Effects of Forest Land Allocation on the Livelihoods of the Local Co Tu Men and Women in Central Vietnam
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Effects of Forest Land Allocation on the livelihoods of the local Co Tu men and women in central Vietnam Source: (Dalton Voorburg 2010) By Machteld Houben January 2012 Master Thesis International Development Studies Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University - 0 - Effects of Forest Land Allocation on the livelihoods of the local Co Tu men and women in central Vietnam Author: Machteld Houben Student Number: 3179850 Email: [email protected] Supervision Paul Burgers (Utrecht University) Tran Nam Tu (Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry) Host organization: Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (HUAF) Partner organization: Tropenbos International Vietnam Utrecht, January, 2012 Source front picture: Dalton Voorburg 2010 For further enquires about this study please contact the Author: Machteld Houben [email protected] - 1 - Table of content Foreword 5 Executive Summary 6 Acknowledgements 7 List of figures, tables, boxes and appendices 8 List of abbreviations 9 Introduction 11 Societal and scientific value 12 1. Theoretical Framework 13 1.1 Sustainable development and nature conservation 13 1.2 Development versus Conservation 15 1.3 Common Pool Resources 17 1.4 Tropical Forests 19 1.5 Livelihoods 21 1.5.1 Sustainable livelihoods 26 1.5.2 Indigenous knowledge 27 1.5.3 Forest dependent livelihoods 28 1.5.4 Forest devolution and decentralization 31 1.6 Gender 33 2. Regional Framework 38 Vietnam 38 2.1 Geography and population 38 2.2 History, economy and poverty 38 2.3. Political system 40 2.4 Deforestation and land degradation 42 2.5 Forest land allocation 45 2.5.1 The Development of forest land allocation 45 2.5.2. Conflicts in the central highlands 47 2.5.3 Opinions on the outcomes of FLA 47 2.6 Forest dependent livelihoods 49 Central Vietnam 52 2.7 Forest dependent livelihoods in Central Vietnam 52 2.7.1 Traditional land use in Central Vietnam 52 2.7.2 Co Tu 54 2.7.3 Bach Ma National Park 56 3. Methodological Framework 60 3.1 Research objectives and questions 62 3.2 Research methods and materials 64 3.3 Operationalised Concepts 69 3.4 Conceptual Model 71 3.5 Limitations 73 3.6 Supportive Organization: Tropenbos International 74 3.7 Research Area 76 Research Findings 79 - 2 - Chapter 4. Most important FLA policies 79 4.1 From central management to social forestry 79 4.2 The Land Law and Forest Protection Law 80 4.3 Target Groups under the Land Law and Forest Protection Law 81 4.4 Programs and Projects 86 4.5 The most important FLA policies in the Nam Dong district 87 Conclusion 93 Chapter 5. The contemporary livelihoods of Co Tu men and women 94 5.1 The research villages 95 5.2 Financial capital 96 5.3 Human Capital 99 5.4 Natural Capital 105 5.5 Physical Capital 111 5.6 Social Capital 114 5.7 Vulnerabilities 119 Conclusion 120 Chapter 6. Livelihood changes and the underlying causes for these changes after the implementation of the FLA 121 6.1 From shifting cultivation to sedentary lifestyles 122 6.2 Increased incomes 123 6.3 Training and information on agricultural practices and FLA 124 6.4 Knowledge on FLA 125 6.5 Improved Livelihoods? 127 6.6 Opinions on the Red Book’s 127 6.7 Changing Co Tu culture 132 6.8 Effects of FLA on hierarchical structure of the village 134 6.9 Stakeholder analysis 134 6.10 Use and protection of the forest 136 6.11 Environmental awareness 137 6.12.Participatory meetings: problem trees 138 Conclusion 139 Chapter 7. Consequences for the forest use after FLA implementation 140 7.1 ‘The Old days’ 141 7.2 Rules and Regulations 141 7.3 Hunting Animals and collecting NTFP’s and Dry wood 142 7.4 Environmental Changes and awareness 144 Conclusion 145 Chapter 8. Intra-household livelihood differences in Co Tu families in the Nam Dong district 146 8.1 Education and Occupation 146 8.2 Role Division 149 8.3 Marital problems and violence 151 8.4 Women’s rights and groups 152 8.5 Cultural Division and customs 153 - 3 - 8.6 Red Book and Land Inheritance 154 8.7 Prejudices 156 8.8 Participatory Meeting 157 Conclusion 158 Chapter 9. Conclusion and Recommendations 159 References 169 Appendices 175 - 4 - Foreword The research done in advance of writing this thesis was a part of the Master’s program of International Development Studies at the University of Utrecht. It was also the last part of my studies. The preparation for the research in Vietnam started over a year ago. A research proposal was written and more and more information was gathered to get a good contextual framework for the start of this final master research. At first it remained unclear what the precise subject would be, where the exact research location was and who the research group would be. Most of my readings concerned the social economic situation, the environmental conditions and the political situation and policies instead of reading about the country as a place to visit. In fact it would be my first time in Asia and a totally new experience. Apart from a country with a very rich and also violent history, Vietnam was a beautiful country to be as a researcher and as a visitor. The City of Hue, our place of residence was a small but nice city with an old center that once belonged to the emperor. The road from there to the research area was a rough and long road, but also one with amazing views coming as a surprise every time the sun was shining. Two hours on the back of a motorbike driving pass the mountains in a green surrounding was not a punishment when the weather was dry. Passing all the green rice fields, beautiful trees and flowers one would almost forget the severity of the environmental situation Vietnam is dealing with. Nevertheless, it was a great experience to do a research in Central Vietnam and staying with a Vietnamese family. As a researcher but mostly as a person I always felt welcome in Vietnam and I am absolutely planning to come back someday. - 5 - Summary In the 80’s Vietnam encountered serious problems of deforestation, partly due to the devastating effects of the Vietnam War. As a reaction to these deforestation problems and the internationally growing popularity of the concept sustainable development, the Vietnamese Government reformed its forest management, and the Forest Land Allocation (FLA) policies were developed. The main goals of the FLA policies were to protect the forest and to develop rural livelihoods. The policies are focused on the decentralization of land rights from the national to the regional and local level and on the allocation of land to different actors. Within this thesis the focus lies on the allocation of land on a household level. The Land Law and the Forest Protection Law form the basis of the policies as created and managed by the central government. It is the task of the district and the commune to divide and allocate the land among the different communes and villages. The research villages described in this thesis are located in the Nam Dong district in the province of Thua Thien Hué in Central Vietnam and are inhabited by the ethnic group called the Co Tu. In both villages researched, people received forest production land and garden land, and in most cases field land. Through the receiving of ‘Red Books’ people obtain their own documented land rights. The majority of the people living in both villages are farmers with a low level of education, and a lack of alternatives to find another occupation. In the past the Co Tu’s lifestyle was based on shifting cultivation. After most people got resettled to the villages in the lower mountainous areas they had to adapt to a sedentary lifestyle. Nowadays, most farmers are largely dependent on the profits obtained from the products cultivated on their land for their daily income. After the receiving of forest production land, people’s average incomes slightly increased and the villagers became less dependent on the products from the natural forest. In addition, due to the increased incomes and general economic development in Vietnam, people’s living standard slowly increased. The increase in living standard can be seen in improved housing, infrastructure and social and health services. The education level nowadays has improved and there is more equality between boys and girls than in the past. However people can still be considered poor and women do not have the same rights as men do. The Red Books are only inherited through the male line and the men’s name is often the only one written down in the Red Book, making the women dependent on their husbands. Most of the FLA documents are written in the national Kinh language which is not familiar to all Co Tu villagers making it hard to get access to clear information about the policies. Apart from the information on the policies, the spreading of agricultural information has increased since the implementation of the FLA. Whether the policies are actually fulfilling their goals in a sustainable way remains debatable. - 6 - Acknowledgements Of course, as a researcher it is a duty and an honor to give my gratitude to a couple of people. At first I would like to thank my respondents in Cha Mang and Ta Lu for being so helpful and willing to cooperate with my research, even though their time was scarce. I would also like to thank my supervisors Mr. Burgers (Utrecht University) and Mr.