ERPA helps improve livelihoods and protect forests, but many forest owners have not accessed it effectively.

With the advantage of a large area of ​​natural forests, Thanh Hoa province has recorded initial results from the pilot program of transferring greenhouse gas emission reduction results in the North Central region (ERPA), creating financial resources to support forest protection, improve people's livelihoods and contribute to efforts to respond to climate change...
With a total area of ​​more than 647.000 hectares of natural forest, Thanh Hoa province possesses great potential for providing carbon credits.
With a total area of ​​more than 647.000 hectares of natural forest, Thanh Hoa province possesses great potential for providing carbon credits.
Thanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Environment has just held a conference to summarize the pilot program of transferring greenhouse gas emission reduction results in the North Central region (ERPA), to evaluate the financial and environmental efficiency of sustainable forest management activities, one of the foundations to promote green economy in the locality.

With a total area of ​​over 647.000 hectares of natural forest, Thanh Hoa province possesses great potential for providing carbon credits, becoming one of the first six localities selected to implement Decree No. 107/2022/ND-CP on the transfer of emission reduction results and financial management of greenhouse gas emission reduction payment agreements in the North Central region.

According to the report at the conference, through the review, the province has identified more than 393.000 hectares of natural forests under the management of 39 forest owners that are eligible for payment and benefit from the ERPA program. From the expected revenue of about 199,3 billion VND/year, Thanh Hoa has disbursed 107,68 billion VND, reaching 54,1% of the approved plan. This financial amount is used to support forest management, paying organizations and individuals participating in forest protection in accordance with regulations.

However, one of the noteworthy points is that the rate of forest owners completing financial plans is still low. Only 27/39 units have completed and submitted annual plans with a total approved budget of VND 22,85 billion. This amount is being used mainly for forest protection and maintenance activities, sustainable livelihood investment and infrastructure improvement in residential areas in the ERPA benefit areas.

Evaluation at the conference showed that after 3 years of implementation, the ERPA program has initially brought positive results, creating more resources for green economic development in the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa. In particular, the program has contributed to reducing forest encroachment and promoting more effective forest protection thanks to a clear and encouraging financial mechanism.

For communities living near forests, especially in remote areas, the ERPA program not only directly supports financial resources but also helps create stable livelihoods and raise awareness of the role of forests in preventing natural disasters and climate change. For households participating in forest protection, ERPA becomes a sustainable "green income source" and at the same time provides opportunities to access agroforestry development projects.

For forest owners that are organizations, payments from ERPA act as a "support" to supplement the forest protection budget, thereby improving the efficiency of management, natural resource conservation and forest cover development - a key indicator in the strategy for sustainable economic development and emission reduction of Thanh Hoa province.

Despite the positive results, delegates also frankly acknowledged that there are still many shortcomings that need to be overcome. Some forest owners, especially commune-level authorities, have low disbursement rates and limited application of advanced forestry techniques. Notably, most households contracted to protect forests live in disadvantaged areas, and the payment level calculated based on forest area is still low, so the direct impact on life is unclear.

Faced with the above limitations, the conference agreed on a number of directions and tasks for the coming time, such as: promoting technical training for the community, improving the process of making and approving financial plans for forest owners; strengthening the coordination mechanism between government levels and technical units; and proposing to adjust the appropriate payment level to ensure the attractiveness and sustainability of the program.

Through the ERPA program, Thanh Hoa is gradually realizing the goal of developing a green economy associated with nature conservation, responding to climate change and improving the quality of life for people in mountainous areas. This is not only a direction in line with international trends, but also contributes to affirming the province's pioneering role in environmental protection initiatives and sustainable development in the North Central region.