Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) Dak Lak (VNA) - Central Highlands localities need to raise the sense of responsibility among forest owners and management units regarding forestry protection and development, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said on June 22.
He made the call during a conference on forestry management and production in the Central Highlands by the Steering Committee on the National Target Programme on Sustainable Forestry Development, held in Buon Ma Thuot city of Dak Lak province.
Relevant agencies have been asked to draft a strategy on the development of the forestry sector for the 2021-2030 period and vision to 2050.
The region is home to nearly 2.6 million ha of forest, or 17.5 percent of Vietnam’s total. Forestry coverage was 45.92 percent last year.
Areas of natural forests, however, have been on the decline, by over 15,750 ha in 2019 alone. The three provinces seeing the heaviest fall in the year were Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Gia Lai.
The region is a major location for deforestation and the illegal exploitation and trafficking of wooden products.
General Director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry Nguyen Quoc Tri said central highlands provinces aim to protect all of the existing natural forest areas in a bid to raise combined areas to 2.72 million ha and coverage to 49.2 percent by 2030./.
