The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)'s RUPES project recently co-hosted a workshop in Bac Kan on ﾑcarbon environmental services' schemes and other sustainability projects

On 30 June, 2011, in Bac Kan province, over 50 delegates joined the second stakeholder workshop on environmental services, co-hosted by the Pro-Poor Partnerships for Agroforestry Development (3PAD) project and ICRAF Vietnam.

The participants represented provincial government departments and the three districts covering the project sites of Ba Be, Na Ri and Pac Nam.

The workshop focused on the mechanisms required to successfully establish forest-carbon environmental services and payments for environmental services schemes. Specifically, the workshop took feedback from local leaders at all levels (provincial, district and commune) on progress in the last few months; discussed action plans for the three pilot sites in Pac Nam, Na Ri and Ba Be districts; and shared ideas for the project design document that was to be created for carbon environmental services at one site in Na Ri district.

World Agroforestry Centre Vietnam scientists presented information about their research into carbon credits, the progress of the ﾑReducing emissions from all land uses' (REALU) project and the REDD+ program in Vietnam and other parts of the world, as well as proposals to develop mechanisms for environmental services payments schemes.

Mr Hoang Van Giap, director of the 3PAD project, emphasized that an important objective of the project was to ensure the sustainability and equity of forest land management through payments for environmental services schemes that would support poor farmers.

Considerable discussion focused on the Government of Vietnam's Decision No. 99 and the legal position of local communities in any scheme providing payments for environmental services. In addition, Mr Dung, director of the Kim Hy Reserve service, expressed his confidence that the ﾑcarbon service' that the REALU project is exploring showed great potential for future development, especially in Na Ri district.

Most of the participants agreed that a reasonable value for forest protection fell within the range VND 350 000 to 400 000 per hectare per year. However, participants also affirmed urgent requirements to improve group management capacity for communities, strengthen social cohesion and ensure fairness and transparency in sharing the benefits from the provision of environmental services.

For more information about the workshop, please contact Mr Nguyen Van Tin/ICRAF Vietnam via reply to email: tinsaola@gmail.com

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Photo 1 (above): Mr Nong Van Chi, representing Bac Kan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Mr Rohit Jindal of ICRAF Vietnam, in gratitude for the department's cooperation

Photo 2: Participants were deeply engaged during the group discussions

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Editor: Robert Finlayson
Photos: ICRAF Vietnam/Pham Duc Thanh

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