Ca Mau rolls out forest environmental services payment policy

Ca Mau province has approved a plan to introduce payments for forest environmental services, aiming to build a stable source of funding outside the state budget while drawing in social resources and improving benefits for people who directly protect forests.

The decision was signed by provincial Vice Chairman Lê Văn Sử on Sept. 7, according to the Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee Office. It applies to forest areas that qualify to provide environmental services under Vietnamese law.

The plan identifies service users as clean-water production and supply facilities, industrial producers that use water, organizations and individuals operating ecotourism, resort and recreation services, and aquaculture facilities that use environmental functions supplied by forest ecosystems. It also covers organizations and individuals whose production or business activities emit greenhouse gases and fall under payment obligations, as well as users of forests' carbon absorption and storage services and other legally defined users.

Providers include forest owners, households, individuals and communities contracted to protect and develop forests on behalf of state-established organizations, commune-level people's committees and other entities assigned forest-management responsibilities by the state.

Payments can be made directly between users and providers under a contract, or indirectly through the Ca Mau Forest Protection and Development Fund. The fund will also receive payments from organizations and companies that included forest environmental service costs in the production prices of clean water in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The plan calls for accurate identification of users and providers, the forest areas supplying services, converted forest areas and related coefficients used to calculate payments. Revenues must be collected, managed and distributed transparently, to the correct recipients and for the correct purposes, with priority given to people directly involved in forest management, protection and development. Payments must not duplicate state-budget support or other funding for the same work and period. The Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Environment will lead implementation, while the provincial fund will verify data and prepare annual collection and spending plans.