Roots in the Water

Roots in the Water

Legal Frameworks for Mangrove PES in Vietnam

By Slayde Hawkins, Phuc Xuan To, Pham Xuan Phuong, Pham Thu Thuy, Nguyen Duc Tu, Chu Van Guong, Sharon Brown, Peter Dart, Suzanne Robertson, Nguyen Vu, Richard McNally - Forest Trends, Forest Trends, Ministry of Argiculture and Rural Development, Charles Darwin University, BirdLife International, GTZ, GTZ, University of Queensland, SNV, SNV, SNV

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Forest Trends and the Katoomba Group have commissioned this study into the legal and regulatory frameworks for mangrove management and PES in Vietnam. This study is timely as in recent years various Vietnamese policies have prioritized terrestrial forest, mangrove, and coastal conservation, and the national government is now considering market mechanisms as a potential conservation tool. This study suggests that a sector-based approach cannot ensure effective mangrove management, as disparate interests conflict and erode mangrove protections. Rather, an inclusive, ecosystem-based, cross-sectoral approach is needed in – and should be a key characteristic of – mangrove management in areas with high conservation value. Integrated approaches are increasingly feasible within Vietnam, given the support of the national Government in exploring PES and other innovative approaches. We hope that this legal study provides greater clarity and increased interest in the potential for payments for ecosystem services in Vietnam’s mangrove forests.