dong dist, Thừa Thiên Huế 

 

 

Office: C&E

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