Great room from the forests
Dien Bien has more than 434,600ha of forest, with a forest cover rate of 45.52%, of which more than 427,700ha is natural forest. About 326,000ha of poor and depleted forest is both a challenge and opens up recovery space, increasing carbon absorption capacity.
According to experts, Dien Bien has advantages in two directions of forest carbon credit development: REDD+ and AFP. In which, REDD+ focuses on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, suitable for localities with large natural forest areas.
Meanwhile, AFP - combined agroforestry and scattered crop cultivation - can be linked to agricultural development orientation. Expanding macadamia and coffee growing areas, if organized appropriately, will not only create commodity products but also contribute to increasing carbon absorption capacity.
Cao Bang has more than 521,000 hectares of forest land, with a forest cover rate of 54.06%, and is looking for ways to exploit carbon credits to increase the value of forest resources.
Many northern mountainous provinces currently have similar advantages, opening up regional linkage opportunities, creating more resources for forest protection and green economic development.
Reality in Vietnam shows that revenue from carbon is no longer just based on theory. In 2023, Vietnam for the first time successfully sold 10.3 million forest carbon credits through the World Bank at a price of 5 USD/ton, earning 51.5 million USD, equivalent to about 1,200 billion VND.
From potential to revenue
Carbon is not only created from forests. The model in Hop Thanh commune, Thai Nguyen shows that agricultural production can also participate in the process of reducing emissions and forming carbon credits.
In the spring crop of 2025, the wet-dry intercropping smart rice cultivation model was implemented on 12ha with 104 participating households. Yield reached 6.79 tons/ha, 0.89 tons/ha higher than the control field. This method helps reduce 30-40% of costs of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water; profit reached 65.7 million VND/ha, 56% higher than the traditional method.
Notably, the model is certified with a greenhouse gas emission reduction report with a total reduction of 44.51 tons of carbon, equivalent to an economic value of nearly 17.4 million VND.
The above results show that emission reduction can go hand in hand with production efficiency.
In Dien Bien, the province is preparing to build a project on the carbon economy. Mr. Le Xuan Canh - Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment - informed that the locality will comprehensively assess the potential and ability to increase carbon absorption, and at the same time build a carbon potential map of the whole province. On that basis, the province will identify a list of projects with the potential to build and develop carbon credits.
This is an important step because to participate in the market, localities must prove the amount of carbon actually absorbed or the amount of emissions reduced. Data systems on forest status, reserves, biomass and carbon; remote sensing technology, GIS, inventory data and monitoring of forest developments will be the basis for measuring, monitoring and ensuring transparency.
Another issue of decisive significance is the mechanism for dividing benefits. When carbon credits become a source of income, benefits need to be harmoniously distributed between the State, forest owners, communities, people and investors. In which, those who directly protect and develop forests must enjoy corresponding benefits.
With more than 434,600ha of forest in Dien Bien, more than 521,000ha of forestry land in Cao Bang and emission reduction models in agriculture such as in Thai Nguyen, the carbon market is showing room to expand from natural forests, planted forests to agricultural production.
The road from "carbon potential" to "negotiable credits" still has many steps, but if the problem of data, projects, resources and benefit sharing is solved, carbon can become an important part of the forest economy and green agriculture.
At that time, highland forests are not only recognized through area or reserves, but also through the amount of carbon stored - a new value that can contribute to protecting forests, creating livelihoods and promoting green growth.
