The northern mountainous province of Lai Chau has planted nearly 4,800 ha of forests during the 1998-2010 period, raising its forest coverage from 35 percent in 2004 to 41 percent in 2010.

The is the outcome of a 12-year afforestation project in Lai Chau province, starting from 1998.

According to Vice Chairman of Lai Chau People’s Committee Le Trong Quang, who is also head of the project’s management board, the province has surpassed the set target, obtaining nearly 145,000 ha of regenerated forests, recording 125 percent.

In the past two years, Lai Chau renewed its management mechanism for the project, taking a number of measures to attract investment and set up material areas in connection with the processing industry, thus creating conditions to develop forestry economy.

The province has planed to raise its forest coverage by 50 percent by 2015. /.