Việt Nam aims to increase the nationwide forest coverage to 42 per cent by the year 2020, and 45 per cent by 2030.
The targets are among the REDD+ (Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, focusing on the role of
conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of
forest carbon stocks in developing countries) programme from 2017-2030
recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.
The REDD+ programme will be implemented across the country, focused in areas prone to deforestation and forest-degradation.
From now to 2020, the programme will reduce emissions by boosting forest conservation and increasing forest coverage.
From 2021-2030, the programme will
stabilize natural forest acreage and increase forest coverage,
contributing to the nation target of reducing emissions by 8 per cent.
The programme will adjust planning for
forest usage to ensure hitting a target of 16.2 million hectares of
agricultural land in 2020, assist sustainable agricultural and fishery
production and strengthen forest law enforcement.
At the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development’s meeting in March, the ministry reported that four
years after launching an agricultural restructure project, forest
coverage increased from 39.7 per cent in 2011 to 40.84 per cent in 2015.
Forestry
production value was also rising fast, reaching average growth of 6.57
per cent a year, against 5.03 per cent during 2010-12, the ministry
reported.
Deputy
Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng said to hit targets on forest protection
and sustainable development, the forest sector had three tasks:
environmental protection, improving forest productivity and quality and
increasing the competitiveness of forestry products.
Ninh Thuận Province to expand protective forest
In 2017, the southern province of
Ninh Thuận will plant 460 hectares of protective forest in Thuận Nam,
Ninh Sơn and Ninh Phước districts.
The move is part of the Protection Forests Restoration and Sustainable Management project, funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency.
Dương Đình Sơn, deputy director of
Ninh Thuận Province’s Forest Management Department said the project
would create livelihoods for local residents working in forest
protection and management.
Participants of the project have received seed, technology and materials for planting trees.
From 2014, a total 900 hectare of
protection forest has been planted in Ninh Thuận Province. In 2017-2021,
the project will assist local forest growers with loans of VNĐ48
million (US$2,100) per hectare, and focus on forest management and
newly-growing and protecting forest.
Source: vietnamnews.vn