Environment

Decree strengthens forest protection

Vietnam advocates making local people responsible for nature preservation to effectively protect their forests.
Vietnam advocates making local people responsible for nature preservation to effectively protect their forests.

Hua Duc Nhi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development madethe statement at a national conference to announce the government’sdecree on special-purposed forest management that will come into forceon March 1.

According to Nhi, the DecreeNo.117/ND-CP ensures harmony between national law and internationalconventions, help to deal with the overlapping of regulations inmanaging natural resources as well as promote better coordinationbetween State agencies in biodiversity preservation.

Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Director of the Directorate of Forests said thatas a developing country, Vietnam faces many challenges such as thedegradation of biodiversity in special-purposed forests, illegal timberexploitation and wildlife trading that leads to the extinction of manyrare species while forest planning and management work is still out ofcontrol.

However, over the past decades, withefforts made by the Vietnamese government and support from internationalcommunity, Vietnam has so far planted a total acreage of 2.2 millionhectares of special-purposed forests.

At theconference, Juergen Hess, coordinator of the natural resourcesmanagement programme of the German International Cooperation Agencypledged continued support to Vietnam in natural resources management.

He also agreed that the new decree would help to preserve biodiversity more effectively./.

Follow VietnamPlus

See more

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Phu Cu waste-to-energy plant project in Doan Dao commune, Hung Yen province, on March 6 (Photo: VNA)

Hung Yen breaks ground on 4 trillion VND waste-to-energy plant

With a population of about 3.5 million, Hung Yen generates around 1,850 – 2,000 tonnes of household waste each day, along with about 1,000 tonnes of waste from production and business establishments, posing a major challenge for the locality.

A cycling convoy from the former Binh Duong province (now part of Ho Chi Minh City) parades through the streets to raise awareness in support of Earth Hour 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Earth Hour 2026 launch event rescheduled

The launch ceremony of a nationwide campaign that calls on all citizens to use energy economically and efficiently in response to Earth Hour 2026 will be held on the morning of Saturday, March 21, instead of March 7 as initially planned.

Nghe An neutralises 350kg unexploded wartime bomb (Photo: VNA)

Nghe An authorities safely dispose of 350kg wartime bomb

After inspection, military engineers identified the object as an MK-82 high-explosive bomb, measuring 20cm in diameter and 155cm in length, weighing about 350kg and still fitted with an intact detonator. The bomb was believed to be left over from the war.

Vietnam expands coastal forests to bolster green growth

Vietnam expands coastal forests to bolster green growth

Restoring and developing forests as part of the 2026–2030 coastal forest protection and development project is still a big job. The plan aims to plant 5,088 hectares — including 3,236 hectares of mangroves and 1,852 hectares on soil and sandy land — and to enrich, restore, and improve 1,514 hectares of existing forests, with 683 hectares of mangroves and 831 hectares on soil and sand.

The People’s Committee of Dakrong commune in the central province of Quang Tri, in coordination with the Dakrong Forest Protection Station hand over a small-clawed otter to the Cuc Phuong National Park and the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

Quang Tri hands over rare otter to Cuc Phuong National Park

The People’s Committee of Dakrong commune in the central province of Quang Tri, in coordination with the Dakrong Forest Protection Station, on February 26 handed over a small-clawed otter to the Cuc Phuong National Park and the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Vietnam for further care and rehabilitation.

UNESCO Representative to Vietnam Jonathan Wallace Baker and Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki at the signing ceremony (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

UNESCO, Japan sign deal to bolster Vietnam’s disaster early warning

Climate change adaptation remains a top priority in Vietnam’s development strategy and national security outlook through 2050. Vietnam will maintain close cooperation with Japan, UNESCO and other partners to guarantee the project’s effectiveness and advance common goals.

The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)'s Managing Director Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel speaks at the working session with the Vietnamese-German University. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Germany step up collaboration on energy transition, green hydrogen

Schäfer-Gümbel praised the strong commitment of Vietnamese partners to sustainable energy goals. He noted that the long-standing development cooperation between Germany and Vietnam is evolving, with energy transition emerging as a strategic area of collaboration in addressing global challenges.

Cat Ba langur is an extremely rare primate species found exclusively in the humid tropical forests of Cat Ba island (Photo: VNA)

Belgian TV spotlight: Vietnam's wild nature reborn

Through the lens of “Le Jardin Extraordinaire”, Vietnam was portrayed not simply as a travel destination but as a still-emerging realm of discovery: a nation whose nature, though heavily wounded in the past, demonstrates extraordinary powers of recovery, quietly upholding its pristine essence against the pressures of time.