Factors influencing farmers' forestland-use changes over 15 years (2005–2020) in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam

Abstract

Over the last decades, Vietnam has seen substantial shifts in forest landscape uses and associated livelihoods. We document the livelihood transformations in Nam Dong, a mountainous district of Central Vietnam, where land uses have changed from the utilisation of products from natural forests and shifting cultivation (swidden agriculture) to acacia tree-dominated plantation forestry. Forestry policies (forestland allocation, plantation development agendas), the increase in the economic value of acacia, and household livelihood assets are the primary factors driving these changes. We also found that there are differences in the access to and ownership of forestland with regard to households of different communities and between poor vs wealthy households. Therefore, careful attention needs to be paid to guide future land use policies in the area to foster social and ecological sustainability.