Property Reforms and Forest Rights in Vietnam

Engaging policy makers, forestry experts and the public

Vietnam’s central government has enacted sweeping reforms over the past two decades to increase forest management by local people. Despite high expectations, improvements in forest conservation and poverty alleviation have been disappointing.

This project, completed in July 2011, demonstrated the importance of transferring forest rights to villagers through three initiatives:

• Convincing policy makers that better forest rights helps to alleviate poverty, improve state capacity, and conserve forests;
• Developing practical recommendations for forestry experts on how government policy can strengthen villagers’ forest rights;
• Raising public awareness about the importance of such rights.

By addressing concerns raised over the last five years, the project has contributed to putting forest tenure rights back on the national agenda. Key contributions included the publication of five policy briefs in English and Vietnamese, a video that appeared on Vietnamese television, and a strategy paper, as well as high-level seminars and debates in Vietnam and the UK.

• Policy briefs in English
• Policy briefs in Vietnamese
• Video (in Vietnamese only, at 0:21 minute mark)

The project also produced two short videos about developments at Tram Chim National Park and in Lang Son province.

Community based sustainable use of natural resources in Vietnam - Tram Chim National Park

Engaging Community Forestry in Vietnam: A Story from Lang Son