The application of the mAR on the Sustainable forest management and forest certification roadmap in vietnam Country report : Vietnam

Main Content Sustainable forest management in Vietnam, the difficulties of the implementation of sustainable forest management. Sustainable forest management in Vietnam, the difficulties of the implementation of sustainable forest management. Roadmap of sustainable forest management and forest certification to Roadmap of sustainable forest management and forest certification to 2020.

Sustainable forest management in Vietnam, difficulties of the implementation of sustainable forest management

1.1. Forest resource of Vietnam:  In 1943, forest area 14,3 mil ha, equivalent 43% in forest cover  In 1990, forest area in reduction to 9,18 mil ha, forest cover 27,2% ( the lowest in Vietnam), in period , there were around ha of forest lost each year;  Nowadays (in 2007): Total forest area: 12,8 mil ha, in which; natural forest 10,4 mil ha; plantation: 2,4 mil ha.  In total forest area, divided by function (12,8mil ha); there are 2,2 mil ha of special use forest, 5,2 mil ha of protection forest and production forest around 5,4 mil ha.

( be continued)‏  Bare land for forestry purpose is 3,6 mil ha, however it locates in steep areas, remote areas and scatter in distribution -At present, by forest owner, forest have been owned by states government, including state forest companies, national parks, conservation management board, protected management board, private organizations, communities, joint- venture companies.  According to the Vietnamese forest law in 2004, natural forest belong to government and allocate to state organizations to manage  Plantation is owned by state forest companies, private companies, Joint-venture companies, households; however, mostly owned by private sectors.

1.2. Forest harvesting production 1.2. Forest harvesting production  The production harvesting of natural forest annually is permitted by the Government within m3 per year (harvesting quota); and carry out by state forest companies;  The harvesting wood production of natural forest has implemented stability from period is m3 per year (most of natural forest is low of stand volume).  The production of plantation harvested is around 5 mil m3 per year in whole country to aim provides raw material for pulp, artificial board and local consumption. All most of production of plantation is provided by private sector ( private companies, households…).  Main species in plantation include Acacia ( rotation from 6-8 years, mean productivity: m3 per year), Pines (from years, productivity: 8-15 m3 per year); Eucalyptus (from 8-10 years, productivity: m3 per year) and other species.

2. The status of implementation of sustainable forest management in Vietnam 2.1. Legislative aspects - In the Forest strategy development period to identified that the main objectives are good management and protection of currently forest areas, in 2020, at least 30% of forest areas has certified. - All of forestry companies are limited in forest management level, therefore, according to prime minister decision, from 2006 start establishing of forestry companies to implement of model of sustainable forest management - Forestry Department have selected 9 Forestry companies to support implementation of establishment of forest management plan, and introduced 7 Forestry companies to international organizations to support (GTZ, SECO)‏

2.2. Conditions of selecting of Forestry companies in pilot process of establishment of sustainable forest management model (base on the standard of FSC). - Land and forest land used right (Red book certify), The red book is certify that forestry company have the right to manage production forest stably, it mean that forest areas is defined clearly in the map and in the field. In Vietnam, there are 50 % of forestry companies have red book, the remains are on going to review and arrange forest areas. - Production of harvesting (annual available cut –AAC) is defined by ability of forest. - Multi production (production of wood, services, …)‏

- Effective in business in 5 years recently. - Forest resource is inventoried and assessed and up-dated every year - Forest resource is inventoried and assessed and up-dated every year - Data of forest, include stand volume, species composition, rare species, conservation areas, harvested areas,… are identified both in map and field and stored carefully.  No violation of environment destruction  No forest encroachment between company and native people  No violation of forest destruction

2.3. Result of implementation of pilot forestry companies of sustainable forest management. Natural forest Natural forest - There are 3 states forestry companies completion of establishment of forest management plan and implementation of plan from These Forestry companies have been collected data and information needs for forest management plan. Plantation Plantation -Joint –venture company Oji (Japan) had forest certified of FSC with ha in 2006.

Difficulties for the implementation of SFM in Vietnam

At the National level 1. Have the National standard on SFM, but not jet endorsed by Authorities; FSC standard, ASEAN’s standard are not enforcement, 2. Overlap of function between two Ministry; Ministry of natural resource and environment (MONRE) is in charge of land management. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development (MARD) is in charge of forest management (above ground). Conflict of data between 2 ministries. 3. Forest and forest land are always changing, conversion of forest land to different land purpose (mining, infrastructure, hydro power electric, rubber trees development…)‏

4. No clear boundary of 3 kind of forest areas, due to economics development local authorities (provincial level) have been transferred forest and forest land to outside forestry purpose and among 3 kind of forest without standard. 5. No standard of forest classification that is harmonized with international and regional (FAO has funded small project to harmonization of Vietnamese classification of forest to international-FIPI-FRA)‏ 6. Forest assessment is inventoried every 5 years, however, limitation of confident (areas, stand volume, species composition, rare species, distribution of flora and fauna…) 7. Lack of modern facilities, human resources, policies

At FMU level 1. Natural forest belong to government and allocate to state forestry companies to manage. But they do not totally the right to decision, all their activities are depend on provincial authority (harvesting timber, silviculture treatment, selling timber,…). 2. Forest resource is not inventoried in PMU level and updated because of lack of budget. 3. Lack of finance to invest to SFM (infrastructure forestry road, machineries, modern technology…)‏ 4. Forest land forest always conflict or encroachment between forestry companies and local people and among forestry companies. 5. Forestry companies have not pressured to the implementation on SFM

The roadmap of sustainable forest management and Forest certification in Vietnam

1. Development of Vietnamese standard for Sustainable forest management. - National working group (NWG) on sustainable forest management and forest certification was established in 1998; the main objectives of NWG are transferred information, knowledge of sustainable forest management, forest certification and enhance of awareness of SFM to forest managers, forestry workers, other relate SFM agencies and to help forest owners to implement SFM. - In June 2006, NWG was upgraded to Sustainable forest management and forest certification Institutes (SFMI) to aim enhancement of implementation of SMF in Vietnam - Some menbers of SFMI have been recognised by FSC international

- Base on 10 Principles of FSC in SFM, SFMI was developed the National standard of SFM, include criteria and indicators system ( Vietnamese C&I), the standard has been submitted to FSC international for approving sine The Vietnamese C&I has pilot applied in several forestry companies, but limitation result. - SFMI incorporation with DOF to establish roadmap of SFM and Forest certification to aim implementation of Forest strategy of Vietnam, period

2. Roadmap of SFM and forest certification in Vietnam 2.1. Preparation process of SFM - Forest management level of forestry companies and forest owners of Vietnam are very low to compare with SFM or objective of forest certification. - The roadmap has identified that in the first period ( ), forest owners and need preparation of good conditions to implement SFM, as follows: + Review of 3 kinds of forest, special use forest, protection forest, production forest. Definition of each kind of forest including scale, areas, distribution… both in the map and in the field. + Planning of macro and micro of forest land till To apply of new technology in forest management + To train forestry staffs in SFM

2.2. Road map - Period : to prepare good conditions for SFM implementation, establishment of forest certification owners network. - Period: : Implementation of SFM and Forest certification, expend forest certification network, these firt natural forest areas may receive forest certification - Period : Expand forest certified areas

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