Driving force for sustainable forest development in Nghe An

Ensure correct, sufficient and timely

In the past time, despite difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic and complicated weather conditions, with the determination and efforts of the Nghe An Forest Protection Fund, which has regularly followed the plan, seriously implemented the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, the Fund Management Board, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and regularly urged the units that have signed the trust contract to declare and pay for forest environmental services, the Fund has performed well the task of implementing the Forest Environmental Services Payment Policy in Nghe An province.

People receive payment for DVMTR. Photo: Nguyen Nhung

The Forest Protection Fund has proactively developed a monitoring and evaluation plan, regularly updated the implementation of payment for forest environmental services through periodic reporting, field inspections and combined data updates into the monitoring and evaluation framework system (developed by the Provincial Fund).

Regularly urge forest owners who are organizations and district-level payment organizations to properly implement the contents related to the forest environmental service payment policy such as: Propaganda work, payment of forest environmental service money correctly, sufficiently and promptly to beneficiaries (from the beginning of 2021 to now, the Fund has paid more than 82 billion VND to forest owners and forest protection activities); strengthen forest protection and forest fire prevention patrol work; guide forest owners to use forest environmental service money for the right purpose and effectively.

The Fund has strictly implemented the work of determining the quantity and quality of forests providing forest environmental services.In the past time, the Fund has organized 16 inspections, supervisions, and support for reforestation, forest protection, and payment of forest environmental services in a number of projects, with forest owners being organizations and district-level payment organizations. Checking the results of planting and caring for reforestation of projects supported and invested from the fund for converting forest use purposes.

Determining the forest area for forest service payment in Ky Son. Photo: Nguyen Nhung

Through field inspection and multi-dimensional information update, the Fund has discovered, reported and eliminated some unsatisfactory implementation volumes such as: illegal exploitation in Mai Son commune, Tuong Duong district; incorrect forest status compared to the basic acceptance in Tuong Duong and Con Cuong districts; need to adjust the payment map due to administrative boundary adjustment in Thach Giam commune, Tuong Duong district; Que Son commune, Muong Noc, Que Phong district...

Along with continuing to maintain and operate the system for monitoring and evaluating forest environmental services, the Fund's Executive Board also coordinates with the Fund's Control Board to inspect, supervise, and guide forest owners who are organizations and district-level payment organizations (District Forest Protection Departments) in implementing the forest environmental service payment policy.

The implementation of the policy on payment for forest environmental services has always received the attention, direction and timely support of the Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Fund, the People's Committee of Nghe An province, the Fund Management Board, the Fund Control Board, relevant departments, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the active participation of local Party committees and authorities at all levels, along with the close coordination of agencies, forest owners, and the high consensus of the people, making the policy on payment for forest environmental services truly come into life and promote its effectiveness.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Lam - Director of Forest Protection and Development Fund

Complete the DVMTR payment map

One of the important tasks in recent times is to develop a map of payment for forest environmental services (according to the provisions of Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP dated November 16, 2018). With the timely attention and support of relevant levels, sectors and units, the Fund has been focusing on developing a map of payment for forest environmental services.

Online meeting to assess the current status of monitoring and evaluation activities and map development of forest environmental service payments in Nghe An province. Photo: Nguyen Nhung

However, due to the implementation in a large area, complex terrain, large workload and limited management budget of the Provincial Fund, it is not possible to arrange enough capital within 1 year to implement synchronously at the same time in the whole province. Therefore, the Fund arranges funding for implementation according to the annual schedule (approved by the Provincial People's Committee).

Despite many difficulties, the Fund has so far completed the construction of a map of payment for forest environmental services for forest owners of group I (households, village/hamlet communities, commune People's Committees) with an area of ​​230,000 hectares. Currently, the Forest Protection and Development Fund is coordinating with relevant parties to build a map of payment for forest environmental services for the remaining area of ​​forest owners of group II (forest owners are organizations), expected to be completed in 2021.

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing, the dissemination of the DVMTR payment policy has encountered difficulties. However, the Fund has diversified communication methods to suit the actual situation, such as creating reports, online propaganda, and propaganda through musical works.

Satellite photo of a forest plot determined to have been cleared.

In order to improve the capacity and quality of inspection and supervision work, recently the Technical Support Project Management Board "Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation (VFBC)" in coordination with the Forestry Project Management Board organized an online meeting to assess the current status of monitoring and evaluation activities and develop a map of forest environmental service payments in Nghe An province.

Mr. Duong Ngoc Hung - Deputy Director of the Forest Protection and Development Fund said: "The online meeting was attended by: Representatives of the Central Project Management Board; Representatives of project contractor staff; Representatives of the Provincial Project Management Board; Representatives of leaders and staff related to the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund; Representatives of leaders and staff related to the Forest Protection and Development Sub-Department. At the meeting, leaders and staff of the Nghe An Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund discussed the activities of monitoring, evaluating and building a map of forest environmental service payments in the province. The Project Management Board also identified the support needs of the Provincial Fund related to forest environmental service payments in order to develop plans and activities in the coming time."