USAID Green Annamites Newsletter Issue 05 by Minh Hanh Ta

GREEN ANNAMITES USAID GREEN ANNAMITES PROJECT | NEWSLETTER | ISSUE No. 5 | APRIL – JUNE 2019

A new environmental project will help Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces continue implementing plans related to sustainable forest management and the expansion of FSC-certificatied forest plantation areas in order to reduce natural forest loss, cut down emissions, and increase CO2 sequestration.

USAID GREEN ANNAMITES SUPPORTS DEVELOPING PROPOSAL OF NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT FOR QUANG NAM AND TT HUE

n the recent years, Vietnam has been praised by the international community for its impressing economic development and efforts in improving citizens living standard. However, people’s impact on environment and climate changes placed Vietnam in new emerging challenges. Therefore, it was of increasing concern of foreign governments that Vietnam should adequate focus on environment to maintain its pace of economic development while lessening climate change’s impact. The approaches that the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) has been applying in Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) was highly appreciated, when step by step they can tackle deforestation and forest degradation by strengthening sustainable forest

management and promoting from short rotation forests into large-timber and FSC-certificated plantation to increase product value, improve income, biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. Nevertheless, large timbers need 8-10 years to harvest, which could not be covered in the lifespan of only one project. Therefore, with the expectation that these approaches will be scaled up in upcoming projects, the Forest Project Management Board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as Provincial People’s Committee in QN and TT Hue have requested technical and financial supports of the Project in order to develop a project proposal for the ‘Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and Promotion of Forest Certi-

fication in Vietnam’, which would be funded by the German government in the period 2020-2026 with the total budget of EUR30 million (54 percent of which is ODA grant and the remaining for loan). Particularly, the Project will support the identification of potential forest owners who are willing to implement SFM and forest certificationn as well as companies willing to scale up their forestry activities with money from low interest loans. The Project will propose components, main activities, outputs, and indicators of the new project. Based on this, it will help to develop the budget for implementation with a feasible disbursement and payback, and management mechanisms. The final project proposal is expected to be approved by the Prime Minister by December 31, 2019.

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| EDITORIAL

ewsletter No. 5 of the USAID Green Annamites Project is ready to deliver to you the most recent updates of Project's activities from April to June 2019. In this newsletter, we would like to share the initiatives concerning microfinance and economic empowerment for vulnerable groups (page 3+4).

As you might have known, the Project concentrated its resources on sustainable forest management activities, developed value chain for large-timber acacia forest towards FSC certification. Overview of the activities and achievements will be delivered to you in the article on page 5+6. The Project’s efforts to promote the application of low emission land use to reduce greenhouse gas and enhance carbon sequestration showed its efficiencies since it completed two-third of the goal of emission reduction, equivalent to 6 million tons of CO2 in 2020 (page 7+8). Another Small Grant was completed successfully after one year of implementation. Listen to sharing of Mr. Blup Phu, a farmer of Ta Oi ethnicity in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue

who shared about the changes in the nature and in his community since participating in the activity (page 9+10). In previous months, the Project supported nature reserves (NRs) in both provinces by developing Key Species Monitoring Plans. Based on those plans, each NR in the region would have a concrete strategy to monitor and protect endemic species in its area, combining with effective utilization of available human and financial resources (page 13+14). After completing the training series in disaster risk reduction at schools, the Project up-scaled capacity building trainings about Community Action for Disaster Response for four communes which were the most vulnerable to climate change in Thua Thien Hue. That training series brought back practical benefits to local people, which helped them become proactive in natural disaster prevention and response, as well as increased their resilience and recovery ability after disaster (page 17+18). Hope that this information is helpful to all of you! Thank you and enjoy reading! Best regards, Daniel Lopez Chief of Party

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THIS NEWSLETTER IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THROUGH THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID). THE CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF ECODIT AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF USAID OR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

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MICROFINANCE

PROMOTING MICROFINANCE, LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT, AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN QUANG NAM AND TT HUE DO DANG TEO | DEPUTY CHIEF OF PARTY | USAID GREEN ANNAMITES PROJECT

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Due to very convenient depositing procedures, local farmers can easily access GFF microfinance services such as depositing a tiny amount of money every month, which they can draw out for emergency uses like health and education. When needed, simple borrowing conditions enable them to make a loan to invest in income generation activities.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ms. Ho Thi Giau | Savings and Credit Officer | Green Finance Fund in Dong Giang district

With a minimum value of only VND 10,000, these women can put savings into the Green Finance Fund, which they do in commercial banks with such a small amount. Seeing the savings increasing every month gives them joy and make them feel secure.

inance plays an important role in improving livelihoods. At the global level, 'financial inclusion is positioned prominently as an enabler of other developmental goals in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, where it is featured as a target in eight of the seventeen goals'1. At the national level, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has been promoting financial inclusion since 2005. However, only 21 percent of adults in Vietnam have access to formal financial services (IFC, 2016). The World Bank (2015) estimates that the level of universalization and access to finance in Vietnam remains low in the Southeast Asia.

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To address this issue, the Government of Vietnam plans to implement the Microfinance Development Strategy by 2020. The main objective of this strategy is to 'build and develop a safe and sustainable microfinance system in order to serve the poor, low-income people, and small and micro enterprises, contributing to implement the guidance of the Party and the State on ensuring social welfare and sustainable poverty eradication'2. A livelihood baseline study conducted by the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) shows that local people

https://www.uncdf.org/financial-inclusion-and-the-sdgs (last visit 4 July 2019, at 2:25 pm) Prime Minister of Government of Vietnam. 2011. Decision No.2195/QD-TTg

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in mountainous areas of Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) lack knowledge about economic development and expenditure management, or capital for investment and development. In addition, another Project assessment shows that women and ethnic people are the most vulnerable groups in communities where the Project works. By accessing financial services, local people will have regular cash flow, which will enable them to invest in other short-term income generation activities serving their daily life. Therefore, accessing financial services is essential

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I like the idea that depositing money to the GFF is much safer than keeping it at home. I would love to see if MACDI and GFF could consider applying e-payments like what we have been doing with Viettel Company for e-payment of the PFES policy Mr. Michael Greene | Mission Director | USAID Vietnam

and urgent. Currently, with the exception of the Bank for Social Policies (BSP), commercial banks like Agribank, Vietcombank, which provide financial services in rural areas have not had transaction points at the commune level. Therefore, local people living in rural mountainous areas are unable to access these bank’s financial services.

city and provide loans to local borrowers for small business operations. BSP of QN and TTH are collaborating with organizations such as the Women’s Union (WU) and Farmers’ Association to provide trust funds to the poor and vulnerable people for years. However,

The USAID Green Annamites Project has been working with the Microfinance and Community Development Institute (MACDI) to implement the activity ‘Sustainable livelihood through the Green Finance Funds for forest protection and biodiversity conservation in QN province’. This activity will help local mountainous and forest-dependent people have better access to microfinance for livelihood improvement, hence reducing pressure on forest and biodiversity. Through this activity, the Project will improve capacity and access to microfinance services for at least 1,800 households, and provide livelihood co-benefits to nearly 8,000 people. The Project and MACDI have established the Green Finance Fund (GFF) in Dong Giang district, which provides affordable and timely microfinance services to smallholders. So far, 11 GFF transaction points have been set up in 10 communes and one township. More than 800 local people have been trained in technical, marketing and financial issues. 550 clients have access to microfinance services, and 56 million VND has been deposited to GFF. To empower vulnerable and marginalized people such as women and ethnic minorities, the Project is also working with BSP of QN and TTH to build capa-

due to limited capacity in livelihoods innovation and business development, the lack of confidence of local people to make loans, poor market connections, and the disconnected value chains of key commodities, this program has not yet been fully effective. To address these gaps, the Project has been working with BSP and QN and TTH WUs to establish a three-way partnership and implement an activity to 'Support the economic empowerment of Vulnerable Women through start-up promotion, value chain enhancement, and finance accessibility'.

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The activity aims to promote household economic growth through female economic empowerment, which will contribute to rural development, social and food security, and biodiversity conservation. The Project expects to support 150 women to start their own businesses. It will train 4,300 people on trusted loan management and 7,000 people on livelihood improvement and how to access microloans. At the same time, the Project will raise awareness on sustainable landscapes and biodiversity conservation. By 2020, the Project expects to mobilize six million USD (equivalent to 140 billion VND) from different microfinance schemes, especially the trusted funds provided by microfinance institutions like BSP and WUs, for eligible borrowers to invest in their livelihood activities. So far, the Project has held 83 training courses on trusted loan management to more than 2,000 loan and savings management board members, 57% of whom are female. The Project also collaborated with the TT Hue WU to organize a competition of women start-ups. 21 of 40 submitted business ideas made it to the final round. Eventually, seven projects won the first to the third place in the Start-up Women's Festival Day on June 13, 2019 in Hue City. A similar festival will be jointly organized by the Project and the QN WU in July 2019 in Tam Ky City. In total, 10 woman-led start-ups will receive financial support from the Project to implement their models. These start-ups will meet objectives for livelihood improvement, promotion of gender equality, and for contributing to biodiversity conservation.

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FSC-CERTIFIED ACACIA PLANTIATION: ECONOMIC BENEFITS GO ALONG WITH BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT FOR POOR FARMERS DANIEL LOPEZ | CHIEF OF PARTY | USAID GREEN ANNAMITES PROJECT HO THI MINH NGOC | COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT

cacia plantations dominate the rural landscape in Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) provinces. Acacia is usually grown on small plots in 3-5 year rotations. These plantations usually yield logs less than 12 centimeters in diameter. But when properly managed, acacia trees can develop with diameters bigger than 13 centimeters, bringing higher returns for 4 to 6 more years. The bigger-diameter logs are mainly sold to furniture manufacturers, which is one of the major industries in Vietnam. Since both the furniture and the woodchip industries demand acacia, there is competition between these two sectors. Currently, farmers still prefer for quicker but smaller returns and creates an incentive for early harvesting. Acacia plantations under longer-term rotations have valuable environmental benefits like improving soil quality, reducing erosion, regulating water flow, and increasing carbon sequestration. They also reduce the impacts on the soil, by avoiding burning and repeated cultivation, and help to reduce the pressure on natural forests and biodiversity, since they provide the wood industry with continuous supply of uniform raw material, easily available and legal. International demand for large timber from certified plantations has increased in recent years. The use of internationally recognized standards like Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) gives access to differentiated markets and certifies no encroachment into natural forest. 5 / US AID G R E E N A N N A MITES

Within the certified plantations, native tree species must be planted along with non-native species like Acacia. Forest certification is increasingly recognized as an important tool to support forest protection, improve cohesion among forest small holders, and guarantee responsible forest management while generating additional revenue for poor and/or forest-dependent farmers.

The USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) is implementing several activities to promote long term sustainable forest management and acacia plantation certification. The Project is working with farmers, government entities, and the private sector to boost competitiveness and improve the livelihoods of the forest farmers. The project is supporting farmers to achieve FSC-certification for existing acacia plantations and to establish new plantations. The Project is encouraging the participation of forest farmers, cooperatives, wood processing companies, traders, and

government institutions involved in the production and commercialization of acacia and acacia products. Our work includes the development of public-private-community partnerships (PPCPs). The Project activities are also targeting ethnic minorities in mountainous areas, and follow the principles of the USAID Green Annamites Gender and Social Inclusion Plan (GESI). The Project is supporting a range of local partners such as the TT Hue Forest Owners Sustainable Development Association (TT Hue FOSDA), Vu Minh One-member Ltd. Company, Hiep Thuan Agriculture Cooperative, and Quang Nam Forestry Development and the Investment Joint Stock Company (QNAFOR) to develop and/or strengthen forest management and upgrade the acacia value chain. These activities include awareness raising, capacity building, technical trainings, provision of high-quality seedlings, technical equipment and promotion of additional livelihood models for farmers such as planting medicinal plants under the forest canopy or developing eco-tourism activities. These activities are helping increase the area of FSC-certified forest plantations to more than 4,800 ha and will benefit more than 20,000 local farmers. Good forests begin with good seedlings. The Project is also raising awareness about the need for high quality seedlings. In TT Hue, the Project is working with Vu Minh Company to provide high quality seedlings planted in biodegra-

FSC-CERTIFIED ACACIA PLANTIATION: ECONOMIC BENEFITS GO ALONG WITH BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT FOR POOR FARMERS

dable bags filled with organic material. To date, more than 550,000 of these seedlings have been provided to farmers in buffer zones of Phong Dien and TT Hue Saola Nature Reserves, and 150 farmers in this area are applying new knowledge on improved forest management. From now until the end of the planting season in 2020, Vu Minh and the Project will work with TT Hue FOSDA to provide three million seedlings for forest farmers in Hue and establish 1,500 hectares of acacia in six districts following FSC principles. In Quang Nam, QNAFOR has also provided nearly 480,000 tissue culture seedlings to farmers to plant 260 hectares of acacia in Phuoc Son district. The Hiep Thuan Cooperative completed upgrading its nursery garden from 2,500 m2 to 5,000 m2 and is going to supply first batches of acacia mangium produced from Australian seeds to cooperative members and other farmers for the next planting season. Awareness raising on the environmental, social and economic benefits of large timber plantation following FSC standards, and on available benefits, is critical to promoting improved forest management. Through meetings, trainings, information sessions and communication materials like flyers, posters, documentary films and study tours, the Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partners have successfully attracted more than 1,000 forest owners to register to transform their acacia forest to a large timber plantation and to follow FSC principles. TT Hue FOSDA

established eight sustainable forest cooperatives, one of which is led by Ms. Ho Thi Diep, an ethnic woman from the Co Tu community. This highlights the active involvement of women in a sector that has been traditionally considered only for men. Additionally, the Project and partners have organized 28 training courses on organization, operation and management for members of these newly established cooperatives.

The Project has also held technical trainings on large-timber plantation and thinning techniques for farmers in order to help them step by step improve the quality of their high-density plantations towards FSC certification. So far, nearly 70 training courses have been delivered to more than 1,300 farmers. The Project has assisted in thinning more than 500 ha of 4-5-year old acacia to transition to larger and more valuable timber. Moreover, Project partner World Wide Fund (WWF) Vietnam will provide

technical support on FSC Certification to QNAFOR in QN. This will enable the company to develop their capacity and disseminate compliance standards to its farmers. The Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in acacia is planting the seeds for regional transformation. Improved forest management is a requirement for generating additional revenues along the value chain for all actors, including farmers, cooperatives and private companies. In June, TT Hue FOSDA and USAID signed an MOU with Scansia Pacific, one of the main exporters of acacia furniture in Vietnam. This agreement ensures farmers access a selling price 15 to 20% higher than the average market price for non-certified acacia and receive support for certification. It also offers farmers the option to access low interest loans when needed to maintain their forests until they group up to big diameter timber. Plantation owners that shift to longer rotations to produce large timber will have higher incomes while wood processing companies will have access to a greater supply of high-quality and raw materials. Traders will be able to expand their market with higher quality products. Forest plantations also create rural employment and improve incomes for vulnerable local people. The expanded production and greater tree growth will increase forest cover and forest quality providing environmental co-benefits for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration.

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PROMOTING APPLICATION OF LOW EMISSION LAND USE

USAID GREEN ANNAMITES SUPPORTS LOW EMISSION LAND USE WHICH LEAD TO SEQUESTRATION OF 4.6 MILLION TONS OF CO2 PHAM THANH NAM | CLIMATE CHANGE SPECIALIST | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT HO THI MINH NGOC | COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT

The USAID Green Annamites Project focuses on supporting to strengthen the protection and development of natural forest areas in the two provinces, hence enhancing the CO2 capture and sequestration of the forests.

ne of the most important and challenging tasks that the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) needs to achieve by 2020 is to support Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien (TT) Hue provinces to reduce emissions and increasing sequestration of greenhouse gases (GHG), at the equivalent of six million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the most recent monitoring and evaluation results (May 2019), the Project has implemented 86 activities with more than 30 grantees and subcontractors. Specifically, 11 activities contributed directly to the success of 1

reducing emissions and sequestration of 4.6 million tons of CO2, which accounted for 77 percent of the goal achieved. If this amount of CO2 is verified and commercialized at the rate of US$5/ton1, the amount of mobilized money will be approximately US$23 million.

developed six strategic approaches to achieve the objectives under the Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment in partnership with the authorities and communities of both provinces. The six approaches which are interconnected and cross-cut all three tasks include:

Three main tasks of the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) in QN and TT Hue provinces include increasing application of low emissions land use, strengthening biodiversity conservation and increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities. The Project

1. Improving the management and protection activities of nature reserves and special use forests; 2. Enhancing the application of and increasing income from payment for forest environmental services to protect forests;

Based on Payment rate for one carbon credit in Emission Reduction Program Document for 6 Northcentral Provinces funded by World Bank https://www.forestcarbonpartnership.org/system/files/documents/00_FINAL%20ER-PD%20Vietnam%205%20Jan%202018__0.pdf

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3. Supporting the development of low emission land use plans; 4. Promoting sustainable livelihoods and economic adaptation; 5. Reducing poaching of wild animals in nature reserves and special use forests; and 6. Increasing resilience to climate change. This major effort to reduce emissions and increase GHG sequestration involved protecting and restoring natural forest areas, most of which are evergreen broad leaf forests with high conservation values. As a result, the Project focused on improving sustainable management of natural forests. It included capacity building about management and implementation of forest monitoring and protection for relevant bodies such as nature reserve (NR) management board, forest rangers, etc.; technical support to expand NR and upgrade protected areas to special use forests or NRs; application of advance technologies to monitor changes of forests (Forest Monitoring System_FMS), and to increase the effectiveness of patrolling, forest protection, and biodiversity conservation activities (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools_SMART) . The application of advance technology can help reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation that contributes to 4.6 million tons of CO2. Regarding production forests, the Project has promoted transformation of woodchip forests into large-timber plantation towards sustainable forest management certificate of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The project collaborated with career associations, cooperatives and businesses such as TT Hue Forest Owner for Sustainable Development Association (TT Hue FOSDA), Quang Nam Forestry

The project supports the application of advanced technologies and techniques to monitor forest changes, whereby the governments of the two provinces have timely interventions to prevent deforestation and forest degradation.

Development and Investment Joint Stock Company (QNAFOR), Vu Minh One-member Limited Company and Hiep Thuan Forestry Cooperative in QN to provide financial and technical support for farmers to transfer to large-timber forests plantation (mainly for acacia), prolong growing cycle of existing forests with focus on low emission planting and harvesting methods. This development not only increased productivity and value for raw wood material but also increased income for local people, reduced GHG emissions and increased carbon sequestration of commercial forests. The Project directly supported citizens to apply low emission agricultural cultivation via Integrated Crop Management (ICM) of rice in QN and orange trees in TT Hue. The Project is also supported groups of farmers such as collaborative groups, cooperatives, and small enterprises to develop low emission agricultural models

for growing clean vegetables like pomelo and A Rieu chili, according to Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards; as well as to grow medicinal plants under natural forest canopies. These activities were combined with trainings on harvesting with low emissions and avoiding extinction methods to preserve biodiversity, especially in the buffer zones of NR. This sustainable livelihood model brought many economic benefits for local communities, increased their resilience to disasters, and raised awareness about environmentally-friendly businesses. These efforts have reduced communitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dependency and the negative impacts on natural forest; lessened forest encroachment and conversion into production forests, wild animal hunting, over exploitation of non-timber forest products in natural forest, as well as reduced forest loss, degradation and conserved globally significant biodiversity in this region.

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SMALL GRANT PROGRAM

SMALL ENTERPRISES FOR COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT: NURSING MEDICINAL PLANTS UNDER THE FOREST CANOPY HOANG MINH HANH | COMMUNICATION OFFICER | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT

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Small businesses can completely become suitable partners to ably coordinate the tasks of forest protection and biodiversity conservation Mr. Pham Nguyen Thanh | Director | Green Net Co. Ltd.

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Supporting activities jointly implemented with cooperatives and professional associations are bringing positive changes to the livelihoods and peoples' lives, especially for women and ethnic minorities.

n May 22, 2019, the Closing Workshop of the grant 'Generating incomes from herb and medicinal plantation under the community-based forest canopy in the buffer zone of Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien Hue province' was held in Hue City. This activity was jointly implemented by the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) and the Green Net Ltd. Co. since June 2018. In its one year of operation, this grant has created sustainable incomes from herb and medicinal plants planted under the canopy of the community forest and contributed to strengthening participation in forest protection and biodiversity conservation.

Huong Nguyen (A Luoi district), and Duong Hoa (Huong Thuy town) participated in the training courses on medicinal plantating under the forest canopy. They received 50,000 seedlings to plant on a total area of about five hectares (see Newsletter, No. 3, Page 10). Green Net also successfully signed a Cooperation Agreement with these communities in March and April 2019. The Cooperation Agreement guarantees the production activities of the ethnic minority people living in the buffer zone of the TT Hue Sao La Nature Reserve while ensuring stable raw material sources for essential oil production, which helps the company with their business expansion plans.

More than 200 people living in the five communes of Thuong Long, Thuong Quang (Nam Dong district), A Roang,

In addition to creating sustainable alternative livelihoods, this grant also motivates local people to participate more

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actively in community forest management. When local communities learn how to do business through planting non-timber forest products under the forest canopy, they are more responsible for protecting the forest areas, which they are contracted by the State to manage. Notably, the number of women involved in this work doubled as a result of this activity, indicating that it has the potential to enhance women's participation in economic activities, forest protection, and biodiversity conservation, and to promote gender equality. This partnership between businesses and local communities will continue after this grant ends, contributing to the greening of forest land and bare land with non-timber forest products to improve people’s livelihoods and to conserve biodiversity.

FARMER'S STORY

FOREST IS NOW GREENER AND LOCAL PEOPLE ARE BETTER-OFF HO THI MINH NGOC | COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT

y name is Blup Phu. I was born and raised in A Ho village, A Roang commune, A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) province. My hometown is a mountainous commune on the border with Laos, in the buffer zone of TT Hue Sao La Nature Reserve. Our Ta Oi ethnic people have lived here for many generations and generated income from the surrounding forests. Previously, we did not understand that the things which we took from it like saw logs, honey, rattan, medicinal plants, or wild animals could one day disappear forever. So, we took unconditionally, going deeper and deeper into the wild forest over time to take more and more. Our lives became more and more difficult, yet we did not know how to improve them. When the government implemented forest land allocation for communities and households, they allocated more than 80 hectares of natural forest to our community. The community-based forest management board of A Ho village, A Roang commune was established in 2014 with 35 members, 15 females and 20 males. Initially, village members were unaware of the role we played and uninterested in forest patrolling activities, despite knowing that people could receive monetary support from Payment for Forest Environmental Services.

We used to not know what to do with the allocated land, so we took away natural resources until nothing remained. Now, with the support of Green Net Co. Ltd in Hue City and the USAID Green Annamites Project, we know how to utilize forest land under canopies efficiently to grow Homalomena Ocutta. This was a turning point for us all. In earlier times, Chinese traders arrived here to buy this herbal plant at really low prices. Seeing monetary benefit, people exploited the forests to produce as much of it as possible, until there is nothing left. At trainings, we learned how to sustainably harvest Homalomena Ocutta to avoid extinction and how to grow it under natural forest canopies. For example, we learned we should only harvest 2-3 year-old plants so they continue to thrive. In April 2019, we signed a cooperation agreement with Green Net Co., in which the company committed to purchase fresh Homalomena Ocutta

from us at the rate of 20 cents per kilo. We were very satisfied with this price because traders previously bought one kilo at 10-15 cents. Members of our community are now very enthusiastic to participate, including a number of women, as growing Homalomena Ocutta is less physically demanding than harvesting products from the forest. The happiest change for me was the increase in awareness of our community about forests. Now, people no longer burn down the forests for paddy fields; they know how to use natural resources in an effective and sustainable way. Now, we acknowledge that forests are our source of life that provide us with oxygen, clean water, and non-timber forest products. Not only do people now participate in forest patrolling, they also contribute their own money to a community forest protection fund. For example, each month, a family will contribute VND 10,000 (50 cents) to replant forests that have been affected by erosion, lightning strikes or disasters. This change in their attitudes surprised me and left me very satisfied. Another change which brought joy to me and my community is the change in our local forest. The forest, which was previously very poor, is having big trees again. People no longer cut them down to sell, we just use forest land under canopies to grow rattan and Homalomena Ocutta. Forests are in much better condition as a result. Community members now go more often into the forest to harvest, patrol, and take care of planted plants. These activities have helped reduce the threat of deforestation from loggers and other illegal activities. Not only do we earn more money, the revived forests serve as a haven for us to enjoy their cool shade and avoid the hustle and bustle of life. Our souls are now more joyous and relieved. Many people, regardless of their different occupations, enjoy going to the forest. It might take 20 kilometers of trekking, but they prefer this sporting time, which helps them achieve better health, to staying at home. Nowadays, people know that forest protection is not only a responsibility but also a way to enhance our lives and the lives of our children.

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SMALL GRANT PROGRAM

MEDICINAL PLANTS UNDER CANOPIES REACHED A SURVIVAL RATE OF 90% DESPITE EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS HOANG MINH HANH | COMMUNICATION OFFICER | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT

Initial evaluations reflected that despite the impact of severe weather conditions on plants’ growth, survival rates of plants in QN and TT Hue were relatively high, at approximately 90 percent. In addition, enthusiastic and responsible attendance of local people in technical trainings of both activities equipped people with the necessary skills to tend the plants. As a result, techniques such as vegetation clearing, hole digging, fertilizing and hole filling were properly utilized so that the plants could thrive under unfavourable weather conditions.

Thanks to proper planting and tendering techniques, medicinal plants under the forest canopy are growing well despite unfavorable weather.

xtreme weather condition and continuous draught hve significantly affected the activities of planting under canopies in both Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) provinces. Since March 2019, the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) and its implementing partners including World Vision (WV) and Nature for Life Society in Phong My Commune (Phong My Society) redoubled their efforts by handing-over seedlings in Phuoc Xuan, Phuoc My communes of Phuoc Son district, QN and Tan My, Khe Tran village, Phong My commune, Phong Dien district, TT Hue. In QN, through the activity ‘Sustainable livelihoods with herbal plants for communities in Phuoc Son District, Quang Nam Province’, the Project and WV supported local farmers grew six hectares of Morinda officinalis under the forest canopy. In TT Hue, local people of Tan My village planted four hectares (ha) of rattan, three ha of Homalomena occulta, and seven ha of Morinda officinalis. Meanwhile, in Khe Tran village, two ha of rattan, two ha of Homalomena occulta and five ha of Morinda officinalis were also planted in the buffer zone of Phong Dien Nature Reserve (NR) with the supports of the Project and Phong My Society.

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Five trainings (one-day each) about planting, tending and processing techniques of Morinda officinalis were organized by the Project and WV for 57 farmers. Over 42 percent of participants were female, which created a strong linkage and promoted female participation in community activities around planting medicinal plants under canopies, gender equality and social inclusion. After the trainings, a group of 10 key members was established to provide technical support to farmer groups and link them with other opportunities in the value chain. Additionally, the Project and WV also organized a training on market research for 16 participants and a workshop on the establishing networks for herbal business development services. In July 2019, the Project and WV will conduct their second technical check and handover the growing area of herbal plants under the forest canopy to farmer groups. During this period, the Project will verify and perform technical assistance for the first tending of medicinal plants under canopies in Phong My commune. Through the medicinal plantation under canopies model, the activities promoted efficient utilization of forest land which was allocated to households and community management. These forest protection and biodiversity conservation efforts helped raise the awareness and responsibility of local people living in the buffer zone of Ngoc Linh NR (QN) and Phong Dien NR (TT Hue).

SMALL GRANT PROGRAM

SPREADING THE ‘GREEN GOLD’ OF CO TU ETHNIC MINORITY IN QUANG NAM PROVINCE

PRESERVING AND DEVELOPING GREEN IRONWOOD MUSHROOMS AND LINGZI MUSHROOMS

lessed with preferable climate and soil, Lingzi mushrooms and Green Ironwood mushrooms (Ganoderma Lucidum (Leyss. Ex Fr.) Karst) in several regions of Quang Nam (QN) have higher pharmacological values than most varieties grown in other regions are. However, the unplanned and fragmented harvesting of both species is pushing them to the risk of extinction and challenging the development of a sustainable value chain of Lingzi and Green Ironwood mushrooms to reach a larger market.

Specialized cultivation of A Rieu chili will help to meet market demand as well as benefit the cooperative and local people.

Rieu Chili is considered ‘green gold’ from mother nature for Co Tu ethnic minorities living in Ma Cooih commune, Dong Giang, a mountainous district of Quang Nam (QN) province. This chili, which has a special shape, color and distinguished taste, combined with its sheer organic cultivating method, is favoured by the market. However, if wild A Rieu chili is solely harvested from nature, this will not meet the market demand. Therefore, it is necessary to breed chili for intensive cultivation while establishing collaborative groups to implement mass production of A Rieu chili. Since the end of 2018, USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) has worked with Ma Cooih Agriculture and Forestry Cooperative to implement the activity ‘Improvement of livelihoods and sustainable development for Co Tu ethnic minority group through conservation and production of A Rieu Chili in Dong Giang district as a commercial crop’. Trainings about A Rieu chili cultivation under canopies, intercropping on terrace field as well as producing microbiological fertilizers and herbal pesticides were organized for 120 members of the Co Tu ethnic minority. In May-June, the Project provided five tons of a high-quality microbiologic fertilizer and 180,000 seedlings of Arieu chili to 120 registered households in seven villages including Azal, A Do, A Bong, A Den, A So, Tro Gung and Ta Reng. High-quality seedling at a unified growing stage had been delivered in time for chili season, and proved an opportunity to cover bare land near forest and forest land under acacia canopies with greens. These efforts supported the preservation of a local endemic plant and also created an alternative livelihood to increase the income of poor ethnic minority communities.

Cultivation of Ganoderma and green ironwood mushrooms in housholds is a new livelihood model, which would help preserve these two species in the nature while providing very high economic benefits for mushroom growers and enterprises.

Since December 2018, the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) has worked with QN Lingzi Mushroom One-member Liability Limited Company (QN Lingzi Co.) to implement the activity ‘Develop the value chain of QN Lingzhi mushrooms in association with sustainable livelihood improvement for people in rural mountainous areas with priority to ethnic minorities’ in Dong Giang, Nam Giang, Tay Giang, Tien Phuoc, Dai Loc, Phu Ninh, Nui Thanh districts, and Tam Ky City. In order to preserve the genetics of these treasured mushrooms and to meet market demand, it is essential to reduce the amount of extraction from nature and to grow them in households. As a result, QN Lingzi Co. invested more than 8,200 USD to establish the Center for Technology Transfer of Lingzi Mushroom Production. The Center, will be used for high quality mushroom breeding. A team of trained technical staff will be established to transfer mushroom cultivation to local people; thereby gradually develop a complete, sustainable and competitive supply chain of green ironwood and Lingzi mushroom. Besides providing equipment for the center, the Project has also invited experts to transfer the breeding technology of these two mushrooms to the company. U S A I D G R E E N A N NAMI TES / 12

KEY SPECIES MONITORING ACTION PLANS CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN PROTECTED AREAS IN THE CENTRAL ANNAMITES NGUYEN VAN TRI TIN | BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION LEAD | USAID GREEN ANNAMITES PROJECT

The development of Key Species Monitoring Plans with technical support of the USAID Green Annamites Project will help nature reserves in QN and TT Hue to evaluate and adjust conservation strategies to enhance the effectiveness of biodiversity monitoring activities. (In photo: Hylopetes alboniger)

he Central Annamites houses one of the largest continuous natural forest areas in Asia. It is home to many endemic species and species having high conservation value. The Central Annamites is one of the Global 200 Ecoregions that have been identified as the most crucial areas for conservation of global biodiversity (Olson & Dinerstein 1998). Within the Indochina region, it is recognized as an important biodiversity corridor containing multiple Key Biodiversity Areas. Some of them are in the USAID Green Annamites Project’s target provinces of Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue), including

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A Luoi-Nam Dong, Ngoc Linh, Phong Dien, and Song Thanh (Tordoff et al 2012). However, while the Central Annamites are characterized by high biodiversity, human activity is putting pressure on them, and has led to the reduction in the population sizes of many of the region’s most threatened and endemic taxa. In conjunction with its activities to build staff capacity on biodiversity conservation for protected area (PA) staff, and to support the establishment and expansion of special-use forests, the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) supported the development

of Key Species Monitoring Actions Plans (KSMAPs) in the Phong Dien Nature Reserves (NR), TT Hue Saola NR, QN Saola NR, Song Thanh NR, QN Elephant Species and Habitats Conservation Area, and the proposed Bac Hai Van NR. These KSMAPs will enable PA management boards to identify and monitor species which require more conservation effort in each PA. KSMAPs allow these management boards to:

•• Assess PA performance using

species monitoring as a proxy linked to enforcement and protection;

•• Ensure maintenance of a few high value species of high conservation concern; and Secure an adaptive management system or an early warning system to detect the declination of these species.

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The KSMAP development process has involved Monitoring Planning Groups

species monitoring in each PA. The required resources include at least one trained biodiversity and science officer, a minimum of five rangers trained on biodiversity monitoring work, the support of local people from surrounding communities to condu the surveys, and financial resources to cover the required monitoring equipment.

The KSMAP provides an effective tool for monitoring biodiversity that will help improve management strategies in PAs. It is also necessary for the development of biodiversity databases, and sustainable forest development and management plans for forest owners. Although the KSMAPs are limited to the forest areas that monitoring staff are able to cover with available resources,

Identifying key species and developing plans to protect them will help Management Boards of NRs to effectively monitor the endemic species in their areas, ensuring early detection of species degradation and having timely intervention accordingly.

(MPGs) consisting of representatives of the Department of Agricultural and Rural Development, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Finance, the Department of Planning and Investment provincial and district level, and PA management boards. These groups were in charge of analyzing their biodiversity monitoring networks and databases to devise monitoring action plans for selected species groups. Six KSMAPs for the period 2019-2029 were developed with a variety of monitoring methods for key species groups in each PA. While the Project helped each PA to select a number of species for monitoring based on their strategies and available resources for the next ten years, the MPGs identified their capacity and resource needs for

After the draft KSMAPs were endorsed by the relevant PA management boards, the Project organized a workshop in each province to bring all PA representatives together to identify opportunities to collaborate for the implementation of KSMAPs. Collaborations could include opportunities for sharing material (e.g. camera traps, survey equipment) and human resources (e.g. monitoring specialists), training opportunities, and sequencing of activities to ensure comparable population baselines. A unifying of monitoring approaches across PAs, within or between provinces, could significantly save resources and should be promoted when possible. Moreover, provincial level resourcing for a dedicated technical team would be more effective than on the PA-level in terms of ensuring targeted capacity development.

these plans provide a broader vision for key species monitoring that can be expanded and replicated when more resources become available.

INFO BOX MPGs and PA Management Boards identified key species based on two types of selection criteria: 1. species-specific criteria including threatened and protection status, degree of endemicity, relevance of the species for the PA, and indicator species 2. technical feasibility criteria that included detectability, technical capacity to survey the selected species, and resources to survey the selected species

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KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, PRACTICES OF COMMUNITIES IN THE BUFFER ZONE CONCERNING FOREST MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION INCREASED NGUYEN VAN TRI TIN | BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION LEAD | USAID GREEN ANNAMITES PROJECT

uang Nam (QN) Elephant Habitat and Species Conservation Area (HSCA) in Nong Son district was established in September 2017 with the core mission of protecting the last species of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in the southern region of the Annamites Range. According to the Red Book of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Asian Elephant faces the threat of extinction. Threats to Elephant HSCA are rooted in the activities of people living in the buffer zone. Timber exploitation, wild animal hunting, inefficient use of forest land and illegal gold mining have led to the threat of biodiversity loss, environmental pollution and forest resource degradation. Covering a total area of nearly 19,000 hectares, Elephant HSCA possesses a high value of conservation, protection and economic development to improve the lives of local communities. In order to promote the sustainable management of this newly established conservation area, the provincial government of QN developed a Sustainable Forest Management Plan for Elephant HSCA. The USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) supported QN provincial authorities to commence one of the initial steps to develop the plan, which involved researching the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of the communities living in the buffer zone of this Conservation Area. These communities were directly affected by activities concerning protection and use of forest resources

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of the Conversation Area. This research will be important foundation that helps the province make appropriate decisions to develop the Sustainable Forest Management Plan for the Elephant HSCA. In February and March 2019, the Project completed the KAP research in 20 villages of nine communes and town in five districts of Elephant HSCA’s buffer zone. There were four households from each village and a total of 88 households interviewed. Seventy-seven representatives from 62 relevant governmental bodies such as the Forest Protection Department, Conservation Area’s Management Board, as well as local authorities from provincial to village level were consulted by the Project. The consultations revealed:

•• The knowledge of local people

about forest resource use, Government regulations, the roles and responsibilities of relevant governmental bodies in implementing forest protection and management (FPM) in Elephant HSCA were uneven. The proportion of people consulted with good knowledge about these topics accounted for 50 percent, while 30 percent had an average level and 20 percent were at a low level. The attitudes of people concerning forest resource protection was positive. They opposed the act of encroachment on forest resources and were eager to participate in activities to minimize the negative impacts on forest. All that were surveyed were concerned with wild animal protection, especially

••

rare species. The people living in the buffer zone were aware of the importance and meaning of FPM. Most of the informants (more than 96 percent) had an even perception about gender, employment sectors and household economic groups. Conflicts between elephants and human occurred at an alarming rate. In 2018, there were 25 conflicts between elephants and people, which caused damage to property and agro-forestry cultivation forestry in Cam La village. The unplanned infrastructure development and expansion of plantation forests reduced habitats for the elephants. However, there were minimal solutions and knowledge about ways to solve this conflict. Connections between forest rangers, the Conservation Area Management Board and local citizens were improved by increasing the frequencies of activities with local forest rangers and other organizations. Better communication contributed to efficiency improvement in forest protection, management and development.

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••

According to research results, local people were partly aware of the impacts of forest and biodiversity in local communities. Community knowledge concerning FMP was significantly improved. Therefore, they tended to support forest protection and the work of forest rangers and management board to participate in FMP activities. Information concerning knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of people living in the buffer zone, as well as the identification of threats, proposal and solutions for conservation areas will contribute to the development of a Sustainable Development Plan for Elephant HSCA in QN. As a result of the KAP survey, the USAID Green Annamites Project proposed concrete recommendations to develop

a sustainable development plan for Elephant HSCA in QN, including the following priority activities:

•• Strengthening the specialized force

by increasing the number of staff at Elephant HSCA Management Board. The number of officials should match the tasks’ demands and Government’s guidance. Promoting FMP activities, prioritizing forest patrolling and biodiversity monitoring, as well as awareness raising for communities and relevant stakeholders. Investing in infrastructure by creating enabling conditions for local people to perform economic activities that incorporate forest management and environment protection. Finding suitable solutions to develop livelihoods in order to reduce forest dependency. For example, building a model of one unique product for each commune (OCOP), to commercialize product which can be linked with promoting local tourism, especially in villages along the East Truong Son route. Increasing the collaboration between the staff of the management board and local communities to enhance the effectiveness of forest resource protection.

••

The Project continues supporting QN province in finalizing its sustainable forest management plan for Elephant HSCA focusing on:

•• Developing strategies and solutions

to tackle existing threats, including strategies and programs for the buffer zone; Identifying challenges that Elephant HSCA has to face implementing those strategies and solutions; and Proposing of strategies and actions to maintain the conservation value of Elephant HSCA.

•• ••

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COMMUNITY-BASED DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

ENHANCING COMMUNITY-BASED DISASTER RISK RESPONSE IN THUA THIEN HUE PHAM THANH NAM | CLIMATE CHANGE SPECIALIST | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT HOANG MINH HANH | COMMUNICATION OFFICER | USAID GREEN ANNMITES PROJECT

“

This was the first time for me to join the training but with the trainers’ support and the ‘learning by doing’ method, I learned and understood new things as an ERT member. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam | Participant | Vinh Hai commune, Phu Loc district, TT Hue province

Community-based natural disaster preparedness and response is the best way to reduce loss to life and properties for vulnerable communities living in the lagoon area of Thua Thien Hue province.

isasters such as typhoons, floods, droughts, and landslides are increasing in complexity and frequency, while other extreme weather phenomena like rising sea level and saltwater intrusion have occured in Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) province. This has caused serious damage to humans, infrastructure, and assets, and has had severe impacts on production and economic health in the area. In 2018 alone, natural disasters in this province led to 218 deaths and 20,000 billion VND (856 million USD)1 in damages. Shortcomings in natural disaster protection are due to insufficient attention by government and citizens in some areas, as well as a lack of timely and proactive participation by local communities in reducing disaster risk.

One of the solutions to this issue is to encourage communities’ participation in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) through community emergency response teams (ERT). These groups are comprised of the community members with the best understanding of terrain and local disaster statutes, who can immediately join on-site rescue efforts in case of emergency. However, the unpredictable occurrence of natural disasters requires ERTs to be equipped with updated knowledge and regular practice. Within the framework of Task 3 aiming to increase resilience for vulnerable communities, the USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) organized trainings for 124 ERT members (one

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third of whom were female) in Vinh Hai (Phu Loc district), Thuan An town (Phu Vang district), Phong Binh (Phong Dien district), Quang Phuoc (Quang Dien district), and Huong Phong (Huong Tra district) in TT Hue province, between March 21 and April 21, 2019. The five communes that received the training are among the most vulnerable in the province due to their disaster-prone locations and populations that consist of many vulnerable groups such as children, women, and the poor. In addition, these compounds have had limited access to previous capacity building activities for DRR. The objectives of the trainings were to increase the knowledge and practical skills of communities in five communes

in TT Hue, which improves their ability to react more safely and efficiently in emergiencies. Besides basic content about disaster risks, securing families’ well-being, and families’ reaction to disaster and operation of ERTs, participants were equipped with knowledge and skills to solve a number of common emergencies including:

•• •• •• •• •• ••

First Aid and Basic Life Support Incident Command System and Triage Corpse Management Fire Emergencies Basic Search and Rescue Water Emergencies

‘‘Previously when a disaster occured, local authorities would inform citizens via loudspeakers, radio and television to prepare. After participating in this training, other community members and I were more proactive in disaster protection and response’’ Mr. Tran Quoc Thang | Participant | Thuan An town, Phu Vang district , TT Hue province

Each lesson was designed by professional trainers with international DRR certificates, and included one theory session followed by practice drills. At the end of the course, all members utilized their knowledge, equipment, and experience to participate in a knowledge test and practice simultaneous response to several emergency situations like in real disaster occurrence. After the training, members of the ERT will share and guide their communities in a large-scale drill which will be organized by the Project in each commune. In order to enhance efficiency and improve DRR capabilities, the Project is continuing to provide capacity building for local leaders about Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), is collaborating with community members to assess disaster risks and design a map and calendar of disaster threats, and supporting capacity building activities for local communites about climate change and DRR. At the same time, the Project is providing equipment for an early warning system (EWS) such as communication tools, flood warning markers, and rescue supplies, so communities and authorities are well-prepared in the case of a disaster. Training for ERTs is playing an important role in updating knowledge and skills for ERTs in vulnerable communities in TT Hue. Core members of ERTs not only contribute to rescue activities in emergency scenarios while waiting for the professional rescue team, but they are also educating their communities about climate change and DRR.

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SMALL GRANT PROGRAM

QUANG LOI FISHERMEN REACH A CONSENSUS FOR SUSTAINABLE FISHING ON THE LAGOON

25,000 CAJUPUT TREES TO SAVE THE NATURAL AREA FROM DEPLETION

ajuput (Melaleuca cajuputi) essential oil is a traditional gift indigenous to Thua Thien Hue (TT Hue) province. However, due to overexploitation, natural cajuputs in sandy areas of Phong Dien, Quang Dien and Phu Loc districts are becoming depleted. As a result, many production workshops add substitute materials to produce fake oils, which negatively impact the prestige and quality of Hue Cajuput essential oil.

Participatory sustainable fisheries management and exploitation are essential to sustain livelihoods for communities living in the lagoon area.

ince November 2018, the USAID Green Annamites Project has collaborated with the Fisheries Association of TT Hue province to implement the activity 'Sustainable fishing through raising awareness and skills in the management of fishing and aquaculture activities to improve livelihoods for fishermen in Tam Giang-Cau Hai lagoon'. This activity aims to raise awareness about aquatic resource protection, improve people's livelihoods, and strengthen the community's capacity to cope with climate change. Through this activity, ten training courses on management and exploitation of lagoon fisheries were organized for more than 250 members of three fisheries sub-associations (sub-FA) in Ngu My Thanh, Ha Cong and Cu Lac in Quang Loi commune, Quang Dien district. The trainings covered solutions to protect and regenerate aquatic resources and helped participants make plans to maintain the operation of the water patrolling teams. As a result, the process of assessing the current status of the allocation and use of fishing gears was quickly implemented, and a water surface zoning plan was prepared. The Ngu My Thanh and Ha Cong sub-associations obtained the fishing licenses at the end of December 2018. In the meantime, while pending for the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guidance on how to apply for fishing licenses under the Law on Fisheries 2017, effective from January 1, 2019, the Cu Lac sub-association received the assignment of water surface management by the Commune People's Committee in March 2019. After being assigned the task of managing the water surface, a new patrol team for the Cu Lac sub-FA was established and two existing patrol teams of the Ha Cong and Ngu My Thanh sub-FA were consolidated through training courses on patrol, prevention

Protecting and developing natural cajuput helps to conserve genetic resources, raw materials, and restore a long-standing traditional craft of TT Hue province.

Considering that this is the right time to conserve Cajuput and to promote the traditional livelihoods of essential oil production, contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on sandy areas, the USAID Green Annamites Project has collaborated with Hoa Nen Essential Oil Production One Member Limited Company to carry out the activity 'Conserving and developing the Melaleuca cajuputi afforestation, with links to the conservation and development of Hue traditional Cajuput distillation industry, as well as the establishment and development of Hoa Nen essential oil brand-name' since January 1, 2019. So far, four training courses have been organized for 132 people (two-thirds of whom were female). The training courses focused on cajuput planting and tending techniques, sustainable essential oil production and preservation, and skills for company staff and local people. As a result, communities now have a solid foundation with which to oversee the planting and tending of 25,000 cajuput trees on an area of five hectares of natural cajuput, with a survival rate over 90%.

and handling skills. They also received a patrol manual to ensure proper implementation of the proposed plan and that fishery practices are sustainable in the lagoon area. All members are committed to complying with the assigned patrol schedule or actively coordinating the assignment based on each person's schedule. U S A I D G R E E N A N NAMI TES / 19