Why May Forest Devolution Not Benefit the Rural Poor? Forest Entitlements in Vietnam’s Central Highlands

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of forest devolution on the livelihoods of the rural poor. The paper analyzes changes in forest endowments and entitlements among households brought about by “forestland allocation” in two villages of Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Its results indicate that not only the nature of devolved rights but also broader political and economic processes influence the extent and distribution of benefits. Even where devolution generates benefits to local people in poor areas, local power relations and the institutions regulating access to productive resources may constrain the ability of the “poorest of the poor” to take advantage of devolution.