HCMCity (VNA) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development hasinstructed the People’s Committees of all provinces and cities to increaseforest-fire protection and to make it a main task during the dry season.
Temperaturesin the first half of the year are expected to be higher than the average ofprevious years, and rainfall will be 10 or 20 percent lower compared to theaverage of previous years, according to the National Center forHydro-meteorological Forecasting and the ministry’s Department of ForestProtection.
Inthe next few months, many places in the country are expected to remain dry,increasing the risk of forest fires, especially in the northwest, CentralHighlands, and south-central and southern provinces.
Forestfires have occurred in northern provinces this year, causing great damage toforests and threatening residents’ property and lives.
Theministry has asked all People’s Committees to instruct agencies such as forestrangers, police and military forces to cooperate in forest-fire protection.
Agenciesshould be prepared with specific plans, equipment and forces to ensure timelyaction when forest fires occur, the ministry said.-VNA