To help people become more attached to the forest

People of Huoi Long village, Na Sang commune (Muong Cha district) regularly patrol to better manage and protect the forest.

In 2021, the forest area in Muong Muon commune (Muong Cha district) only reached a coverage rate of about 40%. Thanks to good forest management and protection, the forest coverage rate in the commune has not only not decreased but also increased to over 42%. For the people of Muong Muon commune, forest protection has now become the duty and responsibility of each person. From there, the strength of the community has been mobilized in protecting and developing forests. Mr. Lo Van Minh, Muong Muon 2 village (Muong Muon commune) shared: “To protect and manage the forest well, the villagers have been patrolling the forest together every week, sometimes 2-3 times a week. The village's Forest Management and Protection Team has 11 people and whenever we ask them to go to the forest and check, they are all present without much urging. In addition, we also focus on propaganda work, reminding people that no one is allowed to destroy the forest, so in the past time, no one in the village illegally encroached on the forest!”

Not only in the communes, but also in Muong Cha town, the people here are attached to the forest and demonstrated through many positive actions in reality. From protecting the natural forest area to reforestation or afforestation, the people also pay attention to implementation. Especially when there is a policy of paying for forest environmental services, the people have more income from forest protection, so they show a higher responsibility for the forest. From the source of paying for forest environmental services, the forest protection teams in the villages, towns and hamlets are all allocated a portion to serve the activities of patrolling and protecting the forest. That creates more motivation for each member of the forest protection team to carry out forest patrolling with a higher responsibility.

Thanks to receiving DVMTR money, people in Tuan Giao district have become more aware and always accompany the authorities in forest inspections.

Mr. San Tai Xom, residential group 9, Muong Cha town said: “Before there was no money for forest protection services, we still patrolled the forest regularly because we could not abandon the forest, but it was very difficult. Now with money for forest protection services, we have an additional source of income, supplementing our operating costs, so patrolling is easier and less difficult. Every year, the community also has money to invest in protective equipment, shoes, boots... patrolling is also easier. In addition to uniforms, we also receive support for gas, drinking water, and encouragement for patrolling. This also motivates us to be more attached to the forest.”

Each community or each forest owner has different ways of protecting the forest, but the ultimate goal is to protect the entire existing forest area, combined with regeneration and new planting to expand the forest area and increase coverage. Mr. Giang A Kha, Forest Management and Protection Team of Ten Hon village, Tenh Phong commune (Tuan Giao district) said: “Currently, people no longer arbitrarily cut down forests or cause forest fires, but are more aware of forest protection. Not only that, when benefiting from the forest, villagers also regularly patrol the forest to grasp the situation and developments of the forest in the area assigned for management. As for Ten Hon villagers, they always arrange time to go together to check the forest 3 times a month to promptly detect any areas that have been burned or encroached. If there are any developments affecting the forest, they promptly report to the village for handling measures. When patrolling, they also encounter difficulties such as: There is no road to go, we have to clear the road to have a path; it is slippery when it rains or shines; there is a risk of falling trees and danger when there is a strong wind... Despite the difficulties, the brothers still try to patrol fully as assigned”.

Forest patrols face many hardships, but people do not mind the difficulties, actively checking and monitoring forest developments.

The forest coverage area in Dien Bien province has increased steadily over the years. Up to now, Dien Bien has had over 415,000 hectares of forest, with a coverage of over 43.5%. This is a result worthy of the province's attention, the decisive spirit of the authorities and localities, and the sense of responsibility and great contribution from the people. Especially when people realize that forest protection not only brings benefits to the living environment, but also helps them have a sustainable source of income without having to spend too much labor and without risks, people are more attached to the forest.

Ms. Dang Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund, said: The policy of payment for forest environmental services in recent years has clearly changed the responsibility of people in protecting forests. The providers of forest environmental services are the people; the beneficiaries of the policy of payment for forest environmental services are also the people and the management and protection of forests also rely mainly on the people. Therefore, most of the existing forest area in Dien Bien province has been assigned to forest owners, which are the communities of villages, towns and hamlets in the whole province, to manage, protect and care for, with the core being the people. The more people raise their sense of responsibility, the more effective the work of forest management and protection will be. Thereby, the effectiveness of the policy of payment for forest environmental services has been affirmed when it has brought trust and attachment of people to forests in particular and created changes in the work of forest management and protection in general.

People's contributions have helped increase forest cover in the province.

The humanity and usefulness of the policy of payment for forest environmental services have created a strong change in people's awareness and consciousness. Since then, everyone has taken positive actions in forest management and protection, contributing to multiplying the green color of the forests in the far west of the country.

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