In the Central Highlands, forest and human are in extremely close connection. “I have traveled a lot. Wherever I have been in the Central Highlands, I see that people cannot live without forest. For the sustainable development of the Central Highlands, it must not separate people from forest…” – said Prof. To Ngoc Van, Head of Vietnam Folk Music Association at the seminar on “Culture and Sustainable Development in the Central Highlands” held in 2014.

This connection can be clearly seen in Ho Moong commune, Sa Thay district, Kon Tum province where 180 households of Ro Ngao ethnic minority group are living.

To protect and maintain such inherent link between human and nature, local people and functional agencies, under the facilitation of the Consultancy for Development Institute (CODE), have “sit down together” for the first time with the purpose of saving forests in the Central Highlands. The initiative and implementation start with regeneration of 2.5 ha of sacred forest areas for the Ro Ngao community in Ka Bei village, Ho Moong commune.

A “modest” number in the context of the Central Highlands
 
Though the number of 2.5 ha of forest to be regenerated in 2015 is quite humble, it is “potential” for further preservation of the whole picture of nature and people in the Central Highlands.
 
The Central Highlands, which is also known as “Roof of Indochina”, never utilizes any water source from outside but just inside the great Truong Son Mountains running to the surrounding areas that simultaneously have sunshine at one side and rain at the other side of the mountains.

The Central Highlands is also famous for Gongs culture, which is recognized by UNESCO as Human’s Intangible Culture Heritage; for national heroes; for masterpieces such as novel “Xa Nu Forest” of famous writer Nguyen Trung Thanh or “Love song of the Central Highlands” of great composer Hoang Van, and many more.   

Furthermore, the Central Highlands is also well-known for other mysteries, such as culture of “eating with forest” reflecting the unique and human interaction between human and nature; sacred forests that play important role in preserving ecological environment and spiritual space of the Ro Ngao ethnic group as well.   

The Central Highlands, however, has long become “a heated spot for forest degradation”. 

During the Vietnam War against American invaders, over 27% of rich forest areas in South Vietnam that had been fully damaged by Agent Orange belong to the east and west of the Truong Son Mountains (i.e. the Central Highlands). The question is: “Is the Central Highlands green any more”.

“Small” initiative from the community

Forest degradation has resulted in water depletion threatening livelihood of people living in the Central Highlands region. Therefore, people need forest more than ever. At the meeting of April 13, 2015 in Ka Bei village, Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, who has been working on forest-related issues in the Central Highlands for over 30 years at the Kon Tum Union of Science & Technology Associations, shared: “At the moment, the underground water source has depleted. Wells are empty. Coffee plantations die. Hence, the local people now are well aware that it is high time to protect the remaining poor watershed forests as “Water Drops” in the Ka Bei village, Ho Moong commune”.   

Being ware of the importance of forest planting and regeneration, Mr. Nguyen Van Niem, Chairman of Ho Moong Communal People’s Committee (CPC) said “We never plant Keo (acacia), the species of high commercial value, because after 7 – 8 years we have to cut them down which we cannot protect our water source. That is the reason why we must protect our forest, too.  

This perception is extremely important in the context when individuals and communities nation-wide still haven’t got land rights and suffer shortage of land, especially production land in many localities, among which Ho Moong commune is an example. So far, only 900 ha of production land have been allocated to the commune of 800 households for reclamation – said by the chairman of Ho Moong CPC.

This very “enlightenment” inspires the initiative of allocating forest to community given the situation that the forests in the Central Highlands have been dramatically destroyed, sharply decreased to 1.8 million ha from almost 4 million ha with the forest coverage of 32.4%..    

Recent surveys show that the Central Highlands has lost 25,737 ha annually over the past five years, namely: 216,000 ha of forest has been transformed into forestry land (mainly for rubber plantation) under 700 projects; 65,239 ha of different types of land have been encroached by 163 of 287 hydro-power plants of small and medium scale, 16,600 ha of which are forestland, etc.
 
The initiative of allocating forest to the community reminds us of an interesting comparison made by Dr. Vu Ngoc Hoang, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Standing Committee by saying: “In the suburbs of Russia, paintings depicting forests and villages accounts for 70%, while 10% drawing beautiful women and the other 20% of the paintings on different topics. It proves that forests and villages most strongly inspire people… For the sustainable development in the Central Highlands, village culture must be built and preserved…. “Village” in its true meaning must include spiritual natural surrounding environment and spirit of the village.”

The writer Nguyen Ngoc, who has attached his whole life with the forest wrote: “For the people living in the Central Highlands, forest is not only the natural resource and the living environment, but also the Spirit,,,” (Workshop on “Culture and sustainable development in the Central Highlands in 2015).     
 
Initiative nurtured by forest lovers

Apparently, the concepts of “Village”, “Cultural space with forest” and “Sacred forest” of Prof. Vu Ngoc Hoang and writer Nguyen Ngoc are similar to the philosophy of CODE – the organization that works towards the community forest of the ethnic minority people.

With the initial achievement gained from model of Ka Bei village, Ho Moong commune, CODE has replicated the initiative of “allocating forest to community” to the entire Central Highlands. Accordingly, 55.37 ha of forest have been allocated to additional three communities: Đăk Wơk, Đăk Yo and Kơ Tu villages in Ho Moong commune...

In the first steps of the process to regenerate 2.5 ha of sacred forests in Ka Bei village by “sitting down together” by the villagers, local officials at different levels, enterprises based in the locality and experts from CODE, the concept of “forest co-governance” has been concretized and realized. It means that the enterprises and villagers agree to co-protect the forest for the mutual benefit under the support of the local authorities as well as functional agencies including Forest Protection sector and Union of Science and Technology Associations.    

Being excited with the “small but big” initiative and implementation of CODE for the interests of forests and people in the Central Highlands, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son, Vice head of Kon Tum Provincial Party Office said: “We would like to thank CODE for its hard working toward Ka Bei and Violak village. If these models are further replicated, forests will stay green forever.” (Meeting in Kon Plong district on April 16, 2015)

Though the Central Highlands is still the poor region, its soul will stay rich and beautiful forever. It is the place where love of forest and people converges as expressed in the following poem:
 
“If you once visit the Central Highlands
You will never forget it through your life”
 
TRAN VAN VIET
Central Economic Committee