The role and significance of village and community forest in ethnic minority communities in Vietnam

In the long historical development of Vietnam, the village, which is referred to in different ethnic minority languages as làng, bản, thôn, buôn, bon, phum, sóc, ấp has become a forest owner, and has obtained a very important role in forest management and protection. The village within an ethnic minority group manages forests collectively on the basis of its community customs, religion, social arrangement for livelihoods and forest protection. The aforementioned traditional cultural values of ethnic groups have been recognized and respected by many regimes. The following parts provide concrete evidence from various ecological areas in Vietnam. In reality, village communities in ethnic minority groups have an important role in the management and protection of forests according to their customary laws.