Scaling Up Payments for Forest Environmental Services in Viet Nam

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported the provincial authorities of Quang Nam in Viet Nam to scale up the implementation of payments for forest environmental services (PFES) through a technical assistance financed by the Governments of Sweden and Norway. The project pilot-tested two innovations---the group approach and the use of a geographic information system---to speed up PFES planning and implementation in the province. Starting with five villages in Ma Cooih commune, the initiative expanded to include two more communes in the Song Bung 4 watershed. This publication shares lessons and insights gained from this experience, and with it ADB intends to contribute to developing a robust, affordable, and sustainable process of planning and implementing PFES at the provincial level, thereby helping accelerate its implementation.