Determine r coefficient for redd+ benefit distribution in phu gia commune, huong khe district, ha tinh province, vietnam

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FORESTRY STUDENT THESIS Title Determine R-coefficient for REDD+ benefit distribution in Phu Gia commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province, Vietnam Major: Natural Resources Management Code: D850101 Faculty: Forest Resources and Environmental Management Student: Nguyen Huyen Thuong Student ID: 1253090033 Class: K57 Natural Resources Management Course: 2012 - 2016 Advanced Education Program Developed in collaboration with Colorado State University, USA Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Phung Van Khoa Hanoi, Oct/2016 TABLE OF CONTENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABTRACT I INTRODUCTION II BACKGROUND III GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 16 3.1 Goals 16 3.2 Objectives 16 IV METHODS 17 4.1 Study area 17 4.2 Determine the R-coefficient rule 18 4.3 Secondary document collection method 19 4.4 Field data collection method 20 4.4.1 Direct interview 21 4.4.2 Indirect interview 21 4.5 Data analysis 22 V RESULTS 23 5.1 Survey and interview results of individuals, households and departments in the application of the R-coefficient in the benefit distribution system of REDD+ 23 5.2 The calculating results of the R-coefficient 33 5.2 Propose some solutions to improve efficiency in payment mechanism for REDD+ project 37 5.2.1 For people perception 37 5.2.2 For management 37 5.2.3 For participation of community 38 VI DISCUSSION 39 VII CONCLUSION 43 REFERENCES 45 APPENDIX 47 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Summary of the natural characteristics, socio-economic of Phu Gia commune 18 Table 3.5: Factors being considered for the R-coefficient of REDD+, Vietnam Table 3.6: Weight of each component factor of the R-coefficient Ri 15 Table 4.1: Survey and investigate results of indicators based on component factors of the R-coefficient 23 Table 4.2: Calculating the R-coefficient for REDD+ 34 Table 4.3: Descriptive statistic for results of R-coefficient 36 Table 5.1: The total payment for each household per year 39 Table 5.2: Responsibilities and coordination in the process of calculating the Rcoefficient 41 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To complete this scientific research, apart from my own efforts, I also receive a lot of guidance and help from my teachers, organizations and individuals I would like to give our gratitude to my advisor Assoc Prof Dr Phung Van Khoa for giving me a constant support and enthusiasm guidance during the time of research and writing of this thesis I want to sincerely thank leaders, staffs and citizens of Phu Gia commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province - where my study deploy, who created favorable conditions for during my data gathering and investigation process Once again, I would like to give our gratitude and look forward to receiving guidances and comments from fellow scientists and colleagues In conclusion, I guarantee that the results and data presented in the research is honest and objectively I sincerely thank you! ABTRACT The success of REDD + depends on the distribution an efficient and equity the payments based on results UN-REDD Programme supported for Vietnam Government determined that the key issues need to solve when the build a benefit distribution system (BDS) that suit with REDD+ requirement Especially, the UN-REDD Programme in Vietnam is assisting the design of the BDS framework for REDD+ in a number of way, including the design and testing of a payment coefficient for benefits, “the R-coefficient”, as a mechanism to help REDD+ deliver multiple benefits in Vietnam The R-coefficient can also be regarded as a kind of the ensure safety policy on the environment and society is being implemented through the mechanisms of BDS Therefore, the determined of payment mechanisms for REDD + through R-coefficient effectively will reflect differences in the cost of emission reduction between the groups or different locations In this study, the survey and investigation are conducted at Phu Gia Commune, Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province The payment mechanics of the R-coefficient are calculated, discussed and explained in the formula and the proxy-measures used for measurement The benefits are calculated at the level of households and based on main factor groups: Social (Rs), Environment (Re) and Difficulty (Rd) I INTRODUCTION Greenhouse gas emissions are rise lead to climate change and cause greater consequences for the economy and human life In an attempt to reduce, the financial mechanism have extremely important role This is the basis and opportunity for developing countries to cooperate with developed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD), and now it be developed for REDD+ with additional goals "sustainable forest management"; "conserve"; and "increasing forest carbon stocks" in the Bali Action Plan at COP13 in 2007 The Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) identified five REDD+ activities: 1) reducing emissions from deforestation, 2) reducing emissions from forest degradation, 3) conservation of forest carbon stocks, 4) sustainable management of forest, and 5) enhancement of forest carbon stocks Currently, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has attracted attention worldwide and many countries because of the potential contribution of the mechanism on reduce to climate change While, the introduction of this concept from international policy discussions into national policy is complex As a nation of risk seriously affected by climate change, Vietnam has been deeply involved in the international discussion and the process of implementing REDD+ In the process of implementing REDD+, benefit sharing mechanisms has an important role for creating motivation necessary to change the behaviors Because REDD+ is based on the compensation of conditions for reducing emissions of carbon, the financial mechanism need have a system of delimited: the object of compensation is, reasons, conditions, rates, and time will be compensated The Benefit Distribution System (BDS) has therefore emerged as a key design consideration in the implementation of REDD+ activities in Vietnam UN-REDD Program has supported the Vietnam government identified the key issues when developing a benefit distribution system (BDS) in accordance with the requirements of REDD+, and this is based on the principles of equity (equity in the distribution of costs and benefits), transparency (including updating and providing information, and the ability of benefit groups to understand the benefits to be transferred how and why), additionality (interest groups only get payment for the actions that they have to without the previously expected The compliance "additional" principle to ensure the efficiency of the payment system, and the reduction of the total), and based on results (this principle to ensure the emission reduction actions actually creates a result And it shows the need to eliminate the traditional approach before that mainly based on action) The environmental and society have benefits also emphasized in the design process of the BDS In Vietnam, the national Payments for Forest Ecosystem Services (PFES) scheme has laid the foundation for multiple benefits in the benefit sharing from ecosystem service provision One feature of the PFES approach is proposed to payment differently across different service providers such as households, communities, etc by calculating the coefficient of payment for forest environmental services - the K-coefficient The Government has regulation about the payment level of forest environmental services must be adjusted according to effective of environment Forests which have more environmental effectiveness will have more payment The payment for forest environmental services to suit with types of forests, forest quality, levels of difficult associated with management, forest origin of each forest plot The K-factor is based on different environment and geographic conditions, and serves as a mechanism to promote equity by rewarding those who are generating a higher quality service in more ecologically valuable areas The above therefore excludes any social variables However, the k-factors are a tool to promote equity, but R-coefficients are not-they are a tool to promote the capture of multiple benefits Because of the nature of the environmental services being captured under PFES and REDD+, the two seemingly analogous tools play different roles In particular, the UN-REDD Program in Vietnam is exploring the use of a payment coefficient for REDD+ activities, the R-coefficient, as a mechanism to help REDD+ deliver multiple benefits in Vietnam The R-coefficient proposed the important payments for beneficiaries based on the consideration of geographic, environment, and society factors The R-coefficient is made up of a series of factors such as: income, ethnicity, gender, biodiversity, watershed, accessibility, and protection impact Each factor is weighted with a score depending on the different environmental, social and difficulty conditions of a given area This score will be multiplied by the size of the net emission reduction produced through REDD+ activities in the given area In this way, the R-coefficient will either increase or decrease or leave unchanged the total performance payment received by a household/village/community group (UN-REDD Programme in Vietnam) The efforts of the management, protection and development of forests, the beneficiaries of REDD +, and economic role of the forest ecosystem, the impact level on forests, etc are different Not only that, people need to understand of the obligations and rights when participating in REDD + activities Thus the R-coefficient will ensure fairness, transparency and scientific in payments This is also the objective of establishing the R-coefficient The R-coefficient offers a potentially powerful method of achieving this through the higher weighting of payments to disadvantaged communities, to those living in or near higher value conservation areas, and to those conserving carbon in areas which are more difficult to access and thus require more effort on behalf of the actor to carry out REDD+ activities The R-coefficient may be used to calculate the direct payment from REDD+ to a certain forest ownership beneficiary such as household, local community, forest enterprise, etc However, the basic units for calculating are households and the amount of carbon accumulated (or equivalent) Ha Tinh is one of six pilot provinces to implement the program of international cooperation of the United Nations and the action plan "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through efforts to limit deforestation and forest degradation, sustainable forest resources management, conserve and enhance forest carbon stocks " Currently, Ha Tinh has been implementing REDD+ program with scope deployed on 195 communes in 13 districts, towns and cities where have forest and forestlands In which, Phu Gia Commune, Huong Khe District is one of the area has natural conditions, geographical location, and other social conditions convenient for the implementation of REDD+ activities Therefore, I have chosen Phu Gia Commune, Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam to determine the payment mechanism for REDD+ project through the R-coefficient In other words, this report will focus on the proposed design and application of the R-coefficient in Phu Gia Commune, Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam To get there, it will be done by firstly recognizing how multiple benefits have been integrated into the design of benefit sharing systems globally Some concepts: - REDD+: an initiative aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and protecting the climate system of the earth through the efforts of protection, management, sustainable use and development of forest resources in the developing countries with the support of technical and financing of the international community - R-coefficient: the payments coefficient which has been designed to address the delivery of co-benefits in the design of the BDS The R-coefficient introduces an artificial weighting of REDD+ performance-based payments which favours beneficiaries according to various social, environmental and geographical considerations (UN-REDD Programme in Vietnam) - Interview method: This is a method of information collection that based on communication process by verbal to the posed purposes In the interview, the interviewer raised the question in the direction of a program that is preset based on law of large numbers of the mathematical Table 5.4: Descriptive statistic for results of R-coefficient Descriptive statistic 1.147333333 0.020899954 1.13 1.04 0.140201154 0.019656364 -0.254251788 0.665739597 0.53 0.9 1.43 51.63 45 Mean Standard Error Median Mode Standard Deviation Sample Variance Kurtosis Skewness Range Minimum Maximum Sum Count The maximum value in results of R-coefficient calculated for 45 households is 1.43, and minimum is 0.90, or in other words, the distance between highest R-coefficient and lowest R-coefficient is 0.53 Because the R-coefficient is applied to determine benefit levels, households which have more R-coefficient value will have more benefit level And vice versa, the figure for households is the lower, the benefit is also lower This reflects the capture of multiple benefits The use of the R-coefficient ensures transparency in benefits from REDD+, by clearly explaining the reasons for the differences in benefits R-coefficient builds to support the payment for disadvantaged communities, to those living in or near higher value conservation areas, and to those conserving carbon in areas which are more difficult to access, and require more effort to carry out REDD+ activities (Pham Minh Thoa, Phung Van Khoa, etc.) Although the level of benefits that the beneficiary received from the payment mechanism by R-coefficient for REDD+ project as such, many individuals still continue to the illegal exploitation of forest resources Because the principal revenue in life of them depend on forest such as cutting the trees to sell or build the house 36 According to comments of some other person, this income more than the cost of REDD+ project pay for households Thus R-coefficient is only achieves the sustainable efficiency when the government and the organizations have policies and appropriate measures 5.2 Propose some solutions to improve efficiency in payment mechanism for REDD+ project 5.2.1 For people perception - Continue to implement evenly education programs about participate in sustainability forest management and protection in all the villages, communes and all objects - Focus on education and raise conception among community groups have lower levels of education, women, farmers and families with low incomes - The authorities, officials and forces required thoroughly popular policies, forest protection laws to all people, especially those with less education and awareness so that they may realize roles and their responsibilities in the reduce deforestation, sustainable use and development of forest resources - Need to coordinate between propaganda and education integrated with the activities of such organizations in the village about forestry legislation 5.2.2 For management - Need to have a combination with more tightly between staffs and local community in patrol, controlling and finding out illegal activities 37 - The staffs need to go into the real life of the people to be able to understand, to grasp the situation of life, their aspirations so that can give methods to manage and grow better - Promoting dissemination to officials, the people, communities and households living near forests to understand the likely benefits in the future when they are participate in REDD+ project 5.2.3 For participation of community - Need to support about financial for forest and land allocation issues - Strengthening the activities of the clubs and forest protection organizations in villages and communes To these groups operate effectively, should be a combination of stakeholders, such as the park, the CPCs and local departments - Improve awareness and responsibility for forest protection through monitoring everyone out into forest areas need protection In addition, everyone is responsible for propaganda to others on this issue 38 VI DISCUSSION Due to the survey and investigation are measured at the household levels, the benefits are calculated for households In theory, the calculation of the benefits from REDD+ is based primarily on the reduction of net emissions of carbon over time Since REDD+ will not succeed where opportunity costs of alternative land uses are high, R-coefficients are not only relevant for areas where REDD+ interventions are feasible For example, if assume that the commune which has reduced net emissions by 150 tons of carbon per year by participating in REDD+ activities On average, after extracting other related transaction and management costs, the commune receives a price of 10 USD/ton, therefore, earning 1500 USD/year Choose households in 45 households to calculate and determine the different and the same about the total payment for each household if they have the same carbon performance The household 1, and will have the R-coefficient at levels are maximum (1.43), medium (1.13) and minimum (0.90) respectively Suppose that the households have the same a carbon performance is 20 tons of carbon per year, the total payment will be shown below: Table 6.1: The total payment for each household per year Household Number of tons of carbon/year 20 20 20 1.43 1.13 0.90 20 × 1.43 20 × 1.13 20 × 0.90 R-coefficient Ci Ri ∑ (Ci Ri) 69 BT 1,500 (i.e 10 × 150) BC.R 21.7 Total payment for each household 621 (USD) 490 391 As illustrated in table 6.1, the application of R-coefficient resulted in the difference of the total payment for each household even if they have the same carbon performance This 39 reflects the capture of multiple benefits Because of the use of the R-coefficient ensures transparency in benefits from REDD+ Due to the time limit and other conditions, the survey and investigation of the households is the random sampling survey There are some reasons that related to position and natural condition of the transect lines Some families living away from the management areas, so it is difficult to estimate the geographical distance Moreover, the cause of this error may be the lacking skill of surveyor which can lead to some flaws Therefore, the results are only the relatively, not entirely accurate or absolute accuracy In reality, to avoid the unreasonably high R-coefficients, the calculation of Rcoefficients requires data and information for each household to be provided by an external party such as the local forest owners or authorities The data and information about the component of the factor groups of R-coefficient are mainly based on the responsibility of the forest owner, and combination with the Commune People's Committee and relevant departments directly to each factor Therefore, the workshops developed consensus on assigning responsibility and coordination for such data as follow: 40 Table 6.2: Responsibilities and coordination in the process of calculating the Rcoefficient Factors R1 Responsibility The forest owners Coordination The Peoples‟ committee of commune; department of labour, invalids and social affairs, and the village‟s selected representatives R2 The forest owners The Peoples‟ committee of commune; ethic department and village chiefs R3 The forest owners The Peoples‟ committee of commune; the Women‟s union in communes R4 The forest owners Local interviewers R5 The forest owners Department of Forestry and Forest Protection Department and local interviews R6 The forest owners The Peoples‟ committee of commune, the household holding contracts for forest protection R7 The forest owners The Peoples‟ committee of commune, the household holding contracts for forest protection Although the payment mechanism of benefits to REDD + based on R-coefficients in Phu Gia Commune supported from the governments at all levels, many the related department, and the consensus of the local people However, some households even though 41 holding the contracts for forest protection but still not very well understood of the component factors of the R-coefficient The assessment of forest resources, and measurement of forest carbon stocks is difficult, costly, and time-consuming; so human and financial sources are the biggest challenge In addition, the element of the R-coefficient which accounts for biodiversity value could, in theory, consist of an array of different measurements encompassing species composition, habitat classification, and presence of populations of endangered or threatened species However, in fact, such a measure would be costly both in time and financially to implement 42 VII CONCLUSION The R-coefficient in Phu Gia Commune is determined by main groups: Social (R s) group with income, ethnicity and gender; Environment (Re) group with biodiversity, watershed quality and Difficulty (Rd) group with accessibility, protection impact Due to the basic unit of payment for the beneficiary is household allocated the forest, the proposed component factors of the R-coefficient are still application In total 45 surveyed households, there is only one family has maximum Rcoefficient, which has more the weight of each component factors than other households; meaning that the benefits that household received from participate in REDD+ activities are biggest There is also only one family has minimum R-coefficient; meaning that the benefits that household received are lowest Due to the survey and investigation was take place adjacent in the narrow scope that the management regions have different distance leading to the household probability has the maximum and minimum of R-coefficient is low If the households have the same carbon performance, the application of R-coefficient results into this household will lead to difference in the total payment for each household This is the reason why R-coefficient ensures transparency in benefits from REDD+, by clearly explaining the reasons for the difference in benefits The determination R-coefficient is important thing in planning of land use of local authorities, improvements in agricultural productivity, and enhancing family incomes in Phu Gia Commune The allocation/assignment of forest protection to households and individuals was undertaken The forest area allocated to local people has brought efficiency, and now they are managed, protected and used for the right purpose These are therefore a valuable foundation to facilitate the implementation of REDD+ payments for people undertaking forest protection However, there is not much specific study on the pilot of establishment of R- 43 coefficient for REDD+ benefit distribution in Phu Gia Commune, Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province at current time In conclude, more research about determined R-coefficient should be conducted in Phu Gia Commune to offers a potentially powerful method in the delivery of social and environmental co-benefits through the higher weighting of payments to disadvantaged communities, to those living in or near higher value conservation areas 44 REFERENCES A Enright, R McNally, T Sikor (2012), “An Approach to Designing Pro-Poor Local REDD+ Benefit Distribution Systems: Lessons from Vietnam” Asia Programme (2010), “Supporting REDD implementation in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia through the Design of a REDD-compliant Benefit Dustribution System” CIFOR (2013), “REDD+, Chia sẻ lợi ích” Hiệp hội Hợp tác Quốc tế Lâm nghiệp Nhật Bản, Hiệp hội Kỹ thuật Lâm nghiệp Nhật Bản (2012), “Nghiên cứu tiềm rừng đất liên quan đến “biến đổi khí hậu Lâm nghiệp” Cộng hòa xã hội Chủ nghĩa Việt Nam” IDLO, FAO (2011), “Chuẩn bị sở pháp lý cho REDD+ Việt Nam” IUCN (2010), “REDD Việt Nam: Vấn đề, hội, mối liên hệ” Luttrell, C.; Loft, L.; Gebara, M.F.; Kweka, D.; Brockhaus, M.; Angelsen, A.; Sunderlin, W.D (2013), “Who Should Benefit from REDD+? Rationales and Realities” Phạm Thu Thủy (2011), “Vấn đề sách REDD+ thể thông tin đại chúng” Phạm Thu Thủy, Moira Moeliono, Nguyễn Thị Hiên, Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, Vũ Thị Hiền (2012), “Bối cảnh REDD+ Việt Nam: Nguyên nhân, đối tượng thể chế” 10 Robert Mather, Head, Country Group (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam), IUCN Sở Nông nghiệp Phát triển nông thôn Lâm Đồng (2013), “Hoạt động ché chia sẻ lợi ích từ REDD+ PFES địa bàn tỉnh Lâm Đồng” 11 Trương Tất Đơ (2013), “REDD+ Việt Nam: Tổng quan số vấn đề cần quan tâm từ khía cạnh nghiên cứu sách” 12 UN-REDD PROGRAMME (2010), “Design of a REDD-Compliant Benefit Distribution System for Viet Nam” GTZ, 1/2010 13 Phạm Minh Thoa, Phùng Văn Khoa, AdrianEnright, Nguyễn Thành Trung, Nguyễn Trúc Bồng Sơn (2012), “Final report on a Pilot of Establishment of R-coefficients for REDD+ Benefit Distribution in Di Linh District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam” 14 UN-REDD PROGRAMME, “Principles of REDD+ Benefit Distribution System” 15 UN-REDD PROGRAMME, “R-coefficient: Summary for the UN-REDD Programme” 16 UN-REDD VIET NAM PROGRAMME (2009), “Thiết kế hệ thống chia sẻ lợi ích REDD Việt Nam” 17 UN-REDD VIET NAM PROGRAMME (2010), “Nghiên cứu tiếp thiết kế hệ thống chia sẻ lợi ích REDD Việt Nam” 18 UN-REDD VIET NAM PROGRAMME, “Hệ số R cho chương trình UN-REDD” 19 UN-REDD VIET NAM PROGRAMME, “Xây dựng hệ thống chia sẻ lợi ích” 20 Vương Văn Quỳnh, “Nghiên cứu xác định hệ số hiệu chỉnh mức chi trả dịch vụ môi trường rừng Đăk Lăk” APPENDIX Part I Respondent information Interviewer: ……………………………………………………………… Date: Location: …………………………… Respondent information: Name: ………………… Ethnic: …… Address: Age: Gender: …………………………………………………………… Educational level: o Be able to read, write o Primary school o Secondary school o High school o College o University o Others: …………………………………………………… Occupation: ……………………………………………………… Average income o Less than 4,120,000 vnđ o More than 5,850,000 vnđ o No income or other cases How long have you lived here? …………………………………………………………………………… …… ……………………………… ……………………………………… Part II: Information on participation in the management, protection and development of forests Are you aware of REDD+ programme whether or not? A Yes B No Do you participate in REDD+ programme whether or not? A Yes B No Have you contracted to management, forest protection and sustainable development or not? A Yes B No Is it a long way or not for the distance from your home to the managed regions? A Yes B No Do you see yourself benefiting from forest management or not? A Yes B No Have you thinks that forest resources and policies to protect forest resources sustainably are important? A Yes B Normal C No Do you think the policies and activities of the management, protection and development of forests are reasonable or not? A Yes B No Have you been listening to propaganda about the management, protection and sustainable development of forests, and used forest resources for the right purpose or not? A Yes B No Have you trained on the methods to management, protection and development of forests, and use forest resources? A Yes B No 10 According to you, was that deforestation situation in locality occurred frequently? A No B Sometimes C Frequently Part 3: Income from the use of forest land by households Income from the use of forest land to ensure the standard of living for your families does not? A Yes B No The payment for forest protection and forest land by state agencies quickly and on time or not? A Yes B No The financial support to the allocation of land associated with the allocation of forest for the households of the agencies, businesses, non-governmental organizations are justified or not? A Yes B No Part 4: Questions for departments Please tell us about the status and the current forest exploitation in the commune? Policies and activities management, forest protection and the sustainable development of the commune now? What are the main causes of deforestation and forest degradation in the commune? How about awareness of local people in the management, protection and sustainable development of forests? Before the risk of deforestation and forest degradation, what are solutions that the government and related departments propose to limit deforestation, forest degradation?