W anh final 28 7 mekong handbook w97

THE MEKONG UNITED COMMUNITY

GOOD PRACTICES ON INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Developed by

Funded by

The Centre for Social Research and Development (CSRD) is a local non-government organisation (NGO) based in Hue, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam which works to protect the natural environment, in particular the river systems, and to support poor and vulnerable communities, many of whom traditionally depend on the rivers for their quality of life and their livelihood.

Working at the grass roots level, in partnership with local communities in Thua Thien Hue, other provinces in the central region and across borders where necessary, CSRD provides support with information, training, advocacy services and practical assistance. CSRD aims to help people develop resilient communities that are able to adapt to the challenges presented by our changing world including climate change and industrialization.

CSRD’s approach is research based providing communities with skills to enable them to monitor their own environment. This evidence can then be used as a basis for dialogue with industry and government to instigate improvements and positive change.

CSRD is able to make a difference to people’s lives and create communities that can adjust and succeed towards a better future.

To find out more about CSRD or provide support for the projects we work on please contact us or visit our website.

Email: info@csrd.vn Website: www.csrd.vn

Preface Throughout the countries of the Mekong River sub-region there are isolated areas where people live and work that demonstrate positive relationships between the people and their interaction with the natural environment. Whilst the pursuit of the market economy and the effects of climate change have a serious impact on natural resources, it is also people’s attitude toward their environment, and the decisions they make, that influence the future survival of the natural world and its benefits. It is critical that we document and encourage good environmental practices before it is too late.

The information in this handbook documents the experiences of the people from the Mekong River countries as well as recognising the support given by government and non-government organisations (NGOs) to these communities. This information gives us an insight into how people and organisations at the local level are managing natural resources in a variety of situations.

This handbook has been developed to assist community members in the lower Mekong countries to learn from each other in managing their resources and enabling them to adapt to the changing context. The information is also of benefit to NGOs working on sustainable development and natural resource management in the region. This handbook is also essential for government officers to enable them to understand the local circumstances and to ensure that they incorporate this experience into their decision process.

CSRD gives our great thanks and acknowledges the people and organisations who have made a contribution to this handbook. In particular, those who have participated in our project ‘Linking People Engaged in Protecting the Lower Mekong Basin’ and who have provided input to the documentation process. Our special thanks to Oxfam for providing the financial support to this project.

Figure 1: Bung Binh Thien, An Giang, Vietnam

Cambodia Cases Fishery Conservation and Adapted Livelihood in Tonle Sap

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Source from http://www.seasia2015-cambodia.com/tours/

Local Practice Local people:    Figure 2: The patrols check for illegal fishing equipment such as electricity or chemicals.

 

Patrol to crackdown on illegal fishing nets and equipment.

Campaign against illegal fishing activities.

Campaign against the development companies who are exploiting natural resources, polluting the environment and damaging local resources.

Have developed fish products, restaurants, home stay and tourism guides.

Conserve fish and fish breeding stocks in fish refuge ponds

Women: 

Grow climate change adapted crops, including hanging gardens.

Community Based Organisations (CBOs): 

Advocate to the National Assembly and Senate of Cambodia against illegal mangrove forest clearance and other social issues.

Local people and monks:  Figure 3: The gardens of hanging garden beds are on a bamboo platform which is able to float when the water rises during floods.



Release fish stocks into the conservation lake.

Plant trees in the mangrove forest plantation.

Figure 4: The local people meet locally and nationally to campaign against illegal fishing and practices which deplete the resources of their river.

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About the Area Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast

many cases this makes the situation even more

Asia, covering 2,500 sq.km during the dry season, but

unsustainable because the business cares more about

expanding up to 12,000 sq.km at the peak of floods.

exploiting the fishery resources than protecting it.

This lake is a unique hydrological phenomenon resulting from its link with the Mekong River, which

Since 2007, the Fisheries Action Coalition

causes seasonal inundation of a vast floodplain around

Team (FACT) has been supportive in developing

the lake. It also has unique vegetation called inundated

CBOs in the local Tonle Sap area. Some of these have

forest.

successfully developed and maintained conservation activities benefiting the local people’s livelihoods.

Approximately two million people live in Tonle

Through strengthening capacity and empowerment,

Sap and most of these people rely completely on

the CBOs in many provinces in Cambodia are well

fishing. Over the last few decades, fishery resources

connected with each other and a Coalition of

have seriously declined due to overfishing.

Cambodian Fishers (CCF) was registered at the

Occasionally, the government allows a business

Ministry of Interior (MoI) and has become a key driver

company to own and manage areas of the lake. In

to managing resources and sustaining livelihoods.

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Donors • International donors (Forum Syd-Sida, Forum Syd-MAC, Forum Syd-Arabella, EU-NSA, EU-IAPI, GNF-BMZ, GNF-Daimler, McKnight Foundation, CEPF) Implementer • FACT – Fisheries Action Coalition Team • Ms. Loeng Rusrann. Email: l.rusrann@fact.org.kh Contact • CBO in Tonle Sap - Cambodia • Ms. Loeng Rusrann. Email: l.rusrann@fact.org.kh Figure 5: Aerial view of Tonle Sap showing the raised homes on stilts to cope with the seasonal changing water levels.

Source from http://www.seasia2015-cambodia.com/tours/

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Eco and Community-Based Tourism To Protect The Forests and Achieve a Sustainable Livelihood in Yeak Loam Lake, Yeak Loam Commune, Ban Loung District, Ratanakiri Province.

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Local Practice Local people: 

Respect the spirit of the forest because they believe that the forest can provide for them and their children.



Take care the lake and the surrounding forest and they are paid back with income and cultural pride which they can share with visitors on eco-tours.



Collect non-timber forest products (NTFP) such as latex, vegetables, natural leaves and herbs. From these they make handicrafts including baskets, musical instruments, hand-woven cloth and

Figure 6: Beautiful Yeak Loam Lake is over one hundred years old.

scarves for their own consumption and to sell to the tourists.

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About the Area Beug Yeak Loam is located in Yeak Loam Commune, Ban Loung District, approximately five kilometres south of the Ban Loung provincial town of Ranatakiri. There are five villages situated in Yeak Loam Commune.

Yeak Laom is a deep, volcanic and clear water lake surrounded by jungle, set in the middle of a mountain. In the dry season the lake is approximately 800 metres in diameter and 48 metres deep. Yeak Laom is over one hundred years old and an attractive eco-tourism site, the visitors can: 

Trek around the lake.



Swim in the clear water.



Meet the indigenous people of the area, learn about their culture and enjoy traditional dancing and music performances.



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Enjoy local products.

Contact • CBO in Yeak Laom Lake • Mr. Hean Sovann via email sovann_hean@yahoo.com

Figure 7: Yeak Laom Lake is 48 metres deep creating exceptionally clear, clean water.

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Laos Peoples Democratic Republic (PDR) Cases Sustainable Bamboo Resource Management and Value Chain Development in Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital

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Source from http://gdalaos.org/sangthong-bamboo-value-chain-producer-group/

Local Practice 

Communities cooperate well with local authorities to undertake land use planning and to obtain communal land use rights certificates.



People organise themselves to make products from bamboo in each village. Some groups specialise in making products for community and household use and handicrafts, whereas others specialise in making bamboo furniture for external markets.



Women participate in managing the groups and generate income from making bamboo products.



Children are allowed to participate in making handicrafts from bamboo.



Communities use their own knowledge and wisdom to regulate bambooharvesting activities. For example, they allow their members to cut bamboo after three years. Each person is allowed to cut 350 – 500 bamboo tubes per year or 2,000 bamboo tubes per household of four people per year.



Bamboo shoots are collected rotationally by area.



The Bamboo Trade Association (BoTA) was set up with nine community members to support connecting communities in order to trade (mainly in Thailand and China) and to share the benefits.



People secured land-use rights.



The rights of women are respected.

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About the Area Sangthong district, located along the Mekong

the Huay Hang village and around 100 people in

River, is one of the nine districts of Vientiane Prefecture.

Napor village in the district are involved in managing

There are 18,753 inhabitants of the district, living in 35

bamboo forests since they settled here in the 1990s.

villages.

These areas are under government There are 13 bamboo-producing villages in the

administration and the government provides

Sangthong district with a total of 1,791 families or

infrastructure. Since 2004, many other organisations

9,527 persons involved in bamboo production; that is

such as the Laos’ Women’s Union, Gender

roughly 50 per cent of the population. The people

Development agencies, Stichting Nederlandse

mainly immigrated from Luang Prabang province due

Vrijwilligers (SNV), Oxfam, United Nations

to the lack of natural resources and presence of

Development Programme (UNDP) have provided both

unexploded ordinances (UXOs). These people

technical and financial assistance to the villagers to

subsisted on up-land rice farming and crop cultivation

manage the bamboo resource sustainably and build up

as their main source of income. Now over 40 people of

their business based on this bamboo resource.

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Donors • Oxfam Novib, SNV, GEF UNDP • UNDP Implementer • The Association for Improving the Living Standard for Multi-ethnic People Adapted to Climate Change (AIMA) • Mr. Souvanhpheng via email sphommasane.aima@gmail.com Contact • Representative of BTA is Madame Bountom Vilay • Telephone: (856-20) 22465159

Figure 8: Sustainable bamboo forests in the Sangthong area are a valuable resource for the communities.

Source from http://gdalaos.org/sangthong-bamboo-value-chain-producer-group/

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Local Watchdog for Forest Protection in Phongsaly Province along The Nam Ou River (Branch of Mekong River)

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Source from http://www.onetikk.com/blog/2041/phongaly-laos/

Local Practice 

People keep watch in the forest for any forest violations.



People set up a violation fund with regulations and conditions concerning punishments, fines per violation and a payment scheme for the fund.



Women and children are involved in managing and watching the forest.



Land title is handed over to the community and the community has control over the resources.



People separate areas for farming and areas for conservation.

Figure 9: Nam Ou River, Phongsaly Province, Laos.

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About the Area Phongsaly is the most northern province of Lao PDR

poverty and social and cultural risks including illegal

with a total area of 16,270 sq. km and a population of

trade and drugs.

175,000. The province borders China to the north and west, Vietnam to the east, Luang Prabang Province to the south and Oudomxai Province to the southwest.

The Association for Improving the Living Standard for Multi-ethnic People Adapted to Climate Change (AIMA) established a project to assist the poor

Subsistence agriculture plays a major role in

and ethnic groups in nine villages targeting 2,700

Phongsaly mainly growing rice and maize. Many of the

people, among which 1,500 are female, to introduce the

local population are also involved in long-term crops

co–management model of forest protection. Ownership

such as rubber. Located in mountainous and the border

rights are to be handed over to the village. Conservation

areas, the province has many problems in term of

and farming areas are now separated for management.

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Donors • International donnors: Oxfam Novib, GEF-GSP-UND Implementer • The Association for Improving the Living Standard for Multi-ethnic People Adapted to Climate Change (AIMA) • Mr. Souvanhpheng. Email: sphommasane.aima@gmail.com Contact • Local watchdog groups • Contact details of local people: Madam Phaitoon Angmatsa, Head of District Lao Women Union; Telephone: (856-20) 24434975

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Conservation of Fish to Sustain Natural Resources, Improve Nutrition and Generate Income in Nonghet District, Xiengkhouang Province

Local practice 

People are aware of the importance of fish conservation.



People select deep pools along the river as the conservation areas.



People established three pool areas for conservation. The first area is used for breeding only, the second area is where people can fish only on special occasions; such as the welcome party of the important visitor to the villages, or when the village needs money to invest in a village facility or infrastructure. The third area is accessible for people to fish but only in an allocated period of the year.

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About the Area Nonghet district, Xiengkhouang Province is in the northern part of Laos, where there is less fish than in the Southern part of Laos. However, fish and other aquatic products are one of the main sources of protein in the rural areas of Laos. Due to over fishing and the use of destructive fishing tools, communities are now facing difficulties to sustain their livelihood.

In 2010, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation (HIS) commenced a project ‘Integrated in Upland Development in Nonghet (UDIN)’ which had several components. UDIN particularly focused on supporting target communities to conserve and manage their resources in a sustainable manner. So far 19 Fish Conservation Zones have been established in nine villages, with a management system also in place.

Contact • UDIN Project, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation. Email : helvetas.laos@gmail.com

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Vietnam Cases Fishing and Protecting the Resources in Bung Binh Thien Lake, An Phu District, An Giang Province

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Local Practice 

Local villagers, students, and private businesses release new fish stocks every year.



People do not fish during September each year to allow time for the fish to breed.



People and the local authority set up 18 fishery protection lots.



Community fishery associations do not allow the local people to catch fish in these breeding areas.



Community fishery association also established a protection team to monitor this area and make sure no one fishes in the restricted area.



Figure 10: Students take part in the regular fish release programme to ensure stocks in the river are maintained.

People patrol the lake throughout the year to stop electricity and destructive fishing.

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About the Area Bung Binh Thien is a large freshwater lake located in

Thien is considered a ‘freshwater fish pocket’ of An

An Phu district, An Giang Province encompassing

Giang Province as the lake is rich in freshwater fish

three communes, Khanh Binh, Nhon Hoi, and Quoc

resources, especially the migratory white fish species

Thai. As the lake is influenced by the waters of the

such as Ca Linh (Cirrhinus jullieni) whose eggs and

Mekong River through Binh Di (a tributary of the Hau

small fries are carried down from upstream Mekong

River) and the Hau River, the depth of the lake is

during the flood season. The lake is also abundant in

approximately four meters in the dry season and

other freshwater species important to local livelihoods

increases up to seven metres in the wet season. The

such as eel, snake, and turtle.

area of the lake swells up from 120 hectares in the dry season to approximately 250 hectares in the wet

The area is home to one of the major Cham

season as the lake takes in floodwater from the

ethnic groups in the Mekong Delta. Many aspects of

Bassac branch of the Mekong River.

the lifestyle of the locals, especially that of the Cham people, still reflect the traditional way of life of the

The lake is important in the life of the local

Mekong Delta’s early settlers which is highly adaptive

communities as it provides freshwater, fish protein and

to nature such as houses on stilts, fishing livelihoods,

fishing livelihoods for the local inhabitants. Bung Binh

handicraft making and a fish-based diet.

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Contact •Duong Van Nhu. Cellphone: 0918.028.072

Figure 11: The waters of the Bung Bien Thien Lake are clear and blue with high levels of biodiversity.

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Community-Based Sustainable Use of Water Resources in Thanh Phu District, Ben Tre Province

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Source from www.hoinongdan.hochiminhcity.gov.vn

Local Practice 

People understand the situation of natural



People are not allowed to cut trees from the forest

resources, the problems, different interests,

without permission from the Management

values, and concerns.

Authority.



People raise clams along the coastal area.



A Co-Management Facilitation Team of ten people

aquatic products in the Co-Management Natural

was established to coordinate the fishery

Resource Area.

management activities. 





People from other areas are not allowed to catch

People do not catch Red-Claw Crab on Red-Claw

People have started conserving clam seeds and

Crab festival days (Ngày Ba Khía hội), from 1st to

cooperate with the Border Guard Station, District

3rd of June and July in the Lunar Calendar.

Forest Protection Department to protect the area. 





People in the Co-management Natural Resource

750 people in Thanh Loc and Thanh Loi Hamlet

Area are not allowed to use illegal fishing

signed the Co-Management Natural Resource

equipment including small nets, electricity fishing

Agreement.

or chemicals.

People are not allowed to discharge polluted wastewater from intensive shrimp farms.



Two protection teams monitor and patrol the area and make sure no one violates the Comanagement Natural Resource Agreement.

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About the Area Con Cao (officially known as Thanh Loi village) and

Thanh Phu Clam cooperative with 1,200 household

Con Dai (Thanh Loc village), two coastal villages of

members.

Thanh Phong Commune, used to be a coastal sand dune islet separated from the coast by a deep swamp.

In Con Cao, as the swamp became shallow

Over time, the swamp has been filled with sediment

enough, the Forest Management Board (FMB) planted

deposits so that Con Cao is now fully connected to the

Rhizohphora Apiculata forest. After that villagers came

mainland.

to claim the land and the FMB brought seedlings to replant the forest. The forest has been contracted out

Con Dai village (Thanh Loc Village) was established in 1989 and there are 54 households in the village.This sand dune is located behind two other dunes from the sea.

The coastal forest belt in this area is about 700 metres thick, classified as Protection Forest and is managed by the Forest Management Board of Ben Tre. The coastal sand flat interfacing with the sea outside of the forest belt is being managed by the 25

Figure 12: Local people use a ferry for transport across the lake.

to households for protection with an annual payment of



200,000 VND/ha under the Program 661.

The key issues people faced before

Pollution from intensive shrimp aquaculture on sand dunes.



Failure of clam crops.



Destructive fishing practices.

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) came included:

In 2013, IUCN arrived and supported the local people to set up fishery cooperatives to manage the fishery



The forest had become less bio-diverse and

area (clam) and support the conservation activities.

provided a low livelihood and the overall value of forest became low.

Donors • IUCN Implementer • Co-Management Facilitation Team • Consulted local community and other stakeholders including local government to establish Co-Management Natural Resource Agreement (CNRA).

Contact • Contact details: Duong Thanh Thoai. Email: thoaiduong1978@gmail.com • Telephone: 0918647773 26

Livelihood and Conservation in Tram Chim National Park, Dong Thap Province, Viet Nam

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Source from https://umvietnamstudy.wordpress.com/category/vietnam-2012/

Local Practice 

People share the benefits from Tram Chim National Park (TCNP).



People use environmentally friendly fishing equipment.



Fishing and harvesting grass is only allowed from 6 a.m to 6 pm per day.



People are allowed to fish in only four months, between Figure 13: Authorised local people are allowed to collect wood from the park for cooking.

August and December, annually. 

A monitoring group includes members from the district and communes located in and around the Tram Chim National Park.



People pay a fee for resource use of 100,000VND per month. The fee is used to finance the monitoring teams.



Penalties have been established and apply if local people act illegally or violate the contract.

Figure 14: Local people harvest water lilies as food for their families.

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About the Area Tram Chim National Park (TCNP), managed

from the natural resources are; the poor or relatively

by Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, has a

poor households, people who work hard or households

total area of 7.313 hectares, of which two hectares is

that have extra human resources.

forest, 500 hectares is dykes and most of the remaining area is grassland. The water surface area

The process of selecting the households is as

cannot be calculated as it depends on the season. In

follows; households are selected by local people, the

the flood season the land is almost completely

list is then confirmed by the Commune People's

submerged, in the dry season the water level is in the

Committee. Finally, the list of selected households is

channels and ponds only.

certified by the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs at the district level.

From 2006 to present, the TCNP have shared resource utilisation benefits with the communities

TCNP's Management Board makes contract with each

around national parks annually. The households that

group annually.

were selected to participate in sharing the benefits

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Contact • Mr. Nguyen Hoang Minh Hai via email: haivqg07@gmail.com Figure 15: The wetlands of the Tran Chim National Park are home to many species of birds.

Source from https://umvietnamstudy.wordpress.com/category/vietnam-2012/

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 Cambodia Cases  

Fishery Conservation and Adapted Livelihood in Tonle Sap Eco and Community-Based Tourism To Protect The Forests and Achieve a Sustainable Livelihood in Yeak Loam Lake, Yeak Loam Commune, Ban Loung District, Ratanakiri Province.

 Laos Peoples Democratic Republic (PDR) Cases   

Sustainable Bamboo Resource Management and Value Chain Development in Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital Local Watchdog for Forest Protection in Phongsaly Province along The Nam Ou River (Branch of Mekong River) Conservation of Fish to Sustain Natural Resources, Improve Nutrition and Generate Income in Nonghet District, Xiengkhouang Province

 Vietnam Cases   

Fishing and Protecting the Resources in Bung Binh Thien Lake, An Phu District, An Giang Province Community-Based Sustainable Use of Water Resources in Thanh Phu District, Ben Tre Province Livelihood and Conservation in Tram Chim National Park, Dong Thap Province.

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The Centre for Research and Development (CSRD) has prepared this handbook from workshops and documenting experiences of the people from the Mekong River countries. This handbook will assist community members in the lower Mekong countries to learn from each other in managing their resources and enabling them to adapt to the changing context. The information is also of benefit to NGOs working on sustainable development and natural resource management in the region. This handbook is also essential for government officers to enable them to understand the local circumstances and to ensure that they incorporate this experience into their decision process.

This handbook has been written in three languages: Vietnamese, Khmer and Lao. A full-text English version is also available in hard copy as well as a soft copy from our website, www.csrd.vn or by contacting us at info@csrd.vn.

THE MEKONG UNITED COMMUNITY

www.csrd.vn

Centre For Social Research and Development (CSRD) 2/33 Nguyen Truong To, Hue City Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam Tel/Fax (+84) 543837714 Email: info@csrd.vn

“Creating Resilient Communities” Hue, Vietnam 2015