On Oct 13th, 2015, the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) in collaboration with the Thanh Hoa Management Board of the "Vietnam Forests and Deltas" Project (VFD) and the Thanh Hoa Forest Protection and Development Fund organized a educational event on the Payments for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) in the Yen Nhan commune, Thuong Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province.

Attending the event were leaders and experts from the Thanh Hoa Forest Protection and Development Fund; the Thuong Xuan Forest Ranger Unit; the Management Board of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve; the Thuong Xuan Agricultural Extension Station; the Thuong Xuan Agriculture Department; the Party Committee; the People's Council; the People's Committee; departments and unions of the Yen Nhan Commune; 120 elite individuals in forest protection management representing more than 1,000 households; and numerous people from affected villages and communes.

The teams sharing about the PFES

The event aimed to provide information on PFES to local communities. The organizers hoped to make them aware that the policy was created to improve the lives of people who live near and depend on the forest, thereby encouraging them to support forest management and protection in their communities.

Participants learn about the PFES

The event had four parts: part one: briefing the teams on the PFES theme; part two: sharing PFES with forest rangers and the Forest Protection and Development Fund officers; part three: interaction with the audience; part four: understanding PFES. The event was lively, fun and uniting. The participants and the audience enthusiastically participated. Information on Decree No.99/2010/ND-CP by the Prime Minister on PFES policy dated September 24th 2010 was provided including: what constitutes forest environmental services; the rights and duties of the forest environmental services participants; and payment methods. These things were shared and clarified by the parties in order to help people better understand the practical benefits of the policy for forest protection as well as contribute to the sustainable forest management and development.

The organizers awarded the participating teams commemorative flags

-SRD-