President Truong Tan Sang on February 7 launched a tree-planting festival at a temple dedicated to Vietnamese heroic mothers and martyrs in the Ham Rong relic site in central Thanh Hoa city.
 
Addressing the event, President Sang said Vietnam is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change, adding the country has suffered from strong storms and floods in recent years, which caused huge human and property losses.

Describing deforestation and eco-system destruction as one of the leading causes of the problem, he said tree plantation, forestation and forest protection have become an urgent priority in both the short and long terms.

He called on the entire population to enthusiastically respond to the planting campaign, which has become an annual event every spring since President Ho Chi Minh initiated the activity in 1959, while actively engaging in forest protection.

Together with local officials, the leader offered incense in memory of Vietnamese heroic mothers and martyrs and planted trees at the Ham Rong historical relic site.

The same day, a tree-planting festival was held at a temple in commemoration of martyrs in Cao Phong district, the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh, in the presence of Vice National Assembly Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong.

Addressing the event, Bui Van Tinh, Secretary of the provincial Party’s Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said despite unfavourable weather conditions, the locality planted 8,860 hectares of forest.

The province will strive to plant another 8,560 hectares in 2014 and protect 89,098 hectares.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as many as 227,000 hectares of land nationwide were covered with green trees and 4.2 million hectares of forest were protected in 2013.-VNA