Stakeholder preferences over rewards for ecosystem services: implications for a REDD+ benefit distribution system in Viet Nam

To maximize participation and impact, the design of benefit distribution systems (BDS) for forest conservation programs applying Payments for Environmental Services (PES) schemes should reflect the preferences and contexts of forest stakeholders. The objective of this paper is to analyse through the ‘theory of access’ lens the perceptions and preferences of stakeholders over the type, timing and distribution of benefits, and whether such preferences are affected by a stakeholder’s land tenure status. Six villages in Bac Kan province, Viet Nam, were selected for their tenure status over production, protection and special-use forest land. Forest stakeholder preferences were elicited through a modified ‘REDD+ Game’. Village stakeholders’ stated preferences over PES benefits were first for cash for inputs for public infrastructure, followed by land-use rights certificates (LURCs) for forest land. Future research should assess the feasibility of including LURCs as a future PES benefit option in Viet Nam, particularly for REDD+.