Forestland Allocation in A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province: Policy and Practice

Abstract

This paper outlines the current situation of forestland allocation in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province and its impacts on the life of the local people. Survey results show that there is a very large gap between policy and practice. Forestland allocation to local people is conducted in three different forms: assigned to households, assigned to household groups or assigned to villages. However, in practice, this program gives local people training courses, with much focus on administrative work, without regard to the life of the recipients. Consequently, there is no positive change in people's livelihood; the benefits for the recipients are still very fragile and not clearly defined; the people fall into trouble due to a lack of productive land, which leads to food shortages, especially among the poor; and the inequality in access to land is increasing.