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Vol. 6 No. 2 (2022): NOVEMBER

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Impacts of Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services on Local livelihoods in A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Viet Nam

https://doi.org/10.24259/fs.v6i2.18808
Pham Thu Thuy
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2096-8911
Duong Ngoc Phuoc
Faculty of Rural Development, Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, Hue City, Viet Nam
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8807-903X
Le Thi Thanh Thuy
Independent Researcher, Viet Nam
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3164-8347

Corresponding Author(s) : Pham Thu Thuy

T.Pham@cgiar.org

Forest and Society, Vol. 6 No. 2 (2022): NOVEMBER

Abstract

This paper analyses the impacts of the national Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) policy in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, Viet Nam. There are mixed impacts of PFES in A Luoi district. While some surveyed households have experienced increases in income since PFES, for many other incomes have fallen. Our findings show PFES impacts on local communities and individuals are limited because most forest areas are managed by state agencies, leaving only 17.9% of PFES payments being channeled to these groups, while the rest goes to state government agencies and commune people’s committees. This disparity in PFES payments has further widened the income gap between state agencies and local households.  PFES payments currently contribute little to household incomes, averaging only 2.64% of total earnings. PFES has little impact and additionality in advancing land tenure security and reducing natural forest product exploitation for generating income as impacts are similar to those found in non-PFES villages. PFES poverty reduction impacts vary from village to village, but in general, percentages of poor households receiving PFES payments range from 1% to 59%.

Keywords

Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services Vietnam livelihoods additionality poverty reduction sustainable forest management
Thuy, P. T., Duong, P., & Thuy, L. T. T. . (2022). Impacts of Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services on Local livelihoods in A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Viet Nam. Forest and Society, 6(2), 590-608. https://doi.org/10.24259/fs.v6i2.18808
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Author Biographies

Pham Thu Thuy, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia
Dr. Pham Thu Thuy obtained her first class of Honor on Environmental Management/Tropical Forestry in University of Queensland, Australia and received her PhD in Pro-poor Payments for Environmental Services from Charles Darwin University, Australia. Thuy is currently CIFOR Senior Scientist and Country Representative of CIFOR in Vietnam. At CIFOR her research has focused on political economy of forest governance and climate change policies. Thuy has also worked in the field of climate change policies, lower emission development strategy, payment for environmental services, reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation, poverty and environmental nexus, social safeguards, community based forest management and mainstreaming gender into national forestry policies. Before joining CIFOR, she has worked as a consultant for Asian Development Bank, World Agroforestry Center, Oxfam UK, The Stockholm Environment Institute, Forest Trends, and The University of Queensland.  
Duong Ngoc Phuoc, Faculty of Rural Development, Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, Hue City, Viet Nam
Duong Ngoc Phuoc is a lecturer in the Faculty of Rural Development, Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry - Hue University. He holds a master’s degree in rural development and has more than 10 years’ experience working in community development, improving local livelihoods, and engaging communities in natural resources conservation.
Le Thi Thanh Thuy, Independent Researcher, Viet Nam
Le Thi Thanh Thuy has a master’s degree in development economics and 10 years’ experience working in international organizations, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund in Vietnam, where she became involved in projects relating to biodiversity conservation, forest landscape restoration, marine plastic reduction, and private sector and civil society engagement in environmental governance.
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