How locals are benefiting from forest protection incentives

ĐBP - The payment for forest environmental services program (PFES) is proving increasingly effective, boosting forest protection resources, raising local incomes, and encouraging community participation in conservation.

Tuần Giáo District, Điện Biên Province currently has over 45,400 hectares of forests, more than half of which qualifies for PFES. Between 2019 and 2023, around 1,000 individual and collective forest owners in Tuần Giáo received nearly VNĐ 92.5 billion from PFES. Additionally, they were provided with 672 PFES handbooks and 157 patrol notebooks to monitor forest areas providing environmental services. In 2024 alone, the district is set to receive over VNĐ 19.2 billion through the program.

PFES helps strengthen local capacity for forest protection and sustainable development.

PFES not only supports contracted households but also finances community infrastructure projects, benefiting entire villages. These investments include building and repairing rural roads, community centers, village headquarters, and schools. Households also use their funds for forest management, farming supplies, production tools, and daily expenses.

Mr. Lò Văn Tý, a member of the community-based forest protection team in Lập Hamlet, Tuần Giáo Town, shared: “Our community is contracted to care for and protect nearly 830 hectares of forest. Over the years, we have successfully prevented wildfires and illegal logging. Thanks to effective conservation, we receive PFES. Over the past three years, we have gotten over VNĐ 300 million annually”.

Residents of Lập Hamlet, Tuần Giáo Town actively take care of their assigned forest area.

In 2024, the provincial forest protection and development fund has disbursed VNĐ 211.4 billion from PFES. Between 2019 and 2023, the total amount paid to forest owners across the province exceeded VNĐ 994.4 billion. The People’s Committee of the province has reallocated undisbursed funds to compensate lower-priced watersheds (such as the Mã River basin and some intra-provincial watersheds), ensuring fairness in payments and encouraging sustainable forest management. This approach has gained widespread support from local communities, organizations, and individuals involved in conservation.

In term of economic impact, PFES provides essential funding for local forest protection programs and offer additional income to participating households. Some forest owners receive significant payments, such as: In Tả Ló San Community, Sen Thượng Commune, Mường Nhé District, each household receives an average of VNĐ 87 million per year,  in Thẩm Táng Community, Pú Xi Commune, Tuần Giáo District, each household receives an average of VNĐ 28 million per year. On average, households participating in forest protection receive nearly VNĐ 2 million per year.

Thanks to PFES, people in Điện Biên Đông District have additional resources to expand household business.

According to Mr. Trần Xuân Tâm, Deputy Director of the provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund, PFES not only links economic benefits with conservation responsibilities but also mobilizes human ressources for regular patrols and protection efforts. As a result, the number of households directly involved in forest protection has steadily increased from over 95,000 households in 2021 to nearly 96,000 households in 2022 and more than 96,000 households in 2023.

In PFES-supported areas, there is strong collaboration between forest owners, contracted protection teams, local authorities, and forest rangers to promote sustainable conservation. This initiative has played a key role in increasing forest coverage and improving ecological balance across the region.

Thu Hằng

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