Improving Forest Governance for Climate Sustainability in Two Poor Ethnic Minority Communes in Son La Province

Improving Forest Governance for Climate Sustainability in Two Poor Ethnic Minority Communes in Son La Province

1. Goal & Objectives

Goal: To contribute to sustainable management and use of forest resources through a better forest governance for climate sustainability in Chieng Khua and Chieng Son communes.

Objectives:

  1. To promote better forest governance practices for climate sustainability
  2. To enhance capacity of local communities on forest governance
  3. To pilot climate-smart models in smallholder agro-forestry systems for income sustainability and mainstreaming forest governance

2. Expected Results

Expected Result 1: Forest governance practices for climate sustainability are implemented in the projected area during the project life.

Expected Result 2: By the project end, knowledge of local communities on forest governance for climate sustainability is improved and their behavior is changed accordingly.

Expected Result 3: Climate-smart models in smallholder agro-forestry systems for income sustainability and mainstreaming forest governance are developed and sustained in Chieng Son and Chieng Khua communes, Son La province.

3. Activities

Activity 1

Activity 1.1: To organize and reinforce consultation on forest management for climate sustainability and the issues of alternative sustainable livelihoods for local people  (including PFES, REDD-related issues) involving various stakeholders (government, scientists, civil society, private sectors, etc);

Activity 1.2: Promote and implement community-based forest protection and management in the form of village conventions associated with the community-based forest resources monitoring.

Activity 1.3: To implement follow up activity of the exchange visit (activity 3.2) to integrate the best practices gained from the visit into the communes’ action plan

Activity 2

Activity 2.1: To conduct research to collect baseline information of the projected communes and study the state of forest governance for climate sustainability.

Activity 2.2 To develop two commune action plans for promoting forest governance based on the research results (Activity 2.1) to better protect the forest initially for payment for environmental services (PES) and later for carbon payments, and integrate into commune social-economic development plans.

Activity 2.3: To organize two “training of trainers” events for local forestry officers on sustainable forest management and climate change and empowering people in forest protection and management for climate mitigation and adaptation to promote forest governance practices.

Activity 2.4: To organize four training courses for local people on climate change and promoting climate-smart practices.

Activity 2.5: To conduct information, education and communication (IEC) activities to improve the knowledge of local people on climate change and sustainable forest management for climate sustainability.

Activity 3

Activity 3.1: To develop two models of community carbon for carbon sequestration through adoption of agro-forestry practices.

Activity 3.2: To conduct an exchange visit for local people and authorities to exchange experiences on forest governance for climate sustainability in a Northern province

Activity 3.3: To organize two dialogues at district and provincial levels between local people, authorities, local companies and factories to advocate for carbon markets, PFES, forest governance; and promoting conservation agriculture and agro-forestry practices in forest areas for climate sustainability.