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2.1.12. Viet Nam
Since nationwide introduction of free market principles in 1986, and particularly during the last decade, substantial changes have taken place in the forestry sector, including the re-organization of
state forest enterprises and changes in forest ownership and growth in wood products exports. Forests have been classified into three types – special-use conservation, protection and production forests.
State-forest enterprises are being dissolved or re-arranged into companies and Forest Management Boards. Legislation has been introduced during the past decade to allocate land to households and
individuals for sustainable forest production, conservation of flora and fauna and forest protection Coi 2008. Several major forestry programmes have been implemented including the Five Million Hectare
Reforestation Programme, which has contributed greatly to national forest restoration since 1998. However, forest degradation remains a serious problem and is widespread throughout the country.
Between 1999 and 2005, the natural forest area classified as rich declined by 10.2 percent; the area of medium-rich forests declined by 13.4 percent during the same period. The commercial value of natural
forests has also considerably declined and most rich forests are located in remote areas that are difficult to access.
Forestry has moved towards greater participation, improved forest protection, increased plantation establishment and increased timber processing both for domestic demand and export. Protection of
existing natural forest, greening areas of bare land, planting of production forest and sustainable use of forest resources is expected to increase the importance of forestry as an economic sector while
contributing to income generation, livelihood improvement and poverty reduction FSIV 2009. Four major trends are underway in the forestry sector FSIV 2009:
1. From forest exploitation to plantation development, protection, enrichment and maintenance of forest through forest reclassification, limits to exploitation, closure of
natural forest and expansion of plantation forests. 2. From extensive production and monoculture forestry to intensive and diversified forestry
including agroforestry and collective trading of forest products. 3. From public forestry to people’s forestry through restructuring of state forest enterprises
and the promotion of private forestry. 4. From state control to empowerment of local bodies with government withdrawal from
forestry-related production and trade. In 2007, the government approved the Viet Nam Forestry Development Strategy 2006-2020. The
strategy comprises five programmes MARD 2007: 1. Sustainable Forest Management and Development Programme;
2. Programme on Forest Protection, Biodiversity Conservation and Environmental Service Development;
3. Forest Product Processing and Trade Programme; 4. Programme on Research, Education, Training and Forestry Extension; and
5. Programme on Renovating Forest Sector Institutions, Policy, Planning and Monitoring. Viet Nam, although retaining only small areas of natural forests, has also become a leader in
developing REDD readiness and significant revenues could be secured if international agreement and associated funding are realized. The fact that only one forestry-related Clean Development Mechanism
CDM project exists in Viet Nam despite national focus on afforestation and reforestation does, however, suggest that expectations should remain conservative for the time being.
2.2. Policy effectiveness
Although forest policies in the region generally pursue SFM, they cannot be judged only by objectives or statements of intent Byron 2006. According to Byron 2006 when assessing a particular forest
policy the following three questions should be considered: i Is it delivering its stated aims? ii Is it doing so at reasonable cost to society? and iii Who benefits and who loses from this policy? There is
18 also a need for policy analysis to go beyond questions of effectiveness, efficiency and equity to
appropriateness in relation to emerging social, economic and environmental needs and priorities. In this analysis, several aspects are discussed, including: progress towards forest cover targets, change in
forest area by designation, expansion of certification and implementation of devolution and contribution of forests and forestry to the well-being of local people.
Most countries in the region have set forest cover targets as shown in Table 2.4. The target set by Lao PDR is particularly high in comparison with the actual forest area and current trends are heading in the
opposite direction. A similar situation, although with a smaller gap between desired and actual forest cover, prevails in Cambodia and Myanmar. The aim of increasing forest cover in Indonesia is not
being met and in Nepal, forest cover is some way below the targeted figure but according to available data no progress is being made in increasing forest cover. In India, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet