Assessment of Fire Wood and Cook Stove Use in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces

The Government of Vietnam has received assistance from the United States Agency for International Development for the Vietnam Forests and Deltas Project. The Project aims to help accelerate Vietnam’s transition to climate-resilient, low-emission sustainable development in selected provinces and urban areas. The principal executing agency, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), has designated the Management Board for Forestry Projects (MBFP) to manage project implementation.  A partnership of organizations including SNV Vietnam, American Red Cross and Sustainable Rural Development (SRD), led by Winrock International, are responsible for coordinating technical assistance to enhance planning practices for resilient communities in respect of short- and long-term climate risk as well as to promote climate-smart planning for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 
Woody biomass from forest is a renewable, low-carbon feedstock that can substitute for fossil fuels in the production of energy and other products, a potentially important tool in the national strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, during recent surveys on Improved Cook stoves, it is realized that firewood is the main cooking energy source in most of rural areas. This continuous dependence of the rural population entirely on firewood may results in forest loss and degradation of the local forest ecosystem. Thus, VFD is planning to conduct a survey aiming to assess current situation and future trends of firewood consumption and exploitation , as well as to identify what are the key factors toward this deforestation in these areas.