Deforestation Drivers and

Community Assessment:
Tien Hoang and Dong Nai Thuong communes

June 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acronyms.............................................................................................................. 4
Introduction.......................................................................................................... 5
Socio-economic Overview ..................................................................................... 6
Population and ethnicity......................................................................................................................................6
Agricultural production........................................................................................................................................7
Impacts of changing climate ................................................................................................................................7

Land Use Planning and Tenure............................................................................... 8

Distribution of land uses......................................................................................................................................8
Tenure security - or sense of insecurity ...............................................................................................................9
Land trading and ambiguous land rights............................................................................................................11
Community forest protection ............................................................................................................................12

Drivers of Deforestation ...................................................................................... 12

Agricultural expansion .......................................................................................................................................12
Timber logging...................................................................................................................................................13
Agricultural prices and access to credit .............................................................................................................14
Road construction and open access...................................................................................................................14
Poverty...............................................................................................................................................................15

Summary of Conclusions ..................................................................................... 16

ACRONYMS
CPC

Commune People's Committee

CTNP

Cat Tien National Park

DARD

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Provincial)

DNT

Dong Nai Thuong Commune

DONRE

Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Provincial)

FIPI

Forest Inventory and Planning Institute

FPD

Forest Protection Department

GoV

Government of Vietnam

HH

Household

MONRE

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (National)

NTFPs

Non-timber Forest Products

PC

People's Committee

PPC

Provincial Peoples Committee

REDD

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in

Developing Countries

TH

Tien Hoang Commune

INTRODUCTION
Viet Nams forest cover has undergone dramatic changes over the last 50 years. From
1945 to the early 1980s, about 50% of its forest was cleared, primarily for agriculture.
Forest cover hit a minimum of about 27% around 1990. Between 1990 and 2000, however,
as a result of extensive replanting, Vietnam gained an average of 236,000 hectares of
forest per year, equivalent to a 2.5% annual increase. Between 2000 and 2005, the growth
rate was 2.1% per year, and by 2008 forest cover reached 38.7% (13.1 million hectares).1
Of the forested land, 10.3 million hectares are natural forest and 2.8 million hectares are
plantation.2 Although not suffering from the high levels of deforestation typical of some
other countries in the region, deforestation is locally significant in Viet Nam, especially in
the Central Highlands. Furthermore, forest degradation is significant in many natural
forests. Despite the increasing forest cover overall, between 1999 and 2005, the area of
forest classified as 'rich' declined by 10.2%, while 'medium' forests declined by 13.4%.3
As of 2004, over two-thirds of Viet Nams natural forests are considered poor or
regenerating.4
The Government of Viet Nam (GoV) has stated the greatest reason for the countrys
deforestation and degradation is commercial wood product and timber interests. However,
there is also growing pressure on forestland for conversion to cash crops especially coffee,
pepper, rubber and cashews. This is a particularly important driver of deforestation and
degradation in some areas, especially the Central Highlands (Tay Nguyen). Migration from
the populated lowland areas to the Central Highlands and other remote and land-abundant
places has also significantly contributed to vast deforestation during the last decades, with
an estimated six million people having migrated to the Central Highlands during the period
from 1980-2000.5 Inequitable forestland tenure and benefit sharing arrangements may
also exacerbate the rate of change, since they can discourage investment in sustainable
forest management by forest users.6
The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the socio-economic situation and the
relative importance of these different drivers of deforestation and degradation in the
project area of the Cat Tien Landscape Pro-Poor REDD Project. The present report is the
first of two that the Project will produce. It focuses on Tien Hoang (TH) and Dong Nai
Thuong (DNT) communes of Cat Tien district (Figure 1), while the second report will focus
on the two remaining project communes: Loc Bac and Loc Bao in Bao Lam district.

Decision No.2159/Q-BNN-KL dated 17/7/2008 of the MARDs Minister on the National

Forest Data
2
ibid
3
Viet Nam R-PIN to the FCPF. 2008.
4
World Bank, 2005. Viet Nam Environmental Monitor Biodiversity, World Bank,
Washington DC.
5
Ministry of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs, Institute of Labor Science and Social Affairs,
2001. Report on the Result of the Survey on Rural Migration in the Central Highlands.
6
Angelsen and Kaimowitz. 1999. Rethinking the Causes of Deforestation: Lessons from
Economic Models. World Bank Research Observer 14: 73-98.

Figure 1: Map of the project area (blue) shown within Lam Dong province.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
Population and ethnicity
There are five villages in DNT and six in TH, with about 1,400 and 3,000 people in each
commune respectively. Population in this area increased rapidly in the 80s and 90s due to
government-promoted in-migration of Kinh and ethnic groups from the north. This rate of
increase has dropped off dramatically, with the present rate of population growth standing
at around 1.5% per year. In TH, more than 30% of the population belong to the Chau Ma,
Dao and Tay ethnic minorities, while the rest is Kinh (ethnic Vietnamese). Of these groups,
generally only the Chau Ma are indigenous to Lam Dong, while the others have migrated in
recent decades from elsewhere in Vietnam. The Chau Ma in TH mostly live in village 5A
while the rest of the population is concentrated in the commune centers, near main roads
and markets. In DNT, most of the inhabitants are ethnic minorities indigenous to the area,
primarily Chau Ma and Xtieng, while there are also some Kinh inhabitants as well.
Table 1: Population and Ethnic Composition
Population

HHs

Ethnic Composition

% of HHs
below
poverty line

Average annual
income per
capita (VND)

DNT

1,380

289

Chau Ma, Xtieng, Kinh

45.3

4,500,000

TH

2,963

600

Chau Ma, Dao Tay (30%

of the total population),
Kinh

20.72

4,522,000

Agricultural production
More than 95% of the population in both communes earns its living from agricultural and
forestry activities. Both communes grow wet rice (winter-spring and summer-autumn
harvests) although the wet rice area in DNT is limited. Perennial crops including cashew,
coffee, cocoa and pepper play an important role in the local economy. Fruit trees are less
important but are found in TH (20 ha) and DNT (15 ha). The productivity for industrial
crops is often higher in DNT than in the other two communes while the wet rice output
remains modest. Wet rice is not the traditional crop for Chau Ma and Xtieng who tend to
see fairly low yields, while the northern immigrants in TH have a long history of wet rice
cultivation and tend to be more successful. Cashew in TH and DNT has not been yielding
as expected due to the insufficient irrigation and radical weather changes. Currently, TH
has 1,678 ha of cashew, having increased the area by 27.2% since to 2008. DNT has a
total of 925 ha of cashew but only 818 ha yielded fruit in 2009.
Table 2: Area of major crops (ha) and total yield (tonnes)
Wet Rice

Cashew

Coffee

Pepper

Area

Yield

Area

Yield

Area

Yield

Area

Yield

DNT

5.3

34.0

925.
0

6.2

61

17.0

1.5

17.1

TH

900

45.3

1,67
8

3.5

3.0

NA*

2.0

8.5

Cocoa
Area

18.0

Yield

NA*

Cassava
Area

Yield

145

56.3

80

55.0

* Data not available because crop not yet harvested

Villagers in DNT joined a discussion group and were asked to participate in an income
ranking exercise. This revealed the following results:
Cash from cashew, coffee and cassava is the most important source of income. Villagers
in DNT no longer grow subsistence crops but rather use cash income from the industrial
crops to buy rice, food and other necessities.
Villagers do not collect NTFPs for commercial purposes; however, a wide variety of forest
vegetables and root plants continue to be the major (and nutritious) part of their diet.
After cash crops, villagers view this resource as the second-most important contributor to
their livelihoods.
Firewood is mostly collected from the cashew gardens rather than from the natural
forests. Some villagers may collect firewood in the borders with CTNP, but the amount is
small and often ignored by FPD staff. In TH many Kinh families start using gas stoves
and do not rely on firewood as their main source of energy.
Cash incomes from the GoVs allowance and forest protection are ranked at the bottom.
Only 50% of the HHs receives the GoVs stipend. The fee from forest protection is
minimal but useful, especially during the pre-harvesting seasons. Recently, the 30a
program added an additional 100,000 VND/ha on top of the national 661 program fee,
applying to 2,487 ha of protection forests.
Incomes from poultry are insignificant and declining. Poultry is often used for domestic
consumption or ad-hoc sale for instant cash. Cows and buffaloes are used for cultivation
and for sale. Pigs are popular among the Kinh, Tay and Nung groups. Incomes from these
livestock are major in many Kinh families.

Impacts of changing climate

In recent years, both communes have been sufferring from radical changes in weather.
According to the 2009 report from Cat Tien Department of Agriculture, during 2005-2009
the district experienced highly complex changes in climate with flash floods in 2006 and
2007 and serious drought in 2009. This is the main cause of declining yields in recent
years and the total loss of the spring and summer harvests. Recently, rain has been
coming earlier in the season and destroying cashew flowers which eventually hamper the
fruiting process. Most farmers interviewed were unhappy with the poor harvests and
confused as to what crops to grow in the context of this changing climate.

Table 3: Income ranking from a village meeting in DNT (7 is the most

important source).
Sources

Percentage
of HH

Cash

Cashew

100%

Coffee

Domestic
Use

Trend

Rank

40%

Cassava

100%

Forest vegetables,
firewood, root
plants, stream fish

100%

Poultry

50%

Forest protection Fee

100%

GOV allowance

50%

N/A

There is a high degree of dependency on agriculture and forestry extension services,

especially in DNT and especially in the context of the recently changing climate. The
transition from upland rice and maize cultivation to wet rice and cash crops posed
difficulties for many farmers, expecially the indigenous groups. The economic puzzle of
making bank loans for inputs and finding markets for the outputs is another big challenge.
After a several years of cashew plantation, villagers started to feel comfortable with the
techniques and cycles of the new crops. However, the changes in weather have now
created a harsher reality. From focus group discussions, it is clear that DNT villagers are
looking for adaptation strategies with the changes in weather. Most of them are puzzled
and waiting for the GoVs support and guidance. Some of the interviewed villagers consider
resuming their traditional land use patterns and clearing more land as a way to adapt to
this change in environment, regardless of the strict ban on shifting cultivation.

LAND USE PLANNING AND TENURE

In 2007, both communes developed a Master Land-use Plan for the period up to 2010.
This was based on the district land-use plan and followed instructions from the Ministry of
the Environment (MONRE). The plans state that agro-forestry using small farm models
should remain the focus for the communes in the future, that there should be a clear plan7
to convert poor forests into high value plantation forests, and that grazing land for cows
should be zoned and allocated. In TH, the plan calls for a reduction of the area of
forestland by 130 ha, an allocation of 41 ha for grazing area, 10 ha of land for antimony
exploitation, and five ha for processing construction materials. Additionally, there is a plan
for TH to upgrade the main road to district center as well as inter-village roads. According
to the chairman of TH CPC, no major infrastructure projects that require substantial
amounts of land will take place in the near future. One project - the Dai Sy Dam - was
initiated in 2005; however, it has not yet materialized due to the insufficient investment.
One village of 260 HHs was already resettled for the dam; however, the chairman of the
CPC was not sure when the construction will commence.

Distribution of land uses

In the last year, TH has seen a small reduction in agricultural land area and DNT a small
increase (Figure 2). The reduction in the area for agricultural land in TH is explained in the
expansion of grazing areas for animals; in general, the total area for perennial crops will
keep increasing.
DNT will invest in another 50 ha of coffee plantation, will expand wet rice areas, and will

No clear plan is yet found in the document.

encourage farmers to grow up to 20 ha of cocoa under the shade of cashew trees. There is
also a trend towards increasingly intensive cultivation. For example, in Cat Tien district as
a whole, the area of land cultivated with high yield rice varieties almost tripled from 446
ha in 2008 to 1,196 ha in 2009. Pepper plantation and fruit trees area will expand in TH
while cashew area will be reduced to give land to other higher value perennial crops.

Figure 1: Agricultural and Forestry Land Areas in the studied communes

The most recent provincial plan (Box 1) has called for an increase in the area of production
forest in the province. Provincial forestry production in Lam Dong declined by 5% during
1995-2000 and a further 16% during 2001-2005; in 2005 it accounted for only 3% of
provincial GDP.8 A recent report by the southern branch of the Forest Inventory and
Planning Institute (FIPI) describes the provincial forestry sector as obviously ...
underperforming.9 The explanation given in this report is that the limited performance of
the forestry sector is a result of the disproportional distribution of protection and special
use forest (the latter referring to protected areas), which accounts for up to 61% the total
forest areas of the province. In this report by FIPI, which was approved by the Lam Dong
PPC in 2008, it was suggested that production forest should increase by 5-7% in order to
increase the economic importance of the forestry sector.

Tenure security - or sense of insecurity

After running into strong resistance against the campaign to resettle people out from the
core zone of CTNP, the GoV decided to keep DNT villagers and their cultivated fields inside
the Park, despite this not generally being the practice promoted by Vietnamese law.
According to the commune and district officials, this is clearly a gesture of gratitude from
the GoV towards this group of indigenous people. Most of the Chau Ma villagers in DNT do
indeed enjoy some type of special treatment and privilege from the GoV due to their (or
their parents) contribution to the anti-French and American wars and the village's
subsequent classification as a "heroic" village.
Almost all of the villagers in the two communes have land tenure certificates (Red Books);
however, forest encroachment continues to take place, especially in DNT, with two cases of
natural forest being cleared for agricultural land during the week of this field study alone.
Most interviewed villagers are relatively content about the land titles they have obtained.
However, the meanings, implications and responsibilities over this red book are still not
grasped by many villagers. Some empirical evidence suggests that where farmers can
8

Southern sub-FIPI 2007. Proposal for Lam Dong Forest Protection and Development until
2020
9
Ibid

obtain property rights by clearing forests, land-titling projects can encourage them to clear
larger areas.10
Under the current situation, secure land titles may not reduce
deforestation in DNT.
Box 1: Highlights from Lam Dong PPC Decision on Forest Protection and
Development until 2020 (dated 24 December 2008)
With the forest cover of 62%, forest plantations, protection and integrated use of forest
resources remain the focus until 2020.
Forestry development should contribute to economic development, poverty reduction,
and environmental protection of Lam Dong
Attention should be paid to conserve biodiversity, increase scientific research and
promote fauna and flora conservation and eco-tourism in special use forests; quality of
protection forests needs to be improved.
Conversion of poor production forests to higher value forests with high productivity via
intensive production methods. Zoning 345,000 ha of production forests to supply timber
for furniture factories.
33,000 ha of poor degraded forests will be cleared for new plantation.
The decision clearly stipulates that each district is responsible for developing a protection
and development proposal for production forests. Agro-forestry is not allowed in land
zoned for forestry purposes. However, a special item is reserved for indigenous groups
whereby communities or households with forest protection contract can use from 5% to
10% of the forestland (without standing forests) for agro-forestry activities. Each HH
could be allocated up to 30 ha of production forests for plantation.

All villagers interviewed complained about the lack of land, whereas GoV officials have
opposite opinions. The total agricultural and forestry land of the DNT commune is 8,985
ha. The total arable land area is 1,820 for the population of 1,380 people according to the
2009 DNT Commune Socio-economic Development and Security Report. According to the
head of Bu Sa forest guard station located in DNT, a GoV decision11 stipulated that on
average each household of 4 people needs 1ha for uplands cultivation or 0.5 ha for wet
rice cultivation. If this figure is strictly applied, DNT villagers have plenty of land with an
average of 5.4 ha per household which is more than 5 times the above GOVs suggested
figure. However, results from a village meeting in DNT revealed that villagers expect far
more land, and would be happy with 2 ha of arable land per individual.
An average agricultural land area per person is 0.56 ha in TH as compared to 0.24 ha on
average in the whole province of Lam Dong. The average forestry land area per person in
TH almost doubles the district and provincial figures. Some better-off families in TH have
two homes with their forestlands and farms in Cat Tien and other vast areas of rubber
plantation in Gia Lai, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc provinces.
The breakdown of traditional living styles has also brought about the sense of insecurity in
terms of the amount of land HHs own. Three or four generations of Chau Ma people used
to live together under one roof. As an integrated part in the campaign to stop shifting
cultivation and to promote a sedentary lifestyle, the GoV encouraged ethnic minorities to
settle down in permanent houses. Young Chau Ma couples nowadays move out and build
their own house once they get married. At this time, they do not only need residential land
and house construction materials but also cultivation land. A number of families continue
to work on the same farm as their parents, but most young couples would like to secure
their own land. This creates a need for clearing new land and a local FPD cites this as one
of the most popular reasons for forest clearing.

10
Kaimowitz, D. 1996. Livestock and Deforestation in Central America in the 1980s and
1990s: A Policy Perspective. Bogor, Indonesia.
11
He named the decree 134 dated 2005. However, the decree 134 dated 2005 concerns
the international debt and the decree 134 dated 2004 relates to the promotion of industry
in rural areas and has no relevant content on the topic discussed.

10

The head of Bu Sa Station expressed his frustration over what he perceived as the Chau
Mas tradition of not dividing/sharing land with their newly married children. Some Chau
Ma do not feel the need to share the already limited land while forests are still surrounding
the village. However, in a group discussion, many villagers were willing to share land with
their children because they know clearing natural forests is illegal these days.
Table 4: Cat Tien district forest area division by forest owners 2006-2020
Forest owner

Total forest area

(ha)

Special Use
Forest (ha)

Production
Forest (ha)

Cat Tien National Park

21,848

21,848

Cat Tien Forest Protection

Committee

1,125

1,125

HHs under forest protection

contracts

4,234

4,234

Cat Tien District Total

27,207 (63.8% of
total district area)

21,848

5,359

Land trading and ambiguous land rights

Another challenge faced by district officials is illegal forestland trading. A few years ago,
villagers were encouraged to receive and invest in forestland. Many families registered for
this project without knowing the implications and responsibilities attached to the Red Book.
In particular, selling forestland is prohibited by law. Officials expect all villagers to be fully
informed about this prohibition since it is stipulated in the Red Book itself.12 This fact is
known to a lot of villagers but illegal land trading still takes place in the studied
communes. In TH alone in 2009, 38 HHs were prosecuted for this activity and other similar
transactions take place without the awareness of authorities. In DNT, people even sell
forestland with young cashew trees already planted despite the GoVs investment in
seedlings and fertilizer.
Families with insufficient labor force and limited initial capital will choose to sell or rent out
the land to other villagers after receiving the Red Books. Implications of such actions were
not realized by villagers until a later stage. Some families regret their decisions and try to
find ways to secure their own land elsewhere. Complaints from these families over the lack
of land are often ignored by officials. No real solutions are yet proposed to improve this
situation.
The boundary between different forestland plots is not clear in reality although it is clearly
shown in the Red Books. There are a number of families that do not know the location and
boundaries of their land. One family in TH has been growing cashew on the land that does
not belong to them without knowing. Only after a several harvests, the real owner became
aware of their land boundaries. Compensation was settled but this kind of land conflict
continues to take place given the ignorance on land boundaries and rights. One of the
reasons why land use plans at household level are not clear is precisely the villagers low
awareness on the district and commune land use plan.
From the perspective of villagers, who are not yet allowed to clear and cultivate on the
forestland allocated but are still expected to provide some level of protection for the land,
there is a certain degree of inequality and unclear land use rights. Those who are not
allowed to use the land but are still required to invest time and energy looking after it are
somtimes resentful of those who are already benefiting from forestland allocated at the
same time. Land use rights were not clearly understood by most of the villagers
interviewed.
Interviewed officials explained that the land allocated to farmers is under the district plan

12

On careful examination of one Red Book, it was impossible to find the land rights
attached to the Red Book as claimed by the district cadastral official. The owner of the Red
Book was not aware of such a document but knew that selling land is prohibited.

11

for the most efficient use of land and that there is clear roadmap. However, this
roadmap remains unknown to many of its navigators.

Community forest protection

The studied communes have signed forest protection contracts and participate in the GoV
forest protection project.13 Villages organize groups of 5 HHs to take rotating
responsibilities in forest patrolling. Not all HHs actively engage in this activity; the head of
a village is responsible for labor division and payment distribution. A village committee
comprised of both men and women determines the amount for each HH. Gia Lang14 still
exist and their advice is still respected and sought after. However, village committees now
make official decisions.
This modality of community forest protection seems to be effective, with relatively
consistent participation, although the payment scheme could potentially evoke inequality,
especially in communities with mixture of Kinh, indigenous and other ethnic groups.
Villagers in DNT (almost all indigenous people) seem to be happy with the village decisions
regarding forest protection duties and payment.

DRIVERS OF DEFORESTATION
District and commune officials are generally positive about the enhancement in forest
protection and development. However, despite the fact that deforestation is taking place
at a slower pace than a decade ago, its root causes and drivers remain pressing concerns.

Agricultural expansion
In his book Deforestation in Vietnam, De Konnick and his team managed to compare Lam
Dong land-use maps dated 1958, 1979 and 1992. It was found that a very substantial
agricultural expansion at the heart of the province took place, growing from approximately
2% up to 27% in a several districts. According to the 1979 land-use map, areas like Cat
Tien district which did not have permanently cultivated fields saw significant changes in
agricultural cultivation techniques during the early 80s. The 1992 maps show that the
retreat of large forests (excluding bamboo) and expansion of cultivated land had
continued. The share of cultivated land increased from 3.5% in 1958 to 13.9% in 1979 and
then to 22.6% in 1992. Overall, it appears that between 1979 and 1992, more than 60%
of the forests cleared was taken over by cultivated fields tended by sedentary farmers
(mostly Kinh groups), more than 30% by barren lands and the rest became degraded
forms of forests including bamboo.15
According to Lam Dong DARD, in the future resources will be invested in enhancing the
quality of the agricultural products and access to markets for farmers. Expansion of
perennial crops such as tea and coffee will be limited while special attention will be
channeled to adding values to these products via investing in processing facilities and
advanced technologies. Land-use efficiency and increased income per land unit receives
special emphasis in the document. If these plans are successful, they may slow the trend
of agriculture expansion.
Cashew has been the number one cash crop and income source for villagers in the studied
communes. Its future development or conversion will significantly affect the land use
patterns and life of local people. At provincial and district level however, cashew is no
longer considered a strategic crop - although its price continues to rise - due to the
recent loss of harvest. A recent proposal to convert 5,345 ha to cashew plantation in Cat
Tien district for the period of 2010-2012 has been scaled back to a goal of 3,000-4,000 ha.
More intensive cultivation techniques will be explored and employed to increase its
productivity without expanding the total areas. The cashew areas growing in more flat

13

661 Program aka 5 Million-Hectare Reforestation Program.

The eldest, wisest, and most experienced man in a village.
15
De Konnick, R. 1999. Deforestation in Vietnam. International Development Research
Council, Ottawa, Canada.
14

12

topography of large extended land area with good basaltic soil16 will be converted to
rubber plantation. Farmers are encouraged to join forces with small investors to engage in
Cao Su Tiu in (rubber plantation in small farm). According to the PPCs decision 867
dated 16/4/2009, Cat Tien will aim to have 543 ha of rubber in 2020. According to the
commune 2010 plan, TH will grow 50 ha of rubber this year.

Timber logging
The illegal timber trade is quite prevalent in the Central Highlands, and is closely linked to
agricultural expansion. In the case of Cat Tien, degraded forests are being cleared and
converted to perennial crop plantation which further exposes to exploitation natural forests
and the timber they contain. Cat Tien FPD has labeled TH and DNT as hot spots for illegal
logging and encroachment. Clear cutting and tree felling at a large scale is risky for illegal
loggers; however, gradual illegal encroachment into natural forests surrounding the
allocated cleared forestlands is a definite problem in Cat Tien and one which is difficult to
monitor. More than 75% of forest encroachment cases in the entire district of Cat Tien
occurs within the boundary of DNT.
Timber from degraded forests is both commercially logged and used for local consumption.
In 2009, a total of 2,135 m3 was authorized for commercial logging in the district, with the
volume allowed for TH and DNT alone accounts for 55% of the entire district. Timber
extraction for domestic consumption is allowed after a lengthy approval process and
complicated paper work17. Most houses in the studied communes are made with wooden
walls and metal roofing. The metal is often provided by the GoV and the wood is locally
logged. Some indigenous villagers feel that they are not treated equally (as compared to
the Kinh) in their request for construction timber because of their unfamiliarity with
bureaucratic procedures. Some villagers became indignant with the system when illegal
loggers are able to build houses while those who strictly follow the rules have to wait for a
very long time. Illegal loggers who use timber for domestic consumption are rarely
captured or punished as the rules stipulate.
According to the FPD report, 15 local timber processing factories committed (in writing) to
stop processing and transporting illegally logged timber. Although the number of recorded
illegal timber logging cases reduced in total as compared to previous years, forest guards
expressed their concerns over the increasing severity and complication of each case.
Loggers now target the most precious timber species, often species listed in CITES
Appendix 1, because of their higher export value.
There is a large area of forestland allocated in TH left unused since 2007. Villagers who
received Red Books with clear land demarcation were responsible for protecting this
forestland area until they were allowed to clear land and start cultivating the crops
authorized by the GoV. However, years passed by, no incentives were given and the land
has been left untended. This situation presents a lucrative opportunity for both random
illegal loggers and a notorious local timber logging company located on the side of the
main road. There are a few logging and timber processing companies in the district of Cat
Tien. Their operations revolve around harvesting, processing and sale of timber from the
degraded production forestlands and along the new TH-DNT road. These companies are
sometimes hired by the HHs to fell, harvest and sell valued timber in their allocated plots
of land. The remaining less valuable logs and timber is collected by the responsible
households. Farmers in TH reported the encroachment and felling of trees in the
neighboring natural forests and other peoples forestland although no official records are
available.18 TH villagers and district informants mentioned some special permission that
the director of this company along TH road managed to secure from Hanoi. FPD staff
stated that the company has official authorization and license to log. It is also apparent
that the company was involved in some timber scandal that resulted in the imprisonment
of the head of Cat Tien FPD last year. How strictly these companies follow the rules in
terms of where and what to log remains mysterious in Cat Tien, but it is clear that many of
the people involved in the illegal logging are influential actors in the local area.

16

Very fertile soil that is abundant in Dong Nai Thuong commune especially.
Villagers view
18
FDP officials explained that they also heard of the same problem but have not yet
caught the company in the act.
17

13

Table 4: Cat Tien FPDs 2009 record of forest protection law violation cases in
two communes
Total
cases

Reduction
compared
to 2008

Transportation
of illegal
timber

Illegal
timber
logging

Forest
encroachment

Illegal
forest
resource
exploitation

DNT

5819

N/A

14

34

TH

10

3 (18 m3 of
timber)

Dist.

75

30

total

Agricultural prices and access to credit

Most families make bank loans when inputs to cashew production are required. When
prices for fertilizer increase, farmers may adopt more extensive production systems using
more land and less fertilizer. With the tighter control on land clearing and the long history
of intensive farming, Kinh farmers may be less likely to take this extensive approach.
Indigenous villagers, on the other hand, might react differently. Some people decide to
borrow money with high interest while others choose to seek new land. Higher costs
associated with increased fertilizers may also make agriculture in general less profitable,
especially with the recent loss of cashew harvests, which can ultimately lead to a reduction
in the amount of land devoted to this crop. In the studied communes, there is no regular
pattern - in some cases increasing input costs increases the area farmed, while in some
cases it decreases. Provincial and district authorities play an important role here as they
provide support, initial investment and inputs (including fertilizer). In DNT, where using
fertilizer was not part of traditional cultivation techniques, spontaneous land clearing
seems to take place at a bigger scale.
It is found elsewhere that credit availability is positively correlated with deforestation.20
Farmers in Cat Tien enjoy the privilege of easy bank loan approval with low interest rate
and long repayment periods, a situation that compares favorably with the equivalent
process required in urban areas. In the studied communes, forms are pre-made and
farmers only need to fill in their names and sign. Poor HHs can make a loan with a special
interest rate as low as 0.6%/month, compared to the public rate of 0.9%/month. Almost
all households in the two communes make at least one bank loan for crops investment.
Better off families make bigger loans for animal husbandry. Data collected in this aspect is
limited and cannot reflect this correlation quantitatively. However, easy access to credit
may be considered as a risk for further deforestation.

Road construction and open access

Analytical and empirical models and studies find that greater access to forests and markets
accelerates deforestation. TH-DNT road construction started a couple of years ago and is
scheduled to be completed in 2012. The road runs through the core zone of Cat Tien NP
with the broadest width of 15 meters. Although the road is yet paved and many parts
remain very difficult, local travel and transportation has been significantly improved. This
is evident by the sharp reduction in profits made by middle cashew dealers. DNT farmers
with motorbikes could transport and sell cashew in the district town or in neighboring
districts for higher prices than what middle men used to offer them back home. Nowadays,
to maximize profits, cashew dealers need to hire trucks which can access DNT due to the
expansion of road. There have been incidents when these cashew trucks also transported
illegal timber logged in the area around DNT.

19

There is a discrepancy of 11 cases in the records of Bu Sa Forest Guard Station and the
DNT CPC. The figure of 58 cases is recorded by the Bu Sa Forest Guard Station of CTNP.
20
Angelsen and Kaimowitz 1999. Rethinking the causes of deforestation: lessons from
economic models. The World Bank Research Observer 14: 73.

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Cat Tien FPD placed a focus on applying tighter control and more frequent patrolling along
this road in their work plan.21 There are not yet any forest guard stations along this new
road from and through the core zone of Cat Tien, except for the Bu Sa FPD Unit based in
DNT. For TH forest guards, this is posing a new challenge with increasing cases of
unspotted transportation of timber and wildlife. The forest guard station used to be located
on the main route out of CTNP from DNT commune. Now transporters are using the new
road. Without frequent patrolling, it is impossible for TH FPD staff to discover these illegal
activities. In the district town, wildlife products are on sale in guest houses. Two incidents
of selling bear gall bladders and monkey bones in a guest house were witnessed. The
seller was not hesitant to disclose that she has regular customers from HCMC and Da Lat
for this precious commodity.
According to the head of TH forest guard station, the forest protection situation in the
commune has improved as compared to the last 2-3 years, simply because the
relationships between forest guards and indigenous groups have improved. In the past, TH
villagers have had a reputation in the local areas for being violent against forest guards.
However, recently the increased frequency of informal exchanges and interactions between
forest guards and villagers significantly reduced the number of this type of violence22.
Encroachment from outsiders including from surrounding communes and Binh Phuoc
province (across the river) continues to take place. According to officials, this model of
community forestry23 helps curb the encroachment from outsiders.

Poverty
The conventional poverty-environment argument is that poorer families are more likely to
clear the forest, either to grow crops or to cut wood, because they have shorter time
horizons. The counterargument says such families are less likely to do so because they
lack the necessary capital to put additional land into production. Both these arguments are
partly true in Cat Tien.
The number of poor households accounts for 45% and 20.7% in DNT and TH respectively.
Although there are no hungry households24 in the studied communes, there remains a
strong sense of food insecurity, especially in DNT where the area for rice cultivation is
more limited. Chau Ma people nowadays depend on cash income from cashew and coffee
to buy rice and food. One month on average, a household will need to spend from 1 to 1.5
million VND to buy rice. This need for cash constantly poses pressure on villagers. A
number of DNT villagers receive some type of monthly bonus and allowance from the GOV
in cash. This helps to relieve the pressure to a certain extent. During the pre-harvesting
season, this shortage of cash is exacerbated which opens up opportunities for local Kinh
businessmen to lend indigenous people cash or rice at steep interest rates. Some
indigenous people may choose to pay back the loan wildlife products or timber.
One study25 suggested that once the subsistent farming communities reach the minimal
level of consumption, they may choose leisure as opposed to more intensive work. This is
not the case of Chau Ma people who used to practice subsistence type farming, yet have
been long exposed to cash-oriented economy of Kinh and other ethnic minority groups.
Household interviews showed a strong desire for more cash income to cover not just only
food but also their growing consumption aspirations including cell phones, motorbikes and
other electronic goods.

21

During our trip to the commune, a cashew truck was stopped and carefully searched by
the district FPD staff.
22
The head of TH FPD Unit said that he was adopted by an indigenous family, which has
facilitated his work at village level.
23
Signing forest protection contracts with communities not households
24
According to the GoVs classification
25
Angelsen 1999. Agricultural expansion and deforestation: Modeling the impact of
population, market, and property rights. Journal of development economics 58: 185-218.

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SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
The massive migration to Lam Dong in the 1980s and 1990s was associated with the
large-scale retreat of natural forests due to agricultural expansion and timber logging.
However, at present population growth is not the driving force for deforestation in Cat
Tien at the present time; spontaneous migration is only occurring at a minor scale.
Both poor and non-poor families participate in forest clearing. The sense of insecurity
both for food and land is strong. In different situations, more secure tenure seems to
have either a negative or positive impact on deforestation rates.
Land-titling initiatives can encourage farmers to clear larger areas. This is particularly
relevant in the case of DNT where indigenous villagers received land titles for the lands
cleared within CTNP. Given the context of current harvest losses due to changing local
climate, investment into clearing more forest may become more attractive.
Unclear land rights and centrally controlled land-use plans can result in illegal land
trading and forest encroachment; ambiguous land use rights discourage real ownership
of forestland
The vision until 2015 for Cat Tien forestry sector development involves forest plantations
for paper production, cocoa and rubber plantation. However, the development of the
relevant land use plans has not involved consultations with local communities and
indigenous groups. The implementation of such plans remains top down.
The exposure of natural forests in DNT after the TH-DNT road is completed will
potentially pose risks to further encroachment into the core zone of CTNP. DNT will be an
attractive area for in-migration due to its relatively low population density and high
quality soil; this will likely result in increasing population density.
Community forest protection groups in the studied communes have consistent
membership and regular activity. However, given their current structure - with only a
portion of the population participating while payments are distributed evenly to all
community members - they may not be sustainable in the long term.

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