E4.1.1. Policies, laws and regulations for incentivising conservation

Viet Nam has in place a legal framework for incentivising conservation of natural forests and biodiversity and ecosystem services. In Viet Nam, the term “forest environmental services” is defined as “the work to supply the use values of the forest environment” and includes:

• Soil protection, and reduction of erosion and sedimentation of reservoirs, rivers, and streams;
• Regulation and maintenance of water sources for production and living activities of society;
• Forest carbon sequestration and retention, reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases through measures for preventing forest degradation and loss of forest area, and for forest sustainable development;
• Protection of natural landscapes and conservation of the biodiversity of forest ecosystems for tourism services;
• Provision of spawning grounds, sources of feed and natural seeds, and use of water from forests for aquaculture.

Viet Nam also has in place a set of policies to support socio-economic development for ethnic minorities and people in mountainous areas as well as focusing on preserving and developing forest resources, supporting the conservation of indigenous genetic resources and promoting traditional value chains. These policies include:

• Decree No. 99/2010/ND-CP and Decree No. 147/2016/ND-CP relate to funding for forest protection contracts; funding support for salaries, operating costs, and capacity building for forestry sector activities; revenue for forest management boards, conservation areas, national parks and state-owned forestry enterprises; and infrastructure and community development programs.
• Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP of the Government regulates the policy of benefiting from forest product exploitation in protection forests and production forests, in the direction that all forest products are allowed to be exploited and forest owners are entitled to all benefits.
• Decision No. 24/2012/QD-TTg on investment policy for special use forests (SUFs) development in the period 2011-2020 stipulates support for: SUF management boards planning for development of SUFs; forest management and protection stations; gardens for collecting and storing plant genetic resources combined with seed gardens; rescue centers combined with wild animal grazing, and flora and fauna museums; works serving scientific research; and investment for communities in buffer zones to co-manage SUFs.
• Decree No. 75/2015/ND-CP on forest protection and development policies associated with sustainable poverty reduction policies and support for ethnic minorities stipulates subsidising forest protection contracts, zoning and promoting forest regeneration, and subsidising rice planting to replace slash-and-burn fields. Beneficiaries are the communities assigned forests; and ethnic minority households living stably in communes with difficult socio-economic conditions and participating in forest protection contracts.
• Decision No. 38/2016/QD-TTg on forest protection and development policies and infrastructure investment (forest protection and management stations, forest fire prevention facilities and tenement houses for workers),and regulating the contract level for forest management and protection, including the contract level for protection of SUFs.
• Decision No. 1719/QD-TTg approving the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the 2021-2030 period;
• MARD Circular No. 12/2022/TT-BNNPTNT guiding a number of forestry activities to implement the Program on Sustainable Forestry Development (PSFD) and the National Development Target Program socio-economic areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in the period of 2021-2030, phase I: from 2021 to 2025.
• Decision No. 809/QD-TTg on approving the PSFD for the 2021-2025 period, which stipulates that the State allocates funds to carry out its tasks: protection of existing natural forest areas; effectively implements biodiversity conservation in SUFs ; applies silvicultural techniques to nurture and enrich natural forests; and implements programs and projects on biodiversity conservation of forest ecosystems.
• Decision No. 208/QD-TTg on approving the Program for developing multi-use values of forest ecosystems to 2030, with a vision to 2050, which aims to improve management efficiency and sustainable use of forest resources; create jobs, increase income, stabilise and improve the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities, mountain people, forest workers and people living near forests, contributing to development, conservation of natural resources, biodiversity, environmental protection, adaptation to climate change, etc.