A Pilot Model of Community-based Forest Management in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve, Son La Province, Vietnam

This study evaluated the implementation of a pilot model for promoting community-based conservation through a contracting program in Xuan Nha Nature Reserve, located in Son La province, northern Vietnam, from 2014 to 2022. To assess the effectiveness of the program, in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 officials and 100 individuals residing in three villages. The findings revealed that the program successfully facilitated community-based conservation by involving local communities in participatory land use planning and forest protection at the village level. The study identified four main factors that contributed to the successful implementation of the program: (1) clearly defined objectives, (2) the establishment of a stable rule system, (3) garnering support from local people, and (4) promoting associated activities. Given these positive outcomes, this model can be applied and scaled-up throughout Vietnam, particularly in areas where local communities coexist within protected areas

Analysing factors influencing land use planning for sustainable land resource management in Vietnam: a case study of Dan Phuong district in Hanoi city

Land use planning is an important task for every country in the world to ensure the sustainable use of land resources for economic and social development activities. However, many land use plans have not achieved their desired effectiveness due to a lack of consideration and evaluation of factors affecting the land use planning implementation process. This study was conducted to answer the following question: what are the main factors influencing the land use planning process in Vietnam? In this study, we use multivariate regression to identify the main factors influencing land use planning in Vietnam, including the economic factor group; institutional and policy factor group; urbanisation factor group; planning factor group; social factor group; environmental factor group; and organisational and implementation factor group. The results identified five groups of factors influencing land use planning in the Dan Phuong district through the influencing factor analysis method, including policy (Po), economy (Ec), society (So), environment (En), and others (Ot). In addition, the linear regression model obtained for land use planning in Dan Phuong district is as follows: land use planning = 0.408Po + 0.454Ec + 0.398So + 0.368En + 0.259Ot. In which the group of factors with the strongest influence was the Eco factors (β = 0.454), the second was the Po factors (β = 0.408), the third was the So factors (β = 0.398), the fourth was the En factors (β = 0.368), and lastly, there were the Ot factors (β = 0.259). The results of the analysis were used to plan land use effectively and according to local conditions. This can help managers to find solutions for the sustainable use of land resources in the future

Does unplanned urbanization pose a disease risk in Asia? the case of avian influenza in Vietnam

For more about the East-West Center, see http://www.eastwestcenter.org/Cities are expanding very rapidly in Asia, often without adequate housing, transportation, water, or sanitation. These new "peri-urban" areas may be hot spots for disease, both in humans and domestic animals. Research into the possible link between unplanned urban expansion and disease outbreaks compared patterns of land-use change with two major outbreaks in Vietnam of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, subtype H5N1) that killed millions of chickens between 2003 and 2005. Work began by classifying communes into land-use categories: rural, peri-urban, urban, and urban core. The study found that peri-urban communes had at least a 150 percent higher risk of experiencing an H5N1 outbreak than did other types of commune, and that urbanization entails a spatial convergence of several key risk factors for H5N1 transmission. By focusing prevention programs on communes with these factors, the Vietnamese government can potentially improve disease prevention at lower cost. This research may also help explain the epidemiology of other infectious diseases, both in humans and livestock

Forest Cover Change, Households’ Livelihoods, Trade-Offs, and Constraints Associated with Plantation Forests in Poor Upland-Rural Landscapes: Evidence from North Central Vietnam

Vietnam's forests have experienced a notable transformation over the past 20 years from net deforestation to reforestation and expanding forests. Continued reforestation that aims to achieve further economic and environmental benefits remains a national priority and strategy. We explore the current status of plantation forests and highlight possible means to facilitate their expansion in the uplands of Vietnam. We employ mixed method triangulation to empirically explore plantation forests and their economic role in household livelihood, to quantify trade-offs between plantation forests and shifting cultivation, and to assess the constraints on plantation forest expansion in Nghe An province, north-central Vietnam. Results show that forest in the study area expanded by 406,000 ha (71.1%) between 1990 and 2016. Plantation forests increased by nearly 500% (from 32,000 ha to 190,000 ha), while natural forests expanded by 48.1% (from 538,000 ha to 797,000 ha). Plantation forests contributed an average of 35.1 percent of total household income in wealthier households and 27.9 percent of income in poor households. Switching from shifting cultivation to plantation forests would increase total household income and average carbon stock but decrease food provision. Total Economic Value would be higher for plantation forest scenarios if increased carbon stocks in plantations can be monetized. This carbon income might drive conversion of shifting cultivation to plantation forests. Constraints on further expansion of plantation forest are low external cooperation, education, market stability, and agroforestry extension services. Our empirical results inform national plantation forest development, sustainable upland livelihood development, and climate change mitigation programs to ultimately facilitate forest transition and improve the resilience and sustainability of socio-ecological systems. © 2020 by the authors