Ha Giang (VNA) - Thousands ofhouseholds in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang have committed touse and protect parcels of forest near their homes, receiving monthlyenvironmental payments that help them to improve their livelihoods, the Nong ThonNgay Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper reported.

Lu Xin Cai, a resident of Quang Tien Hamlet, HoangSu Phi district, said that his household has been assigned over 2ha of forestand is allowed to go into the forest to exploit extra products in the forest.

Thanks to the payment for forest environmentalservices, his family could buy a TV, motorbike and animals to raise.

Lu Van Thanh, head of Ma Lu Sung hamlet of BanNhung commune, said that the hamlet has a common rule for forest protectionbanning locals from chopping down trees.

"Residents must ask for local authorities’permission if they want to cut trees for woods to build houses. Otherwise,violators will be penalised or reported to authorities," Thanh said.

Organisations such as the elderly association,association of war veterans and youth unions also receive the payments and haveestablished a fund giving loans at low interest rates or zero percent rate.

The fund set up by Ta Nhiu commune of Xin Man districtis now worth dozens of billions of VND.

Lo Thi May, a villager of Ta Nhiu commune, said “In2015, my family borrowed 10 million VND (440 USd) from the fund and boughtblack pigs. One year later, we had enough money to pay for the loans. Now Ihave 12 pigs worth dozens of millions of VND.”

Quite a few other locals who received loans areenjoying a better life along with increased awareness of environmentalprotection.

The fund has been used to improve localfacilities and help move houses prone to landslides and floods out of riskyareas.

In Na Quang hamlet, Quan Ba district, the localscollected 80 million VND (3,500 USD) of payment to make a new road.

Cao Dao Quang, director of management board of TayCon Linh special purpose forest, said that the payments for forestenvironmental services have big impacts on local awareness. The residents nolonger damage the forest in order to farm.-VNA