Forests cover 41 percent of Viet Nam’s national territory. 71 percent are natural forests, and 29 percent are plantations. However, the contribution of forests to the national economy only stands at a modest one percent. So while natural forests provide valuable timber and non-timber forest products, many communities view them as a barrier to economic development rather than an opportunity due to a lack of viable economic incentives.
To remedy this, the UN-REDD Vietnam Phase II Programme has been actively working with the Government of Vietnam to develop the market and partnerships for natural forest-based economic models in the northern province of Lao Cai.
Original source: UN Environment
Published on 04 February 2019
