In Viet Nam, the REDD-ALERT project is working in Bac Kan (North Vietnam) and Dac Lak and Dac Nong (Central highland).

Dac Lak and Dac Nong sites
Dac Lak and Dac Nong provinces locate in Central Highlands of Vietnam. The Dac Lak is a biggest province in the Central Highlands, with total land area of about 1,300,000 hectare. Dac Lak has one City and 12 districts and a total population of over 1,700,000 habitants. Dac Nong is a smallest province, with total land area of 651,438 hectare. The province has 8 dictricts and a population of about 500,000 habitants. There is a number of ethnic minority groups and E De and M nong are dominant groups among others.

As the provinces locate in Central Highland, the topography dominates rather flat terrain which covers more than 50 per cent of total area. The climate regime of the area is rather temperate. Annual average temperature ranges from 22 to 240C and average rainfall is from 1,800 to 2,000 mm. There are two distinct seasons in a year that are rainy and dry season. Rainy season starts from May to October and dry season starts from November to April next year.

With the favorable climate and soil conditions, the provinces are famous for coffee, rubber and pepper and that are the main crops for export. These crops are the main source of province’s economy which is estimated at about 60 per cent of province’s GDP. However, as fast economic development based on these crops, this is causing a great pressure on forest areas, particularly natural forests. The forested area as of 2009 is about 630,000 ha for the Dac Lak and 324,000 ha for Dac Nong. Over the period of 2003 – 2008, about 4 per cent of natural forests in Dac Lak was loss and that was 14 per cent for Dac Nong.

Bac Kan site

Bac Kan is a mountainous province and locates in Northeast of Vietnam. A total land area is 485,700 ha, in which more than 75 percent is hilly and mountainous areas. Bac Kan has 7 districts and one town. Total population is about 300,000 habitants which is dominated by 7 ethnic minority groups.

The area is prevailed by tropical moon soon climate regime. The average annual temperature is from 20 – 22OC. There are four seasons in a year, particularly cold winter with average temperature of 10 – 12OC. The mean annual rainfall is from 1,700 – 2,000 mm and rainfall concentrates in June to September.

The production of the Bac Kan is mainly based on mineral exploitation and processing, agriculture and forestry. As its location and topographical condition, more than 60 per cent of the land area is designated for forestry. Bac Kan is also a province having the largest area of forest in Northeast region of Vietnam and is considered a area with rich forest resources and biodiversity of the region. As traditional cultivation culture of ethnic group and high poverty, the forest is in high degradation although forest cover is about 55 per cent.