Promotion of sustainable management of natural forest and marketing of important forest products

Project description

Title: Promotion of sustainable management of natural forest and marketing of important forest products
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Overall term: 2005 to 2014

Context

Natural forests account for more than four-fifths of the 11.5 million hectares of forest cover in Viet Nam. At present, however, neither administrative and training capacities and expertise nor science and research capabilities are sufficiently developed to meet the challenges of this growing sector while preserving the ecological, social and economic functions of the natural forest resources.

Alongside effective preservation of the country’s ecological potential, the valorisation of forest products is also important. Production of primary materials is uneconomical in its current form and does not come close to meeting growing demand from the timber industry. More than 80 per cent of Viet Nam’s logs and sawn timber requirements are currently imported.

The National Forestry Development Strategy (2006-2020), which was ratified in 2007, underlines the government’s strong orientation towards development in the field of natural resources management with an emphasis on forests’ economic and ecological value.

Objective

Efficiency and sustainability of forest management and forestry industries in Vietnam are improved.

Approach

The key to generating value from Viet Nam’s natural forests is taking organic production of timber in the forests as a starting point and integrating this with the needs of industry and trade. Policy advice thus focuses on creating an enabling environment for socially acceptable, environmentally sound and economically viable forestry management.

The forestry programme at national level is based in Hanoi and carries out its activities in Yen Bai, Quang Binh, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Ninh Thuan provinces. It supports Viet Nam in implementing international standards and processes such as voluntary partnership agreements within the context of the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan of the European Union (FLEGT), which aims to combat illegal trade in timber. State-owned forestry enterprises are supported in achieving the standards required for international recognition, such as FSC certification, guaranteeing the responsible management of forest resources. Financing mechanisms such as REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) are also actively promoted. Thus, the project also includes aspects of climate change.

The forestry programme works on the practical implementation of innovative approaches at local level with variously structured pilot forestry enterprises and with small and medium-sized timber enterprises. FSC certification is the benchmark of the successful introduction of sustainable, multifunctional forestry management.

Results achieved so far

The programme has developed the conceptual foundations for the sustainable management of natural forests and forest certification and supports forest enterprises in five pilot provinces in implementation.

In October 2011, the first FSC Controlled Wood audit was successfully carried out for a natural forest in Viet Nam in the state-owned forestry enterprise Dak To in Kon Tum province, which is supported by the programme, and the enterprise was awarded the certificate. In the annual surveillance audit carried out in March 2012, the enterprise successfully demonstrated that it had met the required FSC standard.

Less familiar types of wood are being actively supported. Technical information sheets on these types of wood have been published and veneers and furniture produced for testing purposes.

In Quang Binh, Ninh Thuan and Yen Bai provinces, mechanisms and implementation opportunities have been developed to pay for forest environmental services, and the first payments have been made to forest owners.