The people: Interview with A'Viet Bu, villager

"The boundaries of the reserve should be changed so people can continue to farm."

Have you always lived in this village?
During the war I lived near the border with Lao PDR but after the war ended, when I was nine years old, my family moved here, so I have lived here 30 years.

What did you think of the 3-D model of this area that you helped make?
It was very interesting. This is our land. It is also good that the government and the people are able to collaborate to protect the forest. Everyone is happy about this.

I was able to identify my land and this was a good opportunity to work with the nature reserve and clarify where everyone's land is, and where the boundaries are. It was good to discuss it with everyone.

Is there disagreement over the reserve's boundary?
Because the soil on the flatlands inside the reserve is very good, people have moved there to plant rice. This land has always been cultivated but people move around and sometimes the land lies fallow. The boundaries should be changed so people can continue to farm.

Do you use the forests?
I collect wood for fuel. I also gather vegetables and collect things to eat from the forest like wild honey. But I never log. I put traps around our rice fields to prevent the wild pigs from getting into them but I never set traps in the forest. I make my living growing rice, corn, and cassava and by raising pigs, cows and chickens.

What are the greatest threats facing the forest?
Logging is probably the greatest threat. Also, some people burn the forest to clear land so that they can cultivate it. These activities threaten the forest. But local people aren’t logging. People come from outside to log.

What changes have you seen in the forests over the last 30 years?
Certainly, there have been lots of changes. For one thing, there are more and more people and because the population keeps increasing, many people from other provinces are coming here to log and conduct business.

Tell me about your family.
I have three children and a wife of course. All my children go to the local school here. I want to protect the forest for them so they have the forest in the future.

So far, how do you like working with WWF?
I liked it. Everyone was very open and friendly. And I think the work will really benefit the local people here.

What do you want to see happen next?
I want to see the village protection teams formed. Many people would like to be on the team, including me. Eventually, I would like the reserve to become a national park.

[Since the interview took place, the village protection teams have been formed with the assistance of WWF. Find out more here. PDF: 355 KB]