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In Vietnam, as in many developing countries, there is an emerging interest in knowing
to what extent and in what ways poverty alleviation can be achieved through use of
forest resources, and to what extent poverty alleviation and maintenance or expansion
of forest cover are compatible goals. This report seeks to summarize knowledge on this
topic that can be obtained from the secondary literature. The methodological challenge
is large because there exists a substantial literature on poverty alleviation in Vietnam,
and separately a large literature on forestry, but there is little integration between the
two. This review of the literature poses questions on: (1) the usefulness of forest
resources in past poverty alleviation; (2) the usefulness of forest resources for future
poverty alleviation; and (3) the degree of compatibility between poverty alleviation and
plans for massive reforestation. The answers we provide to these questions are broad
and lack precision, yet they serve as a crucial point of departure for addressing the
linked issues of poverty alleviation and improved forest management. The review: (1)
proposes additional research to fi ll the information void; (2) encourages the
comparative method in this follow-up research; and (3) urges greater collaboration
among government agencies responsible for poverty alleviation and forest
management. A list of priority research questions is proposed.