Delegates at the event (Source: baodongnai.com.vn) DongNai (VNA) – A workshop was held in the southern province of Dong Nai onMarch 16 to seek ways to reduce conflicts between elephants and people.
The event was jointly organised by the Regional Model Forest Network–Asia andthe Vietnam Administration of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development.
Freecha Onprasert, Chairman of the Secretariat of the Regional Model ForestNetwork–Asia, said the model forest network aims to protect and develop forestsin a sustainable manner, thus reducing the conflict between human and nature.
It gathers numerous effective measures for forest management and protection,particularly in monitoring wildlife poaching and illegal forest exploitation.
The model also focuses on creating favourable ecosystems that facilitate the livesof wild animals, thus minimising similar conflicts between elephants and peoplein Dong Nai province.
By making locals involved in planting and managing forests, the model helps themexploit forests effectively and legally while opening up opportunities forecotourism development.
According to Vo Van Chanh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, overthe past years, the local authorities have paid attention to forest protectionand development, particularly in 1996 when it decided to close the forests.
However, the work has not been sustainable on a total forest area of 200,000hectares in the province, he noted, adding that conflicts between people andnature, especially elephants, remained.
According to Freecha Onprasert, more than 37 nations in the world have joined hisorganisation. The Republic of Korea and Vietnam are developing dossiers to beadmitted into the Regional Model Forest Network–Asia.-VNA
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