Mangrove forests planted in response to climate change and ecosystem restoration in Ninh Thuan Province’s Ninh Hai District. (Photo: VNA) Ninh Thuan (VNS/VNA) - The south-central province of Ninh Thuan thisyear plans to increase its forest-cover rate to nearly 50 percent, including330 hectares of new special-use forest and protection-forest planted inresponse to climate change.
The province targets restoring 4,000ha of damaged forest and 71,400ha of forestunder forest-protection contracts this year.
Promoting forest protection and development plays an important role inprotecting water and soil resources, preventing erosion, limiting the impact ofnatural disasters, conserving biodiversity, and maintaining natural habitats.
The province has 116,172 ha of protective forest land, accounting for 59 percentof its entire forest land. Of the figure, more than 30,192ha of land has notrees.
The province is focusing on afforestation, and management of protection- andspecial-use forests.
Training courses in forest-fire prevention and fighting have been offered tolocal households responsible for protecting planted forests.
The province has in recent years detected and handled many cases involvingillegal forest exploitation and forest land encroachment.
It has been growing drought-resistant trees with high economic value such astrom (Sterculia foetida), thanh that (Ailanthus triphysa), muong den (Sennasiamea) and keo lai (Acacia mangium x Acacia auriculaeformis) in protection andspecial-use forests.
The quality of local forests has improved, with poor forest areas restored andforest cover increased.
Barren land and bare hills are now covered with trees. For example, thanh thattrees which can adapt to a dry climate have been planted on more than 650ha ofrocky mountains in Thuan Nam district’s coastal areas for protection forestssince 2015.
Le Xuan Hoa, deputy head of the district’s Protective Forest Management Board,said the planting of thanh that trees was supported by the JICA 2 afforestationproject under the Vietnam’s Support Programme to Respond to Climate Change(SP-RCC).
Many trees are now 2.5-3m in height and will cover the rocky mountains in thenext 10 years.
The province has also allocated forest land to local households for protectionunder contracts. On average, each local household receives about 30ha of forestto protect under a forest protection contract for 400,000 VND (17.4 USD) perhectare each year.
Since 2016, local households have used additional income earned from forestprotection contracts to develop forest-linked livelihoods such as breedingcows, goats and sheep, and planting more than 22,500 fruit trees. Thedepartment is expanding these effective forest-linked livelihood models.
However, forest management faces many challenges, including financialconstraints and various policies.
The province regularly experiences dry and hot weather that significantlyimpacts forest fire prevention and control, and afforestation.
Dangerous terrain also causes problems for forest management and protection,according to the director.
Dang Kim Cuong, director of the provincical Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the department would continue to raise the awareness of localresidents about the importance of protection forests as well as legalregulations.
It is also continuing sustainable forestry development to help local residentsearn additional income by participating in forest protection under signedcontracts.
Programmes on how to plant special-use, replacement and protection forests arealso being strengthened.
Better coordination among forest-prevention forces, armed forces, localauthorities and residents is also being implemented./.
The province targets restoring 4,000ha of damaged forest and 71,400ha of forestunder forest-protection contracts this year.
Promoting forest protection and development plays an important role inprotecting water and soil resources, preventing erosion, limiting the impact ofnatural disasters, conserving biodiversity, and maintaining natural habitats.
The province has 116,172 ha of protective forest land, accounting for 59 percentof its entire forest land. Of the figure, more than 30,192ha of land has notrees.
The province is focusing on afforestation, and management of protection- andspecial-use forests.
Training courses in forest-fire prevention and fighting have been offered tolocal households responsible for protecting planted forests.
The province has in recent years detected and handled many cases involvingillegal forest exploitation and forest land encroachment.
It has been growing drought-resistant trees with high economic value such astrom (Sterculia foetida), thanh that (Ailanthus triphysa), muong den (Sennasiamea) and keo lai (Acacia mangium x Acacia auriculaeformis) in protection andspecial-use forests.
The quality of local forests has improved, with poor forest areas restored andforest cover increased.
Barren land and bare hills are now covered with trees. For example, thanh thattrees which can adapt to a dry climate have been planted on more than 650ha ofrocky mountains in Thuan Nam district’s coastal areas for protection forestssince 2015.
Le Xuan Hoa, deputy head of the district’s Protective Forest Management Board,said the planting of thanh that trees was supported by the JICA 2 afforestationproject under the Vietnam’s Support Programme to Respond to Climate Change(SP-RCC).
Many trees are now 2.5-3m in height and will cover the rocky mountains in thenext 10 years.
The province has also allocated forest land to local households for protectionunder contracts. On average, each local household receives about 30ha of forestto protect under a forest protection contract for 400,000 VND (17.4 USD) perhectare each year.
Since 2016, local households have used additional income earned from forestprotection contracts to develop forest-linked livelihoods such as breedingcows, goats and sheep, and planting more than 22,500 fruit trees. Thedepartment is expanding these effective forest-linked livelihood models.
However, forest management faces many challenges, including financialconstraints and various policies.
The province regularly experiences dry and hot weather that significantlyimpacts forest fire prevention and control, and afforestation.
Dangerous terrain also causes problems for forest management and protection,according to the director.
Dang Kim Cuong, director of the provincical Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the department would continue to raise the awareness of localresidents about the importance of protection forests as well as legalregulations.
It is also continuing sustainable forestry development to help local residentsearn additional income by participating in forest protection under signedcontracts.
Programmes on how to plant special-use, replacement and protection forests arealso being strengthened.
Better coordination among forest-prevention forces, armed forces, localauthorities and residents is also being implemented./.
VNA
