In Lam Dong province, inclusive planning and new digital tools are strengthening local communities’ ability to prevent and respond to forest fires.
In Viet Nam’s Central Highlands, Lam Dong province faces an extended dry season of four to six months each year, making its forests especially prone to fires. With more than 11,600 local households involved in forest protection, community patrols form the backbone of Lam Dong’s forest management system. Local patrol teams guard over 500,000 hectares of forest navigating the rugged terrain even in scorching temperatures.
As forest fire risks rise due to climate extremes, existing patrol systems that have long relied on manual tracking and limited access to early warning information are becoming less effective. In 2020, Lam Dong introduced night patrols to try and strengthen forest protection efforts. However, this limited women’s participation. A gender and social inclusion (GESI) assessment conducted by RECOFTC in early 2024 reveals the current exclusion of women from forest patrols.
“Before, women and men used to patrol forests, but the introduction of the night shift in 2020 changed everything,” says Ma Do Na from Ma Bo village. Women’s inclusion in more formal forestry spheres is also not equitable, with women making up less than 30 percent of forestry staff numbers. Equity is even lower if we consider participation in decision-making spheres.
