PAYMENTS FOR FOREST ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WITH THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF FORESTS IN MUONG TE DISTRICT, LAI CHAU PROVINCE

Abstract

Muong Te district, Lai Chau province is the watershed area of the Da River, which has great potential for hydropower (e.g. Lai Chau, Son La and Hoa Binh hydropower companies) and provides water for the Northern Delta and clean water for Hanoi. The article summarizes the  implementation results of the payment policy for forest environmental services and their impacts on forest protection and development  in Muong Te district, Lai Chau province. Based on secondary sources, expert and field surveys, the article generalizes the outstanding results of the implementation of payment policy for forest environmental services in Muong Te district from 2012 to 2018. The research results showed that the payment policy for forest environmental services contributed to the effective management and protection of 173,594 ha of forests in the district, made the district have the highest forest cover rate in Lai Chau province with nearly 65% in 2018, contributing to poverty reduction, livelihood improvement and promoting socialization of forest protection and development.