Willingness to Accept Payment of Upland Farmers to Participate in Forest Management in the Northwest Mountainous Region of Vietnam

Abstract

The study determined the level of willingness to accept (WTA) payment of upland farmers to participate in forest management programs in the northwest mountainous region of Vietnam. The results showed that the present payment level of 100,000 VND (US$5.4/ha/yr) in the study areas as compensation for participating in the forest management programs was too low compared with the WTA of 286,000 VND (US$15.5/ha/yr). The important factors affecting the level of WTA include the opportunity cost of forest management, ethnic affiliation, access to the forest, total income of households and topography of the forest area. Training programs and seminars could help enhance the level of awareness of upland farmers who were mostly poor, uneducated ethnic minorities about the benefits of improved management of the forest. This would help encourage upland farmers to participate in the program. These training programs should also be improved to ensure that they are readily understood and appreciated by the target audience. The promotion of ecotourism and community tourism, provision of technologies for annual crops and medicinal plants, plant production and support for livestock raising would help increase the income of upland farmers from the forest and encourage their participation in these programs.