The projects involved the reforestation or rehabilitation and sustainable management of state-owned areas of forest with commercial tree species in two northern Vietnamese (Nghe An, Tanh Hoa – KfW4) and four central Vietnamese provinces (Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Quang Nam, Quang Nga – KfW6). The overarching goal of both projects was to protect natural resources from erosion and degradation and to improve living conditions. For the management of the forest areas, the Vietnamese government transferred long-term land usage titles (red books) to families of smallholders and village communities (only KfW6). The beneficiaries were actively involved in land usage planning and all other major stages of implementation. Plants and fertilisers were provided free of charge and the beneficiaries received periodic compensation payments for their planting and cultivation work; these payments were deposited into specially created savings accounts (“savings book model”).