Assessment of the satisfactory level of local people on some incentive policies for coastal forests management at the dam doi, dat mui, and nhung mien protection forest management boards, ca mau province

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FORESTRY STUDENT THESIS Title ASSESSMENT OF THE SATISFACTORY LEVEL OF LOCAL PEOPLE ON SOME INCENTIVE POLICIES FOR COASTAL FORESTS MANAGEMENT AT THE DAM DOI, DAT MUI, AND NHUNG MIEN PROTECTION FOREST MANAGEMENT BOARDS, CA MAU PROVINCE Major: Natural Resources Management Code: D850101 Faculty: Forest Resources and Environmental Management Student: Tran Hai Long Student ID: 1253090023 Class: K57 Natural Resources Management Course: 2012 - 2016 Advanced Education Program Developed in collaboration with Colorado State University, USA Supervisor: Assoc Prof., Dr Bui The Doi Hanoi, 01/10/2016 ACKNOWLEDGMENT This thesis has been completed in basis of the Nature Resource Management major – Advanced Curriculum Program of the Faculty of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Vietnam National University of Forestry During thesis completion, I received help and supports from lecturers of the faculty and training division officers; I want to give my gratitude to the officials and workers of Dat Mui, Dam Doi and Nhung Mien Protection Forest Management Boards for their dedication to provided me with information and help me in the interview process there It is also my pleasure to thank all of the lectures from the Forest and Environmental Resources Management Faculty and the Vietnam National University of Forestry for their teaching and passing me with knowledge to complete this thesis ; Especially, I sincerely thank Assoc Prof., Dr Bui The Doi, whom I have received supervision from during the time of study completion Without him, none of this could be possible During thesis implementation, due to limitation of time and finance, and human resources acquainted with the actual work, my study inevitably have several shortcomings I look forward to receiving comments and recommendations of lectures to further perfect the thesis Thank you! Hanoi, October 1st, 2016 Author: Tran Hai Long TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………… ….1 INTRODUCTION 2 GOAL AND (SPECIFIC) OBJECTIVES 2.1 Goal 2.2 Specific objectives METHODOLOGY 3.1 Data collection method 3.1.1 Desk study 3.1.2 Field visit, semi-structure interview, questionnaires and stakeholder consultation 3.2 Data analysis RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 People’s satisfactory on incentive policies 4.1.1 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 186 4.1.1.1 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 186 based on access to forest land area of households 4.1.1.2 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 186 based on income 11 4.1.1.3 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 186 based on ability to access capital 12 4.1.1.4 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 186 based on ability to access to scientific and technical services 14 4.1.1.5 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 186 based on their awareness of the importance of mangroves 15 4.1.1.6 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 186 based on their living dependence on forests 17 4.1.2 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 178 18 4.1.3 People’s satisfactory on Decision No 17 19 4.2 Proposing some recommendations to improve the situation and the policy 20 4.2.1 Policy and institutional solutions 20 4.2.1.1 Policy improvement 20 4.2.1.2 Establishment of a strong multi-sector coordination mechanism 20 4.2.1.3 Review of right and benefits of local people in forest protection and develop co-management modalities 21 4.2.1.4 Enforcement of forest laws and regulations 21 4.2.1.5 Empower forest owners authority and accountability 22 4.2.1.6 Policies to support livelihood improvement linked with forest protection 23 4.2.2 Economic development solutions 23 4.2.2.1 Renovate aquacultural methods, increase productivity and quality of shrimp 23 4.2.3 R-D solutions 24 4.2.3.1 For forest protection and management 24 4.2.3.2 For improving the aquacultural production 24 4.2.4 Social and cultural solutions 24 4.2.4.1 Raise awareness 24 4.2.4.2 Ensure active participation of local people and stakeholders 25 CONCLUSION 26 REFERENCES APPENDIX ACRONYMS CC - Climate change DARD – Department of Agriculture and Rural Development DONRE - Department of Natural Resources and Environment DOST - Department of Science and Technology DPI - Department of Planning and Investment IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature PFMB – Protection Forest Management Board SNV - Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers - Netherlands Development Organization UN REDD - United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1 Number and percentage of household’s opinion on the satisfactory to forest land access for shrimp production purpose regarding access to forest land area of each household 10 Table 4.2 Number and percentage of household’s opinion regarding average income per person per year of each household 11 Table 4.3 Number and percentage of household’s opinion regarding ability to access to capital 13 Table 4.4 Number and percentage of household’s opinion regarding ability to access to scientific and technical services 14 Table 4.5 Number and percentage of household’s opinion regarding their awareness on the importance of mangroves 16 Table 4.6 Number and percentage of household’s opinion regarding their dependence on forests 17 Table 4.7 Number and percentage of household’s opinion on Decision No 178 18 Table 4.8 Number and percentage of household’s opinion on Decision No 17 19 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1 The level of satisfactory of local households on the ratio 40% of total forest land area allowed for shrimp production, 60% for mangrove protection regarding access to forest land area of each household 10 Figure 4.2 The level of satisfactory of local households regarding average income per person per year of each household 12 Figure 4.3 The level of satisfactory of local households regarding their ability to access capital 13 Figure 4.4 The level of satisfactory of local households regarding their ability to access to scientific and technical services 15 Figure 4.5 The level of satisfactory of local households regarding their awareness on the importance of mangroves 16 Figure 4.6 The level of satisfactory of local households regarding their dependence on forests 17 Figure 4.7 The level of satisfactory of household on Decision No 178 18 Figure 4.8 The level of satisfactory of household on Decision No 17 19 ABSTRACT This study was conducted to assess to people’s satisfactory level on several incentive policies, including those in Decision No 186, Decision No 178 and Decision No 17, in the Dam Doi, Dat Mui and Nhung Mien Protection Forest Management Boards in Ca Mau province Several methods were used to collect data, namely desk study, field visit, semistructure interview, questionnaires and stakeholder consultation The basic data analysis showed that both Decision No 178 and Decision No 17 received high agreement level in the local population However, for Decision No 186 which has mixed and complicated satisfactory level among local people, the author used several criteria to further define the problem, including: the access to forest land area of households; the average income per person per year of each household; ability to access to capital; ability to access to scientific and technical services; their awareness on the importance of forests; and their living dependence on forests This helped to show a high variation among the local people’s decisions due to the differences in their economic, awareness and education levels From analyzed results, the study found out that there is no need to revise the current incentive policies but proposed many recommendations to further encourage and support local people’s participation in forest protection efforts 1 INTRODUCTION Vietnam is a country that has been suffering various negative impacts of global climate change (CC) (Schmidt-Thome, P et al, 2015), forests in general and coastal protection forests in particular have a very important role in both mitigation and adaptation to CC Sustainable coastal protection forest management is always associated with the planting, protection, exploitation and rational use of the renewable natural resources, that contributes to coastal protection, reduction of negative effects of wind, storms and waves; protection of production and livelihood of coastal residents, climate regulation assistance, water regulation, limitation of saltwater intrusion and coastal erosion, land reclamation, as well as contributes to bio-diversity conservation, the development of ecotourism, provision of habitat, breeding and feeding areas for fish species, etc Recognizing the importance of forests for the protection of the environment and the role of local communities in the protection and management of this valuable resource, for nearly two decades, the Government of Vietnam has issued several policies to encourage the participation of local people in the management, protection and sustainable development of forests, including coastal protection forest Although the forest coverage rate in Vietnam has increased continuously since 1990, the quality of forest has been reduced sharply during the same period, especially for protection forest, including the coastal protection forest system in Ca Mau province There are many reasons leading to the deforestation and forest degradation in Ca Mau One of the most important reasons is the poor involvement of local communities because of the lack of appropriate incentive policies and mechanisms Ca Mau is the southernmost province of Vietnam, famous with the Ca Mau Cape Located between the latitudes 8030’ and 9010’ North, and the longitudes 104008’ and 105005’ East This province faces the sea on three sides, the east bordering the East Sea while the west and the south bordering Thailand Gulf The total land area of Ca Mau is 533,133 hectares with districts and one provincial city The forest area of this province is mainly situated in the Northwest (flooded brackish land) and the Southeast (flooded salty land); the coastal protection forest spans 254 kilometers (including 107 kilometers in the east and 147 kilometers in the west) from Tieu Dua Canal in the Gulf of Thailand to Ganh Hao estuary in the East Sea This is one of the two provinces with the largest forest area in the Mekong Delta, but also one of Vietnam's provinces most severely affected by climate change and sea levels rising According to the report “Forest Inventory Results of Ca Mau forest in 2015” (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau – DARD of Ca Mau, 2014), by the end of 2014, the coastal protection forests area of Ca Mau is 36,483 ha, accounting for 22.2% of the total forest area of the province This whole protection forest area belongs to the crucial and most critical categories of protection forests In Ca Mau, only Protection Forest Management Boards (PFMB- a kind of local state organization) are accountable for management, protection and development activities of protection forests Some of these PFMBs has a very high level of people living in and around the forest area, especially the Dam Doi, Dat Mui and Nhung Mien PFMBs These three PFMBs makes up to more than 50% of the total coastal protection forest area of Ca Mau and around 85% of the households in this area are having contracts for forest protection with the PFMB (DARD of Ca Mau, 2016) Over the years, the National Assembly and Government of Vietnam have enacted various laws and policies on environmental protection, land ownership and usage, and particularly incentive and benefit sharing to define the rights and obligations of the State, government’s ministries and departments, communities and individuals The Law on Environmental Protection of 2014 regulates environmental protection activities; policies, measures and resources to protect the environment; rights, obligations and responsibilities of agencies, organizations, households and individuals in environmental protection efforts (National c Conversion of natural forest area to aquaculture? - Before 2005: Yes No - 2005 – 2010: Yes No - 2010 – 2015: Yes No Information on area, place, converted plant species if it is present: d Lost natural forest because of building road, electric line, residential construction - Before 2005: Yes No - 2005 – 2010: Yes No - 2010 – 2015: Yes No Information about area, size if it is present: e Lost forest area because of natural disaster ( flood, fire, pest) - Before 2005: Yes No - 2005 – 2010: Yes No - 2010 – 2015: Yes No Information about area, size if it is present: VIEWPOINTS OF THE LOCAL AUTHORITY ON THE CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION, THE INCENTIVE POLICIES IN THE AREA, AND ON LOCAL PEOPLE’S SATISFACTORY OF THOSE POLICIES: APPENDIX 02: Data on local household’s basic information and opinion Access Total No Name PFMB Income/ land % of person area aquaculture (million (ha) Opinion Opinion on 186 on 17 Opinion on 178 Dong) Proposed ratio Access (%aquaculture to - %forest) capital to Awareness scientific and Dependency technical services Ngo Phi Giang Mai Trong Thinh Tran Thanh Danh Le Viet Dinh Tran Thanh Hong Tran Cong Tan Nguyen Be Muoi Le Van Dat Mui Not 1.8 58 12 Dat Mui 1.9 61 16 2.2 54 10 2.2 55 2.2 58 Nhung Mien Yes Low No Low Not Agree agree 70-30 Yes Low No High Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low agree Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No High Not Not agree agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low agree Not 2.5 56 13.5 agree Dat Mui 60-40 Not Nhung Mien agree Agree Not Dat Mui Agree Not Nhung Mien agree Not 2.8 58 14 Nhung agree Not Agree agree 60-40 Yes High No High agree Agree Agree 70-30 Yes Low No High Not Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low Not Giau Mien 2.8 61 Nguyen Gia Nhung 2.9 55 13 Tu Mien agree Nguyen Nhung Not 10 Hong Dat Thai Chi 11 Tam Mien Mui Dat 12 Quang Khai Mui 13 Thanh 56 18 Dat Nguyen Ly Tu 3.1 Agree Agree 60-40 No Low Yes Low Not 3.2 57 20 agree Agree Agree 60-40 No Low Yes Low 3.2 58 17 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No High Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low Agree Agree 70-30 Yes Low No High Nhung Mien agree Not 3.2 53 20 agree Nguyen Hoang 14 Xuan Vo Van 15 Quyet Ngo Quoc 16 Toan Trinh So 17 Tai Cao Chi 18 Hung Nguyen 19 Van Xuan Nguyen Nhung Mien 3.2 54 12 Nhung Mien Mien 3.3 59 14 3.4 53 15 3.6 56 16.4 agree 3.6 55 18 Tran Pho Dat Mui agree 50-50 Yes Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low agree Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No High Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low Not 3.6 59 14 Dat Mui Agree Not Nhung Mien agree Not Not Dat Mui agree Not Dat Mui agree Not Nhung 20 Van Dam 21 Lon Not agree Not 3.6 53 13.5 agree Not 3.7 56 20 agree Tieu Van 22 Phong Nguyen 23 Van Chanh Nguyen 24 Hong Duc Ta Minh 25 Phung Tran Tri 26 Thuc Huynh Van 27 Lang Dinh Tat 28 Thanh Le Quoc 29 Viet Dat Mui Not 3.7 50 16 Nhung Mien 3.8 54 10 3.8 51 12 3.8 53 15 Nguyen 32 Vinh Loc Low No High agree Agree Agree 60-40 No Low Yes Low agree Agree Agree 50-50 Yes Low Yes Low agree Not Agree agree 60-40 No Low No Low 3.8 55 21 agree Agree Agree 70-30 No Low No Low 52 26 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High Yes High Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No High Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low Dat Mui Dat Mui Not 4.1 48 18 Dat Mui 30 Au Van Son Mui 31 An Yes Not 4.2 49 12 4.2 47 14.5 agree Not 4.4 51 13 Nhung Mien agree Not Dat Mui agree Not Dat Ho Hong 60-40 Not Dat Mui Agree Not Dat Mui Agree Not Nhung Mien agree agree Not Agree agree 60-40 No Low No Low Agree Agree 70-30 No Low No Low Agree Agree No No High Yes High Not 4.5 50 4.5 46 13.8 agree Huynh Xuan 33 Quyen Nhung Mien 12 Agree Le Thi Thu 34 Ba Nguyen 35 Minh Tri Nguyen Dat Mui 4.7 47 17 Dat Mui agree 4.7 52 20 agree Agree 50-50 Yes High No Low Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low Not 4.7 48 16 agree Dat 37 Thanh Tung Mui Agree Not Dat 36 Thanh Thuy Mui Nguyen Not Not 4.7 49 13.4 Agree agree Agree No No High Yes High 4.8 49 10.7 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High Yes High Agree Agree 60-40 No Low Yes High Nhung 38 Le Long Co Nguyen 39 Viet Lao Vo Quoc 40 Cuong Tran Van 41 Quang Mien Nhung Mien Mui 48 19.1 agree Not 46 12 agree Agree Agree 60-40 No Low Yes Low 47 14 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High Yes High Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low Nhung Mien Dat 42 Viet Hai Mui 43 Khoi 4.9 Dat Nguyen Tran Viet Not Not 46 20 Dat Mui agree Not 47 21 agree Dat 44 Le Thi Yen Mui Le Gia Dat 45 Long Tran Tieu 46 Xuan Mui Not 5.0 48 5.1 45 26.3 Agree 15 Nhung Mien Agree Agree agree No No High Yes High Agree Agree No No Low No High Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low Not 5.2 46 18 agree Tran Quang 47 Dong Nhung Mien 5.2 45 12.6 Agree Dat 48 Le Bang Co Luu Kha 49 Phong Cao Thanh 50 Hung Ly Hoang 51 Ca Huynh Lam 52 Son Tran Dang 53 Dung Tran Kim 54 Hoan To Van 55 Quoc Nguyen 56 Cong Linh Mui Agree No Yes High No Low Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No High Not 5.2 47 14 Dat Mui Agree agree Not 5.3 44 21 agree Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low 5.4 45 23 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High Yes High agree Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No Low 25.7 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Dam Doi Nhung Mien Not 5.4 46 5.5 48 19 Nhung Mien Dat Mui Not 5.6 46 18 Dat Mui Agree agree No Yes Low Yes High Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No High Not 5.7 47 20 Dat Mui Agree agree Not 5.84 48 14 agree Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low 5.9 45 25 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Nhung Mien Pham Hoang Le 57 Minh Le Minh 58 Duong Dat Mui Not 5.9 46 43 16 Not agree Agree agree 60-40 Yes Low Yes High 15.2 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High Yes High Dat Mui Bui Hanh Dat 59 Nghiem Mui Nguyen Dat 60 Hoang Khai Mui Duong Thi 61 Tot Nguyen Thi 62 Hang Tran Minh 63 Canh Mien Mien Mien Mui 66 Kinh Vo Van 67 Manh Mui Doi Mui Mui 70 Cong Trinh The 71 Khai Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low 6.2 45 18 agree Agree Agree 60-40 Yes High No Low 6.2 45 10 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High 6.4 44 13 Agree Agree Agree No No High No High Agree Agree 50-50 Yes Low No Low Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low 60-40 No Low No Low Not 6.4 44 16.7 agree Not 6.5 43 16.3 agree Not 6.5 42 13.5 agree Not Agree agree Not 6.6 41 14 Agree Agree agree No Yes High Yes Low 6.7 43 19 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes Low 6.8 41 15 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Agree Agree 50-50 Yes Low No Low Dat 68 Van Loc Tran Thanh Agree Dam Dat 69 An agree Not Dat Nguyen Tran Minh 15 Nhung 64 Truong Han Tran Van 44 Nhung Dat 65 Tan An 6.1 Nhung Nguyen Bach Van Not Nhung Mien Not 6.8 43 16 Dat Mui agree Not 7.0 41 18 agree Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low Yes Low 7.2 42 27 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes Low Dat Mui Dang Van 72 Ket Nguyen 73 Anh Minh Dam Doi Not 7.3 41 23 agree Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No High 7.4 41 25 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Agree Agree 50-50 Yes Low No Low Dat Mui Truong Hung 74 Cuong Pham Binh 75 Yen Dat Mui Mien Dat 76 Huy Hoang Mui 77 Tri Tran Van 78 Canh Le Nghi 79 Dan Pham Quy 80 Trung 7.5 43 22 agree Nhung Nguyen Tran Xuan Not Not 7.5 42 27.5 Agree Agree agree No Yes High Yes High Not 7.6 40 31 agree Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low 7.9 41 23 Agree Agree Agree No No Low Yes High 43 25 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High No High Agree Agree 60-40 No Low No High Dam Doi Dat Mui Dat Mui Not 8.2 40 30 agree Dam Doi Not 8.3 42 32 Agree Agree agree No No High Yes High 8.8 36 22 Agree Agree Agree No No High No High Trinh Nguyen 81 Khanh Dam Doi Dam 82 Le Ba Hung Doi Chau Viet 83 Cuong Not 41 27 agree Agree Agree 60-40 Yes Low No Low 9.2 37 28 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Dat Mui Nguyen Dat 84 Quang Hieu Mui Pham Dam 85 Hoang Phuc Doi Le Hoang 86 Tham Le Van 87 Minh Loc Nguyen 88 Phuc Dam Nguyen 90 Van Tham Nguyen 91 Viet Quoc Le Duy 92 Ninh Pham Tung 93 Lam To Hiep 94 Thai 42 9.3 9.8 30 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes Low 35 28.4 Agree Agree Agree No Yes Low No Low 43 37.5 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Agree Agree 50-50 No Low No High Dam Doi Dat Mui Not 10.5 36 31 Dat Mui agree Not Not 10.5 38 26 agree Agree agree 50-50 Yes Low No Low 10.6 39 30 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High Yes High Dam 89 Hoang Sang Doi Nguyen 9.3 Dam Doi Not 11.1 37 32 agree Agree Agree 50-50 Yes Low No Low 11.7 40 38 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High 11.7 38 36 Agree Agree Agree No Yes High Yes High 12.4 35 40 Agree Agree Agree No No Low No Low Dam Doi Dat Mui Dam Doi Dam Doi Not 12.6 36 53 Agree Agree agree No Yes High Yes High 13.7 34 47 Agree Agree Agree No No High Yes High Huynh Quoc 95 Truyet Dam Doi APPENDIX 03: Map of study area and photo taken from field-visit