Story | 21 May, 2017
Banning vs. legalise and regulate in forest management
Two years ago, on a field survey in Bac Kan Province in Viet Nam, we heard about a farmer who needed 30 stamps to get a permit to harvest a single Styrax tonkinensis tree that was growing on his land. Even though the tree was on land that was designated as plantation forest and the farmer had a…
Story | 27 Feb, 2017
Local communities empowered to protect nature in Viet Nam
Da Nang City, the third largest city in Viet Nam, is taking important initiatives to protect nature. Known as the most livable city in Viet Nam, Da Nang is remarkable not only for its policy to become an environmental city by 2020 but also for the fact that its local communities also take a …
Story | 08 Feb, 2017
In January 2017, Antonio H. Benjamin became the first Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law to ever visit Vietnam. WCEL membership has great potential to grow and the IUCN Vietnam Country Office in Hanoi provides great opportunities for increased cooperation. Additionally, the…
Story | 19 Jan, 2017
Viet Nam’s forestry policies and business models
A new report explores the results of Viet Nam’s policies on protecting and restoring forests, with a special focus on the country’s efforts to implement sustainable forestry models.
Story | 12 Dec, 2016
Value we see in trees: innovation and the exchange of ideas
Innovation is a key to improving the rights and livelihoods of farmers and small land holders while encouraging them to plant trees and effectively restore landscapes. During a regional knowledge exchange in Thailand, the Tree Bank offered one such innovation.
Story | 13 Oct, 2016
Video: Key stakeholders’ perspectives on International Water Law in the Mekong
International rivers, such as the Mekong, are crucial arteries carrying the lifeblood of freshwater that sustains human existence and ecosystems around the world. It is estimated that there are 276 transboundary river basins (TRB) and 200 transboundary aquifers around the world but 60…
Story | 29 Jul, 2016
ARLINGTON, VIRIGNIA, USA—The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is celebrating its 15th anniversary by recognising 15 conservationists as “Hotspot Heroes.”
Story | 13 Jul, 2016
Forest conservation in Quang Tri: what can be done?
In Quang Tri province, Viet Nam, not far from the Lao border, one side of the valley is a nature reserve, and on the other a 130-hectare community-managed forest. The community forest looks in reasonably good condition, with no clearing and not much bamboo re-growth. When asked, the village…
Story | 13 Jul, 2016
A collective voice: helping farmers become communicators
The expression “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” or the equivalent in Vietnamese “Con khóc mẹ mới cho bú” (the mother breast-feeds the baby only when it cries) reflect the belief that to get attention you have to raise your voice. Farmers in Vietnam often say they lack sufficient capital,…
Story | 07 Jul, 2016
CEPF launches new call for proposals in the Indo-Burma hotspot
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) has launched a call for proposals for small grant projects in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and parts of Southern China. A separate call for proposals for large grant projects in Myanmar has also been issued…