tailieunhanh - ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS CREATED BY THE VLRC INDUSTRIAL RUBBER PLANTATION AND PROPOSED ENVIROMENTAL AND SOCIAL PLANS

Swidden cultivation was a major activity for local livelihoods until 1992–1993, when most of the households were resettled as part of the government’s fixed cultivation program. Called ‘327 Program’ (1992–1997), it was the first effort of the GoV to develop industrial plantations and to decentralize control over and reallocate benefit-sharing of forest resources in Vietnam (Barney 2005), in line with the ‘Doi Moi’ economic reform (which, with six major economic changes, helped Vietnam come out of the economic crisis in 1986). Since then most of the Khe Tran people have concentrated more on their new agriculture and plantation land. | 1 Earth Systems Lao Industrial Rubber Plantation of the Viet-Lao Rubber Company Bachiang District Champasack Province Assessment of the Environmental and Social Impacts created by the VLRC Industrial Rubber Plantation and Proposed Environmental and Social Plans Final Report 6 May 2007 Prepared by Francois Obein For Agence Francaise de Développement 2 3 Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 Introduction 6 Part A - Background and Legislative Framework 6 1. Brief description 6 2. Political background 6 3. Authorisation and Licence Agreement 7 4. Pre-feasibility study 8 5. Feasibility study 9 6. Contribution to the economic development of Champasack Province 9 7. Lao Policy Legal and Administrative Framework 10 Environmental Protection Law 10 Forestry Law 10 Land Law and land titling legislation 10 PM Decree 192 7 July 05 on the Compensation and Resettlement of Development Project 10 Labour Law 11 Decree 207 PM on Social security system for enterprise employees 12 Convention on climate change 12 Convention on the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage 13 Other international conventions 13 8. Enforcement and implementation of the laws relative to the Project 13 Environmental Protection Law 13 Compliance with PM Decree 192 13 Labour law and social security Decree 14 Part B - Project Description 15 1. Project location 15 2. Land use in the plantation areas 16 3. Population 16 4. Development of the Plan tations 16 Part C - Impacts 18 1. Environmental Impacts 18 Wildlife 18 Erosion and sedimentation 19 Chemicals 20 Waste Management 21 2. Social Impacts 21 Methodology 21 Loss of land and access to land 22 Loss of source of revenues direct and indirect 24 Resettlement of Ban Thongchanh 24 Influx of workforce external to the area 24 Monetary compensation provided by VLRC and associat ed problems .