The Centre for People and Forests (RECOFTC) recently organised an expert seminar on Gender, Forestry, Climate Change and REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) in Hanoi. This activity is part of a project concerning capacity building for grassroots forestry stakeholders in order to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. On the sidelines of the seminar, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Nguyen Ba Ngai, Deputy Director General of Vietnam Forestry Administration (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on this issue. Anh Phuong reports.
Could you talk about the main contents of this conference?
This seminar is an opportunity for professionals to exchange and discuss policies, plans and programmes on the improvement of gender equality in forest management, REDD+ initiatives and climate change, while identifying problems, challenges and gaps in mainstreaming gender issues into forestry solutions on climate change mitigation and adaptation in Vietnam. Additionally, the seminar puts forth gender issues in forestry and climate change work to delegates for discussion. This is not a new issue in the world. However, in Vietnam, women’s involvement in climate change issues is not widely appreciated. But, there are opposite opinions. This issue is of great significance and women are also very sensitive to climate change issues. This can be simply explained that, apart from carbon keeping, forests generate livelihoods and incomes for 1.6 billion poor people around the globe, among whom poor women account for over 70 per cent. Apart from the above reasons, other practical reasons such as water supply decline, natural disaster, pest outbreaks, crop structure changes, etc. not only enormously challenge their daily responsibilities, but also affect their livelihoods. Therefore, without the integration of gender issues into REDD+ discussions, there will be unwanted consequences because of overlooking women’s specific needs.
REDD+ is still relatively new to the public. Could you tell us more about it?
REDD Vietnam Network and REDD Working Group were established in September 2009. The general programme "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through United Nations’ REDD efforts in Vietnam (UN-REDD, Phase 1) was developed and piloted in Lam Dong province from 2009 to 2012. The second phase of UN-REDD Programme was built based on the first-phase results and lessons, with total funding of more than US$30 million. Apart from Lam Dong, five other provinces with high forest coverage rates, namely Ca Mau, Binh Thuan, Ha Tinh, Bac Kan and Lao Cai, will also join the programme.
On February 27, 2012, the Prime Minister approved the National Action Plan for "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through efforts to mitigate deforestation & forest degradation, sustainable management of forest resources, conservation and increase of forest carbon reserves” (REDD+) from 2011 to 2020 in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Decision 799/QD-TTg aimed at implementing the National Strategy on Climate Change and alleviating poverty towards sustainable development. This decision is important for the implementation of the Climate Change Strategy in Vietnam, while showing Vietnam’s goodwill and efforts to join hands with the international community to protect the earth’s climate system.
Besides, on December 5, 2012 in Doha, Qatar, in the framework of the eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat and Norwegian Minister Bard Vegar Solhjell signed a joint declaration on “Cooperation in implementation of REDD+ initiatives in developing countries.”
In addition to the above statement, the second phase of the project “Capacity building for grassroots forestry stakeholders in order to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation” in the Asia - Pacific region (August 2010 - July 2013) is carried out by RECOFTC in four countries, including Indonesia, Laos, Nepal and Vietnam. In Vietnam, the project aimed to train, build up capacity and awareness for forestry stakeholders at grassroots levels in the four provinces of Bac Kan, Ha Tinh, Lam Dong and Ca Mau, and has also significantly helped build grassroots capacity to prepare for the implementation of REDD+ initiatives.
In the next 30 years, Vietnam is said to be one of countries most susceptible to dangerous impacts of climate change. From the perspectives of this meeting, what will Vietnam need to do?
In fact, climate change is one of the biggest challenges mankind is facing. The difference, which not all countries easily find out, is that the economic consequences of this phenomenon are commonly mentioned, while the ethical aspects are overlooked. Accordingly, the use of the principles of human rights - specifically mainstreaming gender into forestry policies - now needs to receive more focus. Accordingly, we need to set objectives for supporting and promoting the integration of gender into forest protection and development, forestry development programmes, sustainable forest management, and tackling climate change. These steps are the basis for the construction of women-centred action plans for implementation of forest protection and development plans, sustainable forest management, and deforestation prevention in Vietnam.
In addition, the message of this seminar also identified businesses, governments and international institutions as primary causers of climate change. Therefore, to solve the root of these problems, we need to build national-level energy policies. International organisations such as the World Trade Organisation or the World Bank must work together to ensure continued implementation of economic and social policies without compromising the environment. And finally and most importantly, developed nations which potentially cause climate change most need to have incentive policies for new generation, clean technology energies and share with less developed nations to make the environment the cleanest possible.
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