Nature for Sale in Southeast Asia
Thousands of poverty-stricken households in Vietnam's Dong Nai River basin rely on agriculture to support their livelihoods. Farmers often cut down forest to plant their crops, which has lead to ecological problems like decreased biodiversity and excess sedimentation, according to Reuters AlertNet.
Now, 12 provinces in the basin are implementing a program called Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES). The program aims to foster economic growth and save precious ecosystems by encouraging these poorer farmers to plant crops like cacao and bamboo, which can be grown beneath trees. Organizations like the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Winrock International also help the farmers find markets to sell their new products.
These more sustainable farming practices limit sedimentation and deforestation. Those farmers that comply are given a quarterly payment that winds up boosting their annual income by $730.
Vietnam hopes to expand the PES program to 15 provinces, increasing the already protected 188,000 hectares of forest. This also means sustainable incomes for thousands of impoverished households in the basin. Jim Peters, Chief of Party of the USAID-funded Asian Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program, tells AlertNet:
We expect to generate incomes that should reach the level of average gross domestic product in the country. So it's not just about bringing people out of poverty but putting them in the mainstream.
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