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A sustainable rural society, where no poverty exists and people act responsibly toward the environment

In August 2021, communities and household groups managing forests in Thuong Lo commune, Nam Dong district, Thua Thien Hue province carried out 11 patrols to protect the forest. The activity has been supported and supervised by the Centre for Rural Development in Central Vietnam (CRD), Nam Dong District Forest Protection Department, and representatives of Thuong Lo Commune People’s Committee.

La Ho Community Forest Patrol

Forest protection patrols are carried out monthly by forest management communities/household groups to prevent illegal exploitation of forest resources and encroachment on forest land. With the support of CRD staff, all 4 communities and 7 household groups used tablets with webGIS installed to patrol. Using tablets has helped patrol teams grasp the forest boundaries, identify patrol positions, and record images during patrolling. At the end of each patrol, the teams send weekly reports onlineto the Forest Protection and Development Fund of Thua Thien Hue province.

Through forest patrol activities, community forest areas are protected from illegal encroachment on forest land, logging, and hunting animals. According to Mr. Tran Van Cau, Household Group 5 in Doi village: “From July to August 2021, when the Uoi fruit is fully ripe, household groups have increased forest patrols to protect the trees from being cut illegally to collect the seeds. Thanks to these patrols that the situation of the trees being cut down to collect fruit has sharply decreased compared with 5 years ago.”

Doi community is taking care of rattan when patrolling the forest

In combination with forest patrols, communities and household groups of forest management take care of the rattan planting areas of programs and projects. Typically, the community of Doi village, taking care of 9 hectares of rattan in Khe Dau has been supported by the Carbi project since 2016, so that the rattan tree has grown better with the average height of rattan at 1.5 meters.

In particular, in the early days of August 2021, there was a forest fire in the Thuong Lo commune. When hearing about the forest fire, the communities and household groups managing the forest mobilized members to actively participate in fighting the forest fire and promptly controlled the fire. The fire has damaged 1.3 hectares of natural forest of two households in La Ho residential clusters.

This activity is within the framework of the project “Strengthening CSOs and CBOs to Accelerate Conservation Efforts in the Central Annamites” funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The project is coordinated by the World Wide Fund For Nature Vietnam and co-implemented by the Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam and Thua Thien Hue Forest Owners Sustainable Development Association.

Some images related to community forest protection patrol

La Ho Community Forest Patrol

Cha Mang Community Forest Patrol

Mu Nam Community Forest Patrol

Household Group 5 in Doi village are taking care of rattan when patrolling the forest

Phan Văn Hùng

Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam