By 31/12/2008, total national forest area of Vietnam is 13,118,773 ha at coverage of 38.7%, which is categorized as protection forest (4,739,236 ha), special use forest 2,061,675 ha and production forest (4,739,236 ha. With regards to special use forest, there are 126 nature reserves with total 1.93 million ha and will reach 2.16 million ha by 2020, accounting for 13.3% total national forest area. Apart from these well established protected forest areas, a lot of forest area categorized as either as special use or protection forest and having high conservation value is not well managed. As a result, the forest area is subject to different threats such as: hunting, wildlife trading, logging for timber, land clearing for agriculture. As a consequence, many natural forest landscape of Vietnam has been become bare forest, due to the fact that there are few plant and animal species of high biodiversity value left.
In fact, it has been increasingly clear that a particular forest area possesses at the same time different values such as biodiversity, use or protection value, which altogether formed a forest area of high conservation value. The current classification into the three forest types and application of separate management approaches to these forest types has proven inappropriate since many forest areas have many different functions and values. However there are currently no available legal guidelines on how to conserve biodiversity beyond the special forests. Similarly, current policies in forestry have yet had provision for promoting a multi-use approach to forest management while this approach has been recognized in some ASEAN countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.
As a result, there is a critical need to pilot and demonstrate a model for innovative approach to strengthen conservation of high conservation value forest beyond the special use forests to contribute to address the balance linkage between biodiversity conservation, environmental protection and poverty reduction.
The project proposes approach that is in line with provision in the 2006-2020 Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy, which is to ?study management approaches to special use forest to match the new developments in world nature conservation practices? and ?protect and conserve forest in the principle of development for conservation?.
The expected results of the project will be the basis to mobilize local resources and donors? support to continue to monitor, maintain and develop multi-use management approaches to forest of high conservation value beyond special use forest system.
General objective: 1) To conserve biodiversity beyond special use forest through developing pilot and demonstration models on multi-use approach to manage forest of high conservation value; 2) Create the basis to develop methodology on multi-use management approach to forest of high conservation value, which can be carried out in project Phase 2 if applicable.
Specific objectives: 1) To strengthen capacity of officers from Agriculture and Rural Development Department officers, Forest Protection Department, Forest Patrol Department, state forest management and other participating stakeholders in planning and management in a multi-use approach 2) To develop and demonstrate a model for managing forest of high conservation value in a multi-use approach at forest management unit in Hoa Binh province 3) To document lessons learnt from the models and share with relevant stakeholders and prepare for the next phase of the project: development of multi-use approach in managing forest of high conservation value.
Major activities:
(1) Assess stakeholders? participation to identify strengths and weaknesses in terms of technical capacity in planning and managing forest of high conservation value.
(2) Develop criteria to identify forest of high conservation value among the forest managed by the 3 forest management units in Hoa Binh province
(3) Develop guidelines and organize training on planning and management of high conservation value targeted at officers from the forest management units and selected other participating stakeholders.
(5) Carry out surveys to identify forest of high conservation value within the project target site
(6). Zone for multi-use forest and develop management regulations for each zone
(7). Integrate zoning for multi-use forest and management approach into planning and management documents issued and implemented by the Forest Management Unit.
(8). Pilot some activities to meet requirements of multi-use forest management in economic, social and environmental terms. The local community will play the principal role in this activity, and the project will provide technical support and a proportion of materials and seedlings.
(9). Document lessons learnt from the models
(11) Organize a national workshop to share experience among central and provincial level government management departments in forestry, forest owners, GEF SGP funded projects and other relevant forestry programmes.
(12) Prepare for the next phase of the project: Develop a multi-use approach in managing forest of high conservation value beyond the existing special use forest
Project approach: - learning from experiences of other projects and programmes in integrating biodiversity into management of production forest or sustainable use of forest resources and benefit-sharing between forest management units and the local community. As a result, the project will collect information and consult stakeholders, provide training and document and disseminate lessons learnt.
Sustainability of the project: The integration of multi-use approach in forest management into traditional forest management plans and involvement of various local stakeholders will ensure sustainability of the project. Furthermore, the project is self-sustained because it aims at testing and identifying necessary parameters to place the grounds for appropriate planning and management to suit the multi-use approach of the forestry sector. If successful, the project will bring about a sustainable approach for forest management to integrate into forestry planning at provincial level before it can be accepted and replicated in other provinces.