National park in Kien Giang builds digital map for fighting forest fires

A corner of the U Minh Thuong National Park (Photo: VNA)

Kien Giang (VNA) - The U Minh Thuong National Park in the Mekong Delta’s Kien Giang province has built a digital map on areas at high risk of forest fires in an attempt to prevent and tackle such disasters during the 2020-2021 dry season, Deputy Director of the park Tran Van Thang has said.

The park has also devised measures to fight forest fires and deploy personnel along with vehicles in wildfire suppression efforts, so as to minimise losses as concerns rise about widespread and prolonged heat and drought.

It has taken the initiative in water storage for firefighting and the development of cajuput forests, as well as strengthened six sluices and built two dykes. Seven reservoirs have been dredged and consolidated.

Four teams with up to 10 members each have been assigned to keep watch around the clock in areas spanning 1,115 ha at high risk of forest fires, while communications on forest protection and forest fire prevention have been bolstered.

Straddling Kien Giang’s An Minh Bac and Minh Thuan districts, the U Minh Thuong National Park covers a natural area of more than 8,537 ha, including 8,038 ha set for special-use forests.

As of the end of 2020, its forest area neared 6,485 ha./.

VNA