| CALL FOR SUPPORT FOR BU NOR COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT |
| The natural forests were allocated to the Bu Nor community since 2000, after the re-planning of forest land, the remaining area is 264 ha. The community has practiced forest management for more than 20 years, bringing ecological benefits to the environment and community life. Therefore, the government has just allocated an additional 816 hectares of natural forest by the end of 2021. Until now, the total area of natural forest that has been allocated to the community for management is 1080 ha, together with the certificate of the right to use forest land for the long term (Red Book).
Now, the community needs support to continue developing community forest management. |
| The information provided here is to call for voluntary individuals, organizations, governmental and non-governmental projects and programs to support the development of community forest management in Bu Nor village. |
Location: Bu Nor Village, Quang Tam Commune, Tuy Duc District, Dak Nong Province, Viet Nam.
Information about Bu Nor village: It is a long-time living place of M’Nong ethnic minority people, including 168 households, of which 89 are poor (accounting for 53%).
Information on community forest management in Bu Nor village:
- Community forest management has been carried out since 2000 up to now.
- Community Forest Management Board: Including 05 people, 01 head, 01 deputy, 01 accountant, 02 members. The board is elected by the community and approved by the Commune People’s Committee for a term of 5 years.
- Community participation in forest management: 39 representative households directly participate
- The natural forests were allocated to the community since 2000, after replanning the remaining 264 hectares of forest land. Until recently in December 2021, the government allocated an additional 816 hectares to the community. Until now, the total area of natural forest that has been allocated to the community for management is 1080 ha, together with the certificate of the right to use forest land for the long term (Red Book).
- The current status of forests is mainly degraded forest after heavily selective exploitation, some forest areas are slightly affected, with little degraded. Wood-poor forests, however, the landscape could provide many ecological economic benefits if restored such as watershed protection, carbon accumulation, biodiversity conservation, a significant amount of NTFPs for community life such as bamboo shoots, bamboo culms, rattan, wild vegetables, medicinal herbs, honey, firewood, small wild animals.
- The forest area to be paid for forest environmental services in the watershed (PFES) in the Dong Nai river basin is 1080 ha.
- Community forest management activities: Currently, it is mainly protecting the natural forests
Google Earth satellite image of Bu Nor community forest location.
UTM coordinates: 48P – 763229 m E, 1344431 m N
Calling for support for the development of community forest management here according to the following needs:
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| Contact: Bu Nor Community Forest Management Board: Mr. Dieu Hap, Head of the Board Address: Bu Nor Village, Quang Tam Commune, Tuy Duc District, Dak Nong Province, Vietnam Phone: +84 333404368 Advisor: Prof. Dr. Bao Huy Phone: + 84 983084145 Email: baohuy.frem@gmail.com Website: https://baohuy-frem.org/ |
Some photos of community forest management Bu Nor
Forest status assigned to the community in 2021
Natural forests provide a variety of NTFPs for community life.
A community forest protection group. Some dressed as rangers; this is a costume made by the community at
its own expense and with the consent of the rangers.
The community members of the Bu Nor village participate in the community forest management
A traditional house of the M’Nong ethnic minority group in Dak Nong was built by the local community to serve
as a forest protection station.
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Call of Community Advisor for support for Bu Nor Community Forest Management.
Please, kindly allow me to briefly introduce myself. My name is Bao Huy, Professor, Ph.D. in Forestry, an Independent Consultant and I am currently an Advisor for the Bu Nor community.
I have worked with government agencies at different levels, NGOs, and of course with ethnic minority communities to promote the development of community forest management (CFM) in Vietnam for more than 20 years and have made certain contributions, so RECOFTC honored me with the title: “Honorary Fellow of the Center for People & Forests (RECOFTC)”.
Now I would like to briefly describe the need to support community forest management in Bu Nor village.
Bu Nor is a village of indigenous M Nong people in the Quang Tam commune, Tuy Duc district, Dak Nong province, in the central highlands of Vietnam. It is a long-time living place for M’Nong ethnic minority people, comprising 168 households. Natural forests are associated with the land of ancestors, with the livelihoods of people, especially the poor. They always need to own these forests for the benefit of the current community and future descendants; because they are facing the loss of natural forests around where they live.
Since 2000, I have started to facilitate local and central governments to develop community forestry practices to involve people in effective forest management and protection, and they benefit from the forest. Since then, Bu Nor village has been allocated a part of natural forest, which can be considered the first community-based forest management in Vietnam. However, after forest allocation, due to the lack of specific benefit policies, it is very difficult for the community to manage and protect the forest. However, they have demonstrated their ability to manage and protect the forest well, compared to the surrounding natural forests managed by the forestry companies that have disappeared, degraded. Community forest management here has proven effective, making an important contribution to watershed protection, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation and contributing to the livelihoods of communities mainly from non-timber forest products. Therefore, by the end of 2021, the Dak Nong province government has continued to expand the allocation of natural forests to the Bu Nor community, with a total area currently managed by the community of 1080 hectares. According to the Law on Land and the Law on Forestry of Vietnam, natural forests are collectively allocated to the village community, and they are certified with the right to long-term management and use of forest land and natural forests.
Although the Bu Nor community has experience in forest management and protection, it is therefore allocated more natural forests; However, the natural forest allocated to the community has mostly been degraded due to logging activities of the old forestry companies, which are no longer able to provide commercial timber. However, the landscape could provide many ecological benefits if restored. These benefits include water resource protection, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation and non-timber forest products (NTFPs). In addition, the forest is located near roads and residential areas, while this is a hot area for the encroachment of forests for land for industrial crops such as pepper and coffee.
Therefore, it also comes with the urgent challenge of how to protect and restore the newly allocated natural forest while Bu Nor is still a poor community, with 53% of households being poor and lacking the resources to deal with these problems. Therefore, Bu Nor needs financial support.
If allocated funds will focus on 1) Rehabilitation of degraded forests to increase the supply of multi-use forest products, in the immediate future focus on raising income for the community from NTFPs; at the same time increase the ecological function of the forest; 2) Financial support for forest protection such as building forest protection stations, roads, electricity and water for these stations so that the community can protect the newly assigned forest; 3) and it will be a great motivation if they can implement the project of voluntary carbon payments for forest environmental services (C-PFES) to get more income from the forest to improve living standards and increase carbon sequestration of the forests.
If Bu Nor gets funds for the above needs, I believe that Bu Nor will build a typical CFM model. This is the basis for expanding the CFM.
I really hope Bu Nor CFM will be interested and supported in the appropriate ways.
Sincerely.
Community Advisor
Bao Huy
Members of Bu Nor CFM and Advisor Bao Huy
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