Why May Forest Devolution Not Benefit the Rural Poor? Forest Entitlements in Vietnam’s Central Highlands

Sikor, Thomas; Tân, Nguyễn Quang

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2006.11.011

Cited by 117 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…This is very apparent, for example, in local dynamics associated with forest devolution in Vietnam's Central Highlands (Sikor and Nguyen, 2007). Here, the forest department decided to grant villagers use rights to local forests in an effort to improve forest protection and raise living standards.…”

Section: Property and Access: A Partial Overlapmentioning

confidence: 99%

Access and Property: A Question of Power and Authority

Reader

2010

The Politics of Possession

Self Cite

125

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Section: Property and Access: A Partial Overlapmentioning

confidence: 99%

Access and Property: A Question of Power and Authority

Reader

2010

The Politics of Possession

Self Cite

125

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Though Gibson et al (2000) recognized that it is sensible to lump tree crop monoculture in with agricultural farms, they yet supported the applicability of public property regime even in plantation forests. Even though various studies on the degree and effectiveness of devolution have been conducted (Sikor and Tran 2007, Sikor and Nguyen 2007, Ngo and Webb 2007 whether devolution policies successfully lead to conversion of degraded forests to tree plantations still remains unclear. Vietnam is one of the few forest gain developing coun-tries according to FAO (2010), and therefore has attracted researchers particularly in the field of forest transition theory (Mather 2007, Barbier et al 2010.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thiha et al (2007) Though the FLA policy expects that livelihood improvement through the allocation creates incentives among local people to protect allocated forests (Castella et al 2006), household surveys reported negative impacts mainly caused by an ineffective implementation process and noncompliance among the local people. In two pilot project sites in the Central Highland Region in the early 2000 s, the forest cover decreased after FLA because people rushed to the surrounding forest to clear land for farming (Sikor and Tran 2007); and close ties between the local authority and village people hampered the monitoring of recipients＇ obligation to protect the allocated forests, resulting in a connivance of cultivation inside allocated forests (Sikor and Nguyen 2007). Reckless allocation and frequent transfer of allocated land mainly for farming purposes were also reported in a village on the North Central Coast (Nguyen and Sato 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of forestland allocation to the livelihoods of local people in the North Central Coast of Vietnam: A case in Nam Dong district

Nguyen

Masuda

Iwanaga

2016

Tropics

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Forestland allocation (FLA) policy in Vietnam aimed at conserving forests and improving local livelihoods.In regard to the effectiveness of FLA, some authors reported improvements in forest cover and quality, whereas others stated inappropriate implementation process and minor impacts on household income. Hence, this study examined whether disturbances in initial stage still existed, how allocated forestlands were utilized, and how FLA contributed to local livelihoods under different forest management regimes. D village of Nam Dong district, where FLA was introduced in 1995, was selected as a case, and 78 households were randomly selected for household interviews. The results revealed that shifting cultivation, once widely reported in mountainous regions, had already ceased before our survey. Natural forests allocated to groups were mainly utilized for non-wood forest product (NWFP) collection, regardless of whether those users had an allocation. Individually allocated areas were converted to acacia and recently to rubber plantations. The rotation of acacia plantation was five to seven years with intercropping cassava in the initial stage. FLA contributed to adjusting an uneven distribution of farmland and income, but the effect remained nominal. The role of FLA in income generation was limited due to small allocation area per household (1.50 ha on average). Switching to rubber trend was another reason of limited income derived from FLA. Therefore NWFP played a more significant role in the household economy than plantation yields. Investment in livestock was first preference of respondents, which suggests the importance of small-scale livestock rearing in the areas facing land shortage.

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“…Generally, the community had to adhere to the stipulated rules of the government in order not to have their Red Book revoked. Indeed, forest governance in Vietnam was far from being truly "decentralised" [43][44][45].…”

Section: Governance Systems and Actorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Livelihood Implications and Perceptions of Large Scale Investment in Natural Resources for Conservation and Carbon Sequestration: Empirical Evidence from REDD+ in Vietnam

Bayrak

Marafa

2017

Sustainability

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Abstract:The complex relationship between local development and current large scale investments in natural resources in the Global South for the purpose of conservation and carbon sequestration is not fully understood yet. The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation programme (REDD+) is an example of such investment. This study examines the livelihood implications and perceptions of REDD+ among indigenous and forest-dependent communities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. A systems-based livelihood survey has been conducted with two communities affected by REDD+ (n = 102)-Kala Tonggu village (participating in UN-REDD, a multilateral programme) and Hieu commune (participating in a REDD+ project of Fauna and Flora International). The positive effects of REDD+ included: introduction of community-based forest management; shifting power relations in favour of local communities; communities receiving financial benefits for forest monitoring; and positive community perceptions on REDD+. The negative impacts concerned: more restricted access to the natural forest; raising false expectations on the financial benefits of REDD+; increasing risks of food insecurity; exclusion of customary institutions and forest classifications; and lack of livelihood alternatives in dealing with changing socio-ecological conditions. Based on the findings of this study, we argue that REDD+ implementation needs to incorporate the temporality and dynamics of community livelihoods, power relations, and customary and formal socio-ecological systems more comprehensively. This to ultimately achieve inclusive local development and effective conservation of global forest commons.

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Why May Forest Devolution Not Benefit the Rural Poor? Forest Entitlements in Vietnam’s Central Highlands

Cited by 117 publications

References 18 publications

Access and Property: A Question of Power and Authority

Access and Property: A Question of Power and Authority

The effect of forestland allocation to the livelihoods of local people in the North Central Coast of Vietnam: A case in Nam Dong district

Livelihood Implications and Perceptions of Large Scale Investment in Natural Resources for Conservation and Carbon Sequestration: Empirical Evidence from REDD+ in Vietnam

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