Two-thirds of Viet Nam's land area of 33 million ha is mountainous. Almost half of the land area is classified as forest, with one-quarter of Viet Nam's 90 million people living near or in forest lands. Many of them belong to 53 ethnic minority groups. There is a high correlation between the incidence of poverty and forests. Forest tenure reforms initiated in the 1990s, have resulted in considerable diversification of tenure arrangements, with almost 30 percent of the forest land under management by local people, either by individual households or village communities.
One in a series of RECOFTC country engagement strategies, this publication analyses the community forestry (CF) situation and challenges in Viet Nam, and recommends priorities for the country’s CF development. Adhering to RECOFTC's vision and mission, the report presents the organization’s strategic programme framework and how RECOFTC in Viet Nam can effectively contribute to the advancement of CF.