Tropicultura (Jan 2016)
Comparing the Effectiveness Between Payment for Environmental Services (PES) and a Local Compensation System on Conservation of Special-Use Forests, Son La Province, Vietnam
Abstract
Tà Xùa and Xuân Nha special-use-forests (SUF) are located in Son La, one of two provinces chosen to pilot test the PES in Vietnam. Since 2009, Tà Xùa has received PES from 119,970 to 263,785 VND/ha per year. On the other hand, Xuân Nha SUF received a 5-year-fixed payment of 100,000 VND/year per ha from the forest protection system that was launched in 2015 by the Vietnamese government. To assess the effectiveness of forest protection in Tà Xùa and Xuân Nha, 21 authorities and 190 local people were interviewed and 28 group discussions were conducted. The effect on forest protection was observed by using transect walks. In both SUFs, the Management Boards (MBs) signed contracts with local Village MBs who are responsible for managing, and enforcing forest regulations. In Tà Xùa, MBs had not developed a comprehensive forest protection plan with criteria for checks. Local people's awareness of SUF management regulations and PES requirements remained weak, illegal logging still prevailed and high-valued timber continued to dwindle. In contrast, the relative small support in Xuân Nha, a forest with less high value timber, resulted in a comprehensive plan for the SUF and local governments successfully promoting forest protection through the local communities.
