Differentiation in Benefits from Forest Devolution: Empirical Study from Dak Lak Province, Central Highland of Vietnam

Abstract

"This paper presents results from a study about the impact of FLA on local households in two villages. It aims to understand the differentiated benefits that Dak laks program on devolution of forest management has brought to farm households in the study sites. Generally, concerned benefits that local households may derive include immediate material benefits, (timber, land, and NTFPs), future material benefits, and spiritual benefits. Due to the heterogeneity of local conditions, the foci of study in each village also differ. In the first village, the study gives more attention to the issues related to FLA upland conversion while in the second village the focus is on the issues related to extraction of timber. In both villages, NTFP and other benefits are of secondary importance due to their insignificance in the local conditions.

"The study took place from March to September 2002 and I spent three months in each village. During the time in the village, both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques were applied. The data set used for quantitative analysis comes from household census in both villages conducted by myself by the end of each stay."