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SPIEEP: End of Project Report3.3 ConclusionsThe objectives of the environmental education/awareness raising component (see section3.1.2) have been realised. The new environmental education curriculum has been writtenin conjunction with both the Department of Education and Training (DET), Sa Pa, anddistrict primary school teachers; and positively assessed by the provincial DET and theMinistry of Education and Training, Hanoi. This curriculum is currently being taught toall five classes at primary school level throughout Sa Pa district and initial results areencouraging. The primary school teaching is complemented through the production of anadult environmental education literacy manual, teaching of which is starting early 2003.Other environmental awareness activities are still to be effectively assessed though theenthusiasm of both the Youth Association and Women’s Union members to undertakesuch activities is also encouraging.The overall objective of the medicinal plants component was ‘to train farmers with skillsand provide knowledge about alternative methods of income generation which do not relyon extracting forest resources.’ In this the project was successful, if only in the cultivationof medicinal plants. Moreover, the project was designed to be, and has become,sustainable in a short period of time for farmers wishing to continue growing medicinalplants. By being provided with stockplants, fertiliser and training at no cost farmers canonly benefit. As many (first year) crops are relatively easy to propagate and cultivate itwas possible for farmers to dedicate more land for medicinal plants in the second yearand so, potentially, increase their profit margin. With an increase in income it is hopedthat farmers will be less likely to go to the forest ad hoc to collect medicinal plants for themarket. Hopefully, therefore, pressure on wild populations of medicinal plants will bealleviated. The current project is too short, however, to accurately assess the effect ofdomestic cultivation of medicinal plants on their wild populations. The production of a‘Growers Guide to Select Medicinal Plants of Sa Pa, Lao Cai’ will, hopefully, encourageother farmers in the district to undertake medicinal plant cultivation and thus provideanother mechanism for pressure alleviation for wild medicinal plants.Frontier Vietnam Environment Research Report 23 30