Institutions and Performance of Community Forest Management : Multi-criteria Analysis Framework in a Case of Forest Management in Central Vietnam( Multipurpose Forest Management)

In the last decades, to cope with the reduction of forest resources and covers, models of community forest management have been considered to apply as a potential system in mountainous areas in Vietnam. There have been many trial models that were applied and are requiring an analysis of the real effects. This article aims at exploring features of the community forest management in terms of forest resources and benefit mechanisms, institutional arrangements and compromises of local people, and clarifying the community's response to this forest management model in Central Vietnam. By applied the multi-criteria analysis approach for the multi-use framework of community forest management, this research revealed that the flexible application in developing benefit sharing regimes based on the forest reserve and stable forest models has been applied as the initiative to give chances of getting benefits from forest resources to local people. Institutional structures as well as roles and responsibilities have also been developed and agreed significantly at the local communities. However, since the allocated forest is low reserves and quality, and inconsiderable capacity of products as to current needs of communities, the participation of those poor communities is still limited. Additionally, lack of detailed planning and orientation after forest allocation has restricted the realization of benefits from forest as well as communities' independence and self-management. Therefore, to solve the realization of benefits that helps to motivate the participation of local people in forest management, it is necessary to consider carefully and use flexibly the integrated analysis framework and solutions. Especially, the attention should be paid to establishment funds for forest protection and development activities within the first five years after forest allocated. At the same time, providing guideline documents and assistance for treating cases violated as well as applying simple sylviculture techniques are also needed.