Workshop on Experiences and Steps on Community Based Forest and Land Allocation

• Over the past decades, forest land allocation (FLA) is one of the key policies of Vietnam with the sake at managing and developing forest resources sustainably whilst create conditions for the local people to improve their lives, reduce poverty, motivate socio-economic progress in mountainous areas . Besides the results achieved , FLA in reality reveals some inadequacies affecting the rights of benefit of forest users / managers as well as causing many disputes and conflicts in practice. The implementation of FLA since promulgation of the Law on Land in 2003 and Law on Forest Protection and Development in 2004 to present has virtually not promoted its effect due to lack of coordination and synchronous communication in terms of  measurements and methods between MARD and MoNRE. Given such a fact, MARD and MoNRE have issued a Joint Circular No. 07/2011/TTLT-BNN-BTN&MT regarding forest allocation and rent associated with forest and land allotment.
  
  Since 2011, the Simacai DPC, Lao Cai Provincial Department of Forestry and Social Policy Ecology Resarch Institute (SPERI) - a member of the Livelihood Sovereignty Alliance (LISO) have joinly implemented a pilot on forest and forest land allocation on basis of the Joint Circular No. 07/2011/TTLT-BNN-BTNMT for Hmong communities in 8 villages of Lung Sui commune, Simacai district. 
  
  On the basis of the results of the pilot program implemented in 8 villages in Lung Sui commune, on 29 October 2013  Lao Cai Provincial Department of Forestry and SPERI will organize a workshop on "Experiences and Steps on Community Based Forest and Land Allocation".
  
  Participants in the workshop include representatives of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, Lao Cai Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lao Cai Provincial Department of  Natural Resources and Environment, Lao Cai Fund for Forest Protection and Development, Lao Cai Provincial Department of Forestry, Simacai District People's Committee and Functional Offices, local media, Communist Party of Vietnam Online Magazine, and SPERI.
  
  Workshop Contents
  
  • Role of the customary law in solving disputes and conflicts among forest users/managers  including households, communities, Management Board of Protection Forest;
  • Role of key farmers and village prestigous elders in entire approach of FLA;
  • How to promote cooperation among local governments, agencies, scientific and research organizations in the process of FLA;
  • Discussion for completion of manual on community based forest and land alocation which will become a reference for functional offices in provincial and district levels.