The Research Centre for Forest Ecology and Environment (RCFEE) is an independent research organization within the Forest Science Institute of Vietnam (FSIV). It was established in 1990 by Decision 520/TCLD issued by Ministry of Forestry (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) to address the need of creating and transforming scientific research into ecological and economical sound solutions for forest conservation and development, as well as environmental protection. The Institute’s research encompasses a wide range of activities, from tree improvement using biotechnology, to community forest protection by promotion of indigenous knowledge. RCFEE brings together more than 30 researchers and state-of-the-art facilities. It operates through specialist, and often multi-disciplinary research groups, which have diverse interests, but are united by a common desire to make an optimal use of the forest resources for economic development while keeping it sustainable for our next generations. RCFEE’s strategic research and development program focuses on three major themes: (a) Sustainable use of forest and forest land, (b) Forest ecology and physiology, and (c) Forest environment modelling, prediction and assessment. These themes reflect major trends in Vietnam’s forest industry, such as high demand on plantation products, increase of public interest on forest protection and conservation, and protection and improvement of environment in the forestry sector.

Within REDD-ALERT, RCFEE will contribute cross-cutting forestry and environmental economics expertise, with particular focus on the socio-economic drivers of forest conversion and analysis of changes in carbon stocks in Vietnam. They will also assist with eliciting stakeholder views of international climate policy options and testing the negotiation support tools.

Visit the RCFEE website.