Background
The Central Annamites is a highly biodiverse region and home to the largest natural forest area in continental Asia, harbouring some of the world's most threatened and least-known mammal species and providing ecosystem services to over 20 million people. It is a key subsistence hub for local communities and smallholder producers, but also a major deforestation front in the Asia region, with its evergreen and subtropical forests at risk from illegal logging, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development and unsustainable plantation expansion. WWF's approach in the landscape builds on more than 20 years of responsible forest management¹ experience in Viet Nam, including FSC-certification support, capacity building for evolving compliance and regulatory standards (such as the EU Deforestation Regulation, EUDR), and partnerships between forest owners and the private sector.
Scope of Work
The project has two main areas of work:
Developing and implementing a scalable sustainable financing strategy for responsible timber sourcing and restoration in the landscape, aiming to deliver the first integrated landscape finance plan for the Central Annamites, support two green finance applications from forest enterprises and cooperatives, and secure agreement with at least one financial institution.
Training and capacity building for forest enterprises, cooperatives, furniture producers and forest owners to achieve FSC (or equivalent) certification and regulatory compliance (including EUDR), while strengthening links to buyers.
Together, these activities target 5,000 hectares of forest brought under responsible management or restoration by June 2029, across sites to be confirmed with partners within the wider landscape, with WWF Viet Nam leading delivery and monitoring.
¹ Responsible forest management is the practice of planning, using, and conserving, forest resources in a way that maintains their ecological integrity, economic viability, and social benefits over the long term. It balances the harvesting of timber and other forest products with the protection of biodiversity, soil health, water systems, and climate functions, while respecting the rights and livelihoods of local communities and Indigenous Peoples. Responsible forest management prevents deforestation, illegal logging, and the conversion of natural forests and other natural ecosystems, safeguards high conservation value areas, promotes sustainable yields and reduces forest degradation. It supports climate change mitigation and adaptation by enhancing forest resilience, maintaining and increasing carbon sequestration and storage, and contributing to sustainable forest value chains. Through transparent monitoring, continuous improvement, and, where appropriate, independent verification forests remain resilient, productive, and beneficial for present and future generations.