Đề tài Priorities setting in forestry

PRIORITIES SETTING IN FORESTRY (CARD workshop on research priority setting in Hoa Binh 12-2010) __________________________________________ Trieu Van Hung & Do Xuan Lan Department of Science Technology and Environment MARD 1. INTRODUCTION Science and Technology is defined by the Vietnamese Party and Government as an important motivation for socio-economic development. As a result, the requirements and demands of the society in the future (up to 2020) towards the forestry sector are increasing regarding the function of environmental protection, tourism and culture, biodiversity conservation and contribution to the national economy. To support the current socio-economic development in Vietnam, scientific research in general and in forestry in particular should be promoted. Thus far, a number of research works on various types of forests, especially on forests and environment protection and biodiversity are implemented by research agencies in the forestry sector and by other research agencies from other sectors. However, as there has been no long-term orientation or plan for research activities, the effectiveness of this research is not yet conjoined with the development situation. Thus, a strategy for forestry research to 2020 aims towards: "A modern and improved forestry science and technology foundation is developed to the regional level, contributing to satisfying social demands in sustainable forestry development in the fields of socio-economic and environment which are in accordance with Sect oral Development Strategy and National Development Strategy". This paper outlines past achievements, future opportunities and potential capacity in forest research and serves as resource material to assist participants of the agriculture sector priorities setting workshop to assess research potential and capacity in forestry - one of the focus sub-sectors. 2. CURENT STATUS OF THE FORESTRY SECTOR IN VIETNAM Forestry is a specific technical economic sector, including all activities connected with commodity production and services from the forest, such as reforestation / afforestation, harvesting, transportation, production and processing of forest products, and providing environmental services related to forests. The forestry sector plays a very important role in the protection of the environment, biodiversity conservation, and poverty reduction, particularly for people in the mountainous areas, and contributes to social stability and to national defense security. As of 31 December 2009, the country’s forest area is 13.26 million (mil.) hectares (ha) including about 10.34 mil. ha of natural forests and 2.92 mil. ha of plantations, equivalent to 39.1% of forest coverage. The area of production forest is 6.29 mil. ha, protection forest 4.83 mil. ha and special used forest 2.0 mil ha Discussion Paper for Agriculture Sector Priorities settings Workshop – Section Forestry  2 At the national scale, substantial progress has been achieved in forest protection and development, which has prevented the degradation of both forest area and quality, resulting in the increase of forest area from 11.73 mil. ha in 2005 to 14.17 mil. ha in 2010 (increasing, on average, 0.48 mil. ha each year). At present, an average of more than 200,000 ha of forests have been planted annually. Plantation–based timber harvesting yields reached 3.0 mil. m3 in year 2010, aimed to provide materials for export–based forest product processing and domestic consumption. The timber and forest product processing sector has gained outstanding progress, which gradually meets domestic demands, contributing substantially to export turnover and creating opportunities for development of material plantations. The value of forest-products–based export turnover has increased from 1,570 mil. USD in 2005 to 3,233 mil. USD in 2010. Production operations of the forest sector have been changing remarkably from state– owned forestry with centralized planning to socialized forestry, which allows a multi– stakeholder economic structure and follows market economy mechanisms. Thus, the forest sector has been actively involved in employment creation and livelihood improvement for nearly 25% of the Vietnamese people who live near forest and mountainous regions, thus contributing to the assurance of social and political security and the creation of a driving–force for the overall development of the country in recent years. Although the forest area is increasing, the quality and biodiversity of the natural forests have been continuously reduced. In many locations, forest areas have been increasingly damaged; meanwhile, production plantations under the 661 Program have not met the expected objectives. The forest sector’s growth is low and unsustainable. It is low in profit, weak in competitiveness, and the potential of forest resources has not been properly and comprehensively exploited, particularly for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and environmental services. 3. FORESTRY RESEARCH IN VIETNAM - PAST PERFORMANCE 3.1. Constraints in Forestry Research in Vietnam Based on the development of forestry research in Vietnam in recent years, we can identify the following constraints: • Lack of strategy in research directions and themes: Not much attention is paid to sector development forecasts to identify the orientation for research activities in each period. A Science and Technology Research Strategy for the Sector is developed, but not correctly implemented in the reality and it is still difficult to define research directions and themes. The development of research plans are not consistent with characteristics and requirements of forestry research: the production and business cycles of forest trees are long but a research at sectoral level lasts only 2 – 3 years and perhaps 5 years for research at the national level. • Insufficient information: There is a lack of information, especially information obtained from actual production, from other countries and market information etc. This has resulted in irrelevant selection of research themes and identification of objectives, which has affected research results. Discussion Paper for Agriculture Sector Priorities settings Workshop – Section Forestry  3 • Lack of inter-disciplinary and systemization: Research contents lack inter-disciplinary and systemization and pressing issues of production practice have not been synchronously resolved. There are big gaps in research, such as in baseline research to develop new technical methods, and new technologies; in research on forest resources and forestland management; in research on organisation and management of forest employment; in research on marketing of forest products; and in research to apply foreign advanced technologies. • There is a lack of motivation for research, and little application of advanced technology in production due to a lack of competition. Current policies do not encourage and promote research activities, and the benefits are not attractive enough to keep competent researchers in the forestry sector. • Lack of researchers and weak capacity: The effectiveness of the work of research is not very high because there is no synchronicity and no close links between scientists and researchers at different levels. There is also a lack of up-scaling from previous research results. During the process of transferring into a market-oriented economy and with forestry shifting into social forestry, researchers have not been equipped with relevant knowledge, which has resulted in insufficient research results. • There is no close cooperation among researchers and research establishments, and between research and propagation, production and training at the initial stages of planning. Research design thus far has not required much involvement of the end-users. Science and technology programmes and socio-economic programmes are not closely linked together. Economic effects of research activities and technology transfer has not been appropriately coupled. • Poor research conditions: Equipment, laboratories and sites, etc. have not met the requirements of research activities. Forests for research and experimental activities are not well managed. Research establishments are still subsidized by the government and not active and creative. • Limited budget for research activities: Before 1999, investment in research was less than 1% of GDP. Total investment in forestry research accounts for approximately 1.5% of the total investment in research and implementation in the whole country, still a very small figure. Discussion Paper for Agriculture Sector Priorities settings Workshop – Section Forestry  4 3.2. Forestry Research Trends Based on the identified constraints and achievements in Forestry Research in Vietnam in the last years, the main important trends can be identified (see also figure 1): • Formerly, forestry research activities were mainly concentrated on investigation and assessment of forest resources for exploitation and utilization. These days, awareness of the values of the forests, especially indirect values, has been further improved, which had led to wider ranges in forestry research activities in order to develop a sustainable forestry sector with multiple purposes. • Research activities on the effective use of barren land areas and extensive forest plantation have a high priority due to concerns with satisfying the demands for materials in processing industry (paper, plywood). In macro land use planning the barren land areas which cannot be used in agriculture cultivation will be the object of forest production. Forest exploitation will be reduced because of dramatic degradation of natural forests. Later natural forest gates will be closed as per the intention of the Government. • In the past, forestry research was concentrated in individual sectors, and focused on natural and technical aspects. In the course of future development, forestry research will be more Figure 6: Overview of main trends, constraints and achievements identified in Forestry Research  in Vietnam  Identified constraints on forestry  research:  • Lack of strategy  • Insufficient information (international,  market)  • Lack of interdisciplinary and  systematization  • Lack of competition / motivation  between researchers  • Limited capacity researchers  • Lack of cooperation between Identified achievements on forestry  research:  • Baseline surveys  • Silvicultural techniques  • Tools and techniques in forest industry  • Land potential assessments  • Forest plantation  • Forest resource preservation and  forest protection  • Seeds and Biotechnology  • NTFP Important trends based on identified constraints and  achievements in forestry research:  • Forestry research includes social, economic and  environmental values of forestry   • Effective use of barren land areas for extensive  forest plantation  • Inter sectoral and multidisciplinary approach  • Increase of international relations and Discussion Paper for Agriculture Sector Priorities settings Workshop – Section Forestry  5 characterized by inter-sectoral and multiple sectors which will focus on socio-economics, mechanisms and policies, aiming at shifting from State forestry into social forestry or into community forestry. • Alongside with the Government's open policies, international relations in forestry research are expanding at a larger scale, with varied cooperation activities, which contribute to improved capacity and to raising the reputation of forestry research in the region and in the world. 3.3. Major achievement As stated in the Forestry Research strategy, the main achievements of the forestry research over the last 10 years are: 1. Baseline survey: The results from the observation of forest resources are used to make a baseline survey that is released every 5 years. This survey creates important data for the building of socio-economic development plans and development plans of the sector. 2. Silviculture techniques for natural forests: Thorough research on many different forest types has been carried out (such as on Pinus spp. forests, dry open dipterocarp forests, mangrove forests, natural deciduous forests etc.) on the ecology, forest structure, forest dynamics, and impact techniques. The scientific basis for forest rehabilitation and regeneration have been identified for forest enrichment and forest improvement, which have resulted in good yields of two- or three-fold higher. 3. Forest plantation: Land potential has been assessed in order to identify relevant uses. Extensive forest plantation techniques were developed in order to improve the yields and quality and shorten the felling cycle of trees to provide material for the paper and plywood industry, such as for Styrax tonkinensis, Manglietia spp., Pinus merkusii, Pinus massoniana, Pinus kesiya, Techtona grandis, Acacia mangium, hybrid acacia and Eucalyptus spp. etc. The expected annual yield is 25-30m3 per hectare. Forest plantation techniques for indigenous and imported trees were also developed for such trees as Pinus merkusii, Pinus mossonia, Techtona grandis, Michelia spp, Hopea spp., Erythrophloeum fordii, Aglaia silvestris, Cinnamomum spp. etc. Protection forests were planted in watershed areas or coastal areas to prevent sand storms and sea waves with such species as drought resistant eucalyptus, acacia, Melia spp., mangrove species etc. 4. Seeds and tree improvement: Research on seeds has included research on selection, species trials, provenance trials, prominent tree selection, progeny tests, cross breeding, new species trials and local imported species in different land areas and climates and also for different forest plantation aims. High value nurseries and nursery forests have been created. The scientific basis for seed supply has been improved in the whole country. Forty species have been proved to be appropriate for advanced breeding techniques and about 60% of seedlings have been improved for forest plantations. 5. Achievements in applying biotechnology: Silviculture and propagation techniques have provided high yields and quality seedlings such as Acacia mangium, Acacia hybrids and Eucalyptus Urophylla, which help to provide seedlings for the five million hectares afforestation program, especially for forest plantation for paper materials and plywood production. Propagation techniques has helped to produce casuarinas and some other species for coastal protection forest plantations. Research has also used molecular markers to create interventions into the gene to select some species such as Acacia, Eucalyptus, Chukrasia etc, and some alleles have been identified for some species which have been certified. Eucalyptus experimentation has included applying interventions into the gene which has resulted in lignin changes. Finally, there has been research on using Mycorrhiza fungi in eucalyptus and pine forest plantation; using Discussion Paper for Agriculture Sector Priorities settings Workshop – Section Forestry  6 Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium fungi for legume; and using Frankia fungi for casuarinas and Bouveria fungi to produce pesticide to fight against pine caterpillars etc. 6. Forest resources preservation: Research on natural conservation and gene preservation has been very important. A red book was issued with the list of precious and rare animal and plant species that need to be protected; Nature Reserve areas have been established nationwide. Some protected areas were established to protect precious and rare species. Plant collection areas and ex-situ conservation areas were formed in various regions of the country. 7. Forest protection: Research has focused on identifying the causes of infestation and ways of preventing pests and diseases; applying biological methods in detecting pests; producing biological finished products such as Beauverin and Bacillus, red eye bees etc; and anticipating risks of forest fires for each region and suggesting solutions . 8. Forest industry: Research has contributed in the improvement of tools and equipments for timber and forest products exploitation, loading, hauling, and transportation. Concentrated exploitation areas have been mechanized. Research has also focused on finalizing and applying exploitation, restoration and processing technologies for timber taken from planted forests. Other examples of research on this topic are: - Research on technology transfer of wood and bamboo-chipping machines, improved fuel stoves etc.; - Applying timber drying techniques to produce artificial planks; - Producing various products from salvaged wood and timber taken from planted forests; - Using timber of planted forests instead of natural forests; 9. Non-timber forest products: Research in this area has focused on promoting production and cultivation of NTFP species such as: rattan, bamboo, cinnamon, star anise, pine resin, agarwood, medicinal plants, etc. There have been studies on using stimulating agents to increase the yields of pine resin and developing processing technology on small scales to ensure close links with marketing. 10. Economy, policy, and social forestry: Research in this area has focused on developing participatory social forestry models in different ecological and economic settings in order to settle the conflicts between the demands of food security and forest protection and development. Studies have assessed the implementation of policies and have given proposals for refinement of policies in forest management and development such as forest and forestland allocation, fixed cultivation and resettlement, etc. 3.4. Contribution of research to forestry sector development Achievements in forest research have contributed significantly to development of the national economy in general and the forestry sector in particular. Most important achievement in forestry science may be referred to seed and seedling production and improvement. For the last 10-15 years, as results of the researches carried out by Vietnamese foresters have selected more than 120 new and technically advanced forest trees varieties including Acacia, Eucalyptus, Pinus of various types having high productivity and quality, high capacity to resist disadvantageous conditions. It contributes to the fact that more than 60% areas under new forest plantation are established by using new forest trees varieties. At present, foresters manage with tissue culture in combination with cutting to produce planting materials of eucalyptus, acacia and other trees. This technology is developed and can be applied in various scale of household level or industrial. The technologies have been transferred to many nurseries throughout the country. Discussion Paper for Agriculture Sector Priorities settings Workshop – Section Forestry  7 Forest research helped to identify main forest tree species commonly used in forest plantation establishment, forest land classification and land suitability for different forest tree species in various eco-zones. Forest research activities have also contributed significantly to improving seeds and planting materials quality of NTFP. The Research on seeds has included selection, species trials, provenance trials, prominent tree selection, progeny tests, cross breeding, new species trials in different land areas and climates and also for different forest plantation aims. High value nurseries and nursery forests have been created. The scientific basis for seed supply has been im