1. Full name: Tran Thi Thu Ha                                         2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: September 28, 1982                              4. Place of birth: Giao Thuy - Nam Dinh

5. Admission decision number: 4974/QD-DHQGHN, Dated: December 31, 2013 of President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Change in academic process:

Extension of time to complete the program of study (12 months) following Decision No.112/QD-DHQGHN dated January 16, 2017 on allowing PhD candiate to extend the study time.

Change of thesis title from “Research on scientific bases to improve payments for ecosystem services for mangroves in Vietnam” to “Research on scientific bases to improve the implementation of payments for forest ecosystem services for mangroves in Vietnam: Case study in Ca Mau Province” to better capture the study’s scope and contents following Decision of grassroot-level Council for Doctoral Thesis Defense, dated 23 December 2017.

7. Official thesis title: Research on scientific bases to improve the implementation of payments for forest ecosystem services for mangroves in Vietnam: Case study in Ca Mau Province

8. Major: Environment and Sustainable Development

9. Code: Pilot

10. Supervisors:

Associate Professor. Dr. Nguyen The Chinh – Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment.

Associate Professor. Dr. Ha Thi Mung – Research Institute for Forest Ecology and Environment.

11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

The thesis has systematized, supplemented and enriched both scientific and practical basis of applying payments for ecosystem services (PFES) to mangroves in Vietnam;

It is the first comprehensive work reviewing the context of the implementation of PFES mechanism for mangroves to identify two potential mangroves ecosystem services, including: landscape beauty protection and aquaculture supporting, which are feasible to be paid.

The thesis has also, for the first time, developed 2 PFES options for certified shrimp model in Ca Mau, using advanced approaches and methods.

12. Practical applicability:

Taking into account lessons learnt from developing and operating process of current PFES mechanism in the world and in Vietnam, the thesis has studied, developed and proposed a PFES mechanism for mangroves’ aquaculture supporting service through the certified organic shrimp model in Ca Mau province. The proposed PFES mechanism was developed based on quantified factors related to supply and utility of forest ecosystem service and strictly followed equitable, poor-oriented and monitorable rules to ensure that the mechanism will operate well and stably in practice.

13. Further research directions:

Research on the feasibility of the implementation of PFES mechanisms for mangroves in North and Central regions of Vietnam.

Research on the feasibility of apply PFES mechanisms to other potential mangroves ecosystem services, including: carbon sequestration and coastal protection.

Research on the feasibility of the implementation of PFES mechanisms for aquaculture supporting services in other certified organic aquaculture models (crabs, clams, etc.) in other localities in Vietnam.

14. Thesis-related publications:

- Tran Thi Thu Ha (2014), “Economic values of ecosystems in Ca Mau province”, Technical report of EcoProserv Project, ISPONRE, Hanoi, Vietnam.

- Tran Thi Thu Ha (2015), “Economic valuation of ecosystem services to develop PFES mechanism on cold-water fish farming (Aquaculture) in Lao Cai Province”, in Economic valuation of ecosystem services to develop payment for forest environmental service mechanism on Aquaculture in Lao Cai, Thua Thien Hue and Ca Mau provinces, Core Environment Program, ADB, Bangkok.

- Tran Thi Thu Ha (2015), “Economic valuation of ecosystem services to develop payment for forest environmental service mechanism on aquaculture in Ca Mau province”, in Economic valuation of ecosystem services to develop payment for forest environmental service mechanism on Aquaculture in Lao Cai, Thua Thien Hue and Ca Mau provinces, Core Environment Program, ADB, Bangkok.

- Tran Thi Thu Ha (2016), “Willingness to pay of domestic customer for certified organic shrimp in Ca Mau province”, Science and Technology Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, No. 11/2016, pp.122-126.

- Tran Thi Thu Ha (2016), “Costs and benefits of relevant stakeholder participating in certified organic shrimp model in Ca Mau province”, Science and Technology Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, No.11/2016, pp.127-133.