Agriculture & Environment Magazine had an interview with Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment, about ERPA disbursements and the province’s efforts to protect and sustainably develop its natural forests.

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment

Interviewer: Quang Tri is among the provinces receiving carbon-credit payments from the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) trust fund administered by the World Bank. How is the ERPA funding allocated?

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan: Quang Tri has a total forest area of 841,224 hectares, including 596,230 hectares of natural forest and 244,933 hectares of planted forest, with a forest cover rate of 61.47%. The province is one of five beneficiaries of the North Central Region ERPA. Based on verified emission-reduction results and our natural-forest area, Quảng Trị has been allocated over VND 364 billion for 2023–2025 to distribute to eligible beneficiaries.

To implement payments under Government Decree No. 107/2022/NĐ-CP, the Department has worked with relevant agencies to advise the Provincial People’s Committee in approving annual financial plans as the legal basis for disbursement. We have instructed the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund to promptly complete payment procedures for entities assigned to manage natural forests—state forest owners, commune-level authorities, community groups, households, and individuals—ensuring transparency, correct targeting, and full compliance.

Interviewer: This pilot is expected to pave the way for similar models nationwide, strengthening institutions and policy on forest management, climate, and carbon finance in line with international commitments. Your assessment?

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan: Correct. The ERPA—signed between the former Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)—is being piloted under Decree No. 107/2022/NĐ-CP. Results to date are a meaningful milestone for testing and scaling forest carbon finance in Viet Nam. ERPA not only supports emission-reduction targets; it also delivers socio-economic gains for local people, particularly ethnic minority communities reliant on forests.

The agreement prioritizes livelihood support by improving resource management, strengthening local capacity and institutions, and helping the Government refine forest, climate, and carbon-finance policy, thereby advancing Viet Nam’s international emission-reduction commitments.

Interviewer: How are coordination and payments organized in practice?

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan: Management of the ERPA pilot is carried out consistently from the provincial level down to localities and forest owners, with openness, fairness, and legal compliance. Each year, payment amounts are determined based on the central allocation and the latest natural-forest monitoring results.

To ensure due process, the Department advised the Provincial People’s Committee to issue an ERPA implementation plan and an overall financial plan, approve beneficiaries, and endorse annual financial allocations. On that basis, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund disburses to forest owners, commune-level authorities, and other entities tasked with forest management.

ERPA revenues have augmented resources for forest protection and development, created jobs, and raised incomes for forest-dependent communities and forest owners. For communities, households, and individuals assigned natural forests, these funds provide essential support for day-to-day protection and management. ERPA has also heightened public awareness of forest conservation, helping reduce forestry-law violations.

ERPA revenues help Quang Tri strengthen forest protection and development, create jobs, improve incomes for forest-dependent communities, while raising awareness and reducing violations of forestry laws

Interviewer: What actions will Quang Tri prioritize to sustain effective ERPA implementation?

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan: First, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund will complete disbursement of the remaining funds (about 10%) approved for 2025, step up inspection and monitoring, report implementation challenges in a timely manner, and support forest owners and localities in delivery. It will also prepare a comprehensive review of the ERPA pilot with concrete recommendations on mechanisms, policies, finance, and related rules for future emission-reduction payments.

Second, commune-level People’s Committees and forest owners that lack approved ERPA financial plans must urgently prepare and submit their 2025 plans for approval and proceed with effective implementation. Disbursement should be accelerated with maximum transparency, fairness, and compliance. Commune authorities should reconcile all ERPA-related financial data and documentation (including any unspent funds) in preparation for the transition to the two-tier local-government model.

Third, relevant departments and localities will intensify communication and public outreach on the North Central ERPA policy, and expand training for organizational forest owners, commune authorities, and community groups so beneficiaries clearly understand regulatory requirements and implementation steps, ensuring effective, compliant delivery.

Interviewer: How have ERPA payments supported forest management and helped maintain Quảng Trị’s 61.47% forest cover?

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan: ERPA resources have allowed organizational forest owners to strengthen protection by contracting additional patrols with forest-edge communities. They also fund silvicultural activities that improve natural-forest quality.

Payments have forged closer ties between communities, local governments, and forestry agencies, building awareness and capacity for forest protection. Authorities and forest owners have increased patrolling and oversight; strengthened wildfire prevention and response; applied information technology in forest protection and fire management; and monitored forest use by owners and projects on forest land to promptly detect and handle violations of the Forestry Law. Communication on forest-governance policies has been intensified, alongside strict enforcement against illegal acts.

Interviewer: As a province with substantial forest resources and carbon stocks, what are the next steps to harness forest-carbon credit potential and engage the forest-carbon market?

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan: Forests sequester and store carbon, reduce emissions by curbing deforestation and degradation, and underpin sustainable forest management and green growth. This is an emerging, high-potential forest environmental service and a sustainable revenue stream—especially for mountain communities and forest owners.

Going forward, Quang Tri will continue to manage, protect, and sustainably develop existing natural forests with a focus on quality; strengthen biodiversity conservation; expand forest environmental services and eco-tourism; scale up large-timber plantations with sustainable-management plans and certification; and apply advanced technologies in monitoring and protection.

We will conduct surveys of forest biomass and carbon stocks to build a robust database for carbon-credit development. Beyond natural forests, the province will cooperate with domestic and international partners to assess eligible areas and estimate emission reductions under recognized carbon-credit standards—covering afforestation on land without forest cover for the past ten years; conversion from small-diameter to large-timber plantations on certified areas; and mangrove planting and restoration in Quang Tri.

Interviewer: Thank you for your insights!

Dinh Loan - Ngoc Huyen