Project News

SUSFORM-NOW organized study tour to Da Lat and Hue from 21 to 24 Feb. 2011. Members of the study tour are counterparts of SUSFORM-NOW, i.e. staffs of Department of Agricultural and Rural Development in Dien Bien (DARD), Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen of Pilot Site Communes, and staffs of Forest Protection Units and/or Agricultural and Rural Development Divisions of Dien Bien District, Dien Bien Dong District and Dien Bien Phu City of Dien Bien Province.

Purpose of the study tour is capacity building of participants, especially from Communes. They will support, manage, organize and mobilize local people to implement Pilot Activities. They shall learn the skill and experience to make and implement the plans of participatory sustainable forest management and livelihood development, from local people of visited places.

In the morning of 22 Feb. 2011, study tour delegation visited models of planting beet (Den cu), strawberry (Dau tay) and coffee with persimmon (Hong) at Dan Kia village, Lat commune, Lac Duong district, Lam Dong province and visited Klong Klanh Forest Protection Unit of Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park. At the visiting places, members of the study tour discussed with farmers about models and activities of livelihood development. They learned experiences of forest management and protection from staff of Forest Protection Unit.

In the afternoon, the Project for Strengthening Community-based Management Capacity of Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park (BNBNP) introduced project activities and some achievements of the project. There are two component of the project: Community based eco-tourism and environmental friendly livelihood development. Mr. ODA* - Chief Advisor of BNBNP Project shared: Participation of local people is a main key to implement project activities successfully. In order to have voluntary participation of local people, we have to listen to local people what they are talking about; discuss with them directly; Identify what are their problems and what are their demands.

*ODA is his family name, but not "Official Development Assistance".

23 Feb 2011, study tour delegation visited the Project for Improving Rural Living and Nature Conservation by Multipurpose Use of Charcoal and Wood Vinegar in Bach Ma National Park (Bach Ma Charcoal Project), Thua Thien Hue province. The Project introduced project activities such as charcoal production, multipurpose charcoal use technologies, Bokashi fertilizer (a kind of organic fertilizers) production and use. The study tour delegation visited some households of Khe Su village, Phu Loc district. Members of study tour learned experiences of Bokashi fertilizer and rice husk charcoal production and use, from visited households. We hope households in pilot sites of SUSFORM-NOW Project will be able to apply the techniques of charcoal, rice husk charcoal and Bokashi fertilizer production in agricultural production. It will help to manage forest sustainably and develop livelihood activities.

All members of the study tour delegation promised to apply lesson learned from visited projects to implement activities of SUSFORM-NOW Project at their villages and Communes for getting Project Goal: Extending Participatory Forest Management and Livelihood Development.

Reported by Nguyen Tuan Hien (SUSFORM-NOW Project Officer)

Beets during harvesting at Dan Kia village (BNBNP).

Staff of Forest Protection Unit explained about forest management and protection (BNBNP).

Demonstration of making Wood Vinegar (Bach Ma Charcoal Project).

Model household of organic farming in Bach Ma.