Japan supports sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation

(VNF) - The record of discussions on “Sustainable natural resource management” project was signed on July 9th in Hanoi by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), and five provincial People’s Committees including Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Son La, Hoa Binh and Lam Dong.

The 5-year project is scheduled to begin this August, aiming to enhance the national capacity for sustainable natural resource management by focusing on forests, biopersity and people who depend on these natural resources for their livelihood.

The new project will fully utilize the experience of SUSFORM-NOW to disseminate PRAP development in three neighboring provinces for scale-up of the initiative. On the other hand, to secure necessary fund for PRAP implementation is arising as a challenging issue. In this regard, JICA will consider the possibility to extend a sector ODA loan program subsequently in order to cover PRAP implementation in the four provinces of northwest region, and dispatch a survey mission this July.

“JICA, as Vietnam’s largest development partner, contributes to the social and economic development in Vietnam through ODA loan, grant, and technical assistance. I understand that there are many discussions and arguments on effective and efficient use of ODA projects. Even for JICA technical cooperation project, we always requests counterpart organizations to secure enough budgets and staff allocation to conduct project effectively. Without such measures, it is obvious that project activities are not continued after the project termination. Consequently, the result and investment of the project become useless. We have to avoid such wasteful public investment and shift to more effective and efficient use of ODA projects. JICA always welcomes the initiatives of the Government of Vietnam to direct public investments in such way”, stated Mr. Mori Mutsuya, JICA Vietnam chief representative.

Biopersity conservation is also focused in the project. The Bidoup Nui Ba national park in the central highlands province of Lam Dong has been designated as the Lang Biang Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) program this June. The project will develop a collaborative management of the biosphere reserve with broader stakeholders participation based on the experience of previous JICA cooperation called the project for strengthening community-based management capacity of the national park.

Besides, field data on biopersity will be collected and stored in both FORMIS (management information system for the forestry sector) of MARD and NBDS (national biopersity database system) of MONRE. Promotion in data sharing and coordination between MARD and MONRE will be also addressed./.

( VNF )