Speaking at the NA working session, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said Vietnam now has 14.6 million ha of forest, of which natural forests total 10.3 ha. (Photo: VGP) Hanoi (VNA) - Legislators raised issues regarding hydropower and forestpreservation and development during the 10th sitting of the 14th National Assembly in Hanoi on November 3.
They greatlyappreciated the management policies adopted by the Government as well as the effortsand resolve of the entire political system in the fight against COVID-19 and theresponse to recent natural disasters.
They suggestedthe Government chart different scenarios, including a worst-case, given thepossibility of the pandemic continuing to develop in a complex manner andclimate change remaining unpredictable.
Some pointed to inconsistenciesin the socio-economic development strategy and forestry development, with anumber of forestation targets yet to be completed.
Trieu Thi Thu Phuong,a deputy from the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan, proposed theGovernment adjust budget allocations in the 2021-2025 mid-term publicinvestment plan for provinces with high forest coverage rates.
The Governmentshould also adopt policies helping residents in areas prone to naturaldisasters stabilise their lives, and invest more in forestry infrastructure andforestry product development, she said.
Speaking at theworking session, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen XuanCuong said Vietnam now has 14.6 million ha of forest, of which natural forests total10.3 ha.
He highlightedthe major efforts of the political system and the people to raise the forestcoverage rate from 27 percent in 1990 to 42 percent now, compared to the globalaverage of 29 percent.
Some 4,600businesses are operating in the forestry industry, with forestry export revenueexpected to reach 13 billion USD this year, according to the minister.
He stressed theneed to pour additional investments into forest protection in order to improvethe quality of the task.
Vietnam’scommitments to sustainable forest development have been acknowledgedinternationally, he added./.
VNA
