Tree map developed in response to one-billion-tree programme

Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has developed a digital tree map to improve the efficiency of tree management and care throughout the country.

The map’s database, including information about tree species, planting process and characteristics of trees during the growing process, was expected to improve the efficiency of managing and taking care of trees nationwide, said Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) Tran Hong Ha.

At a launching ceremony of the New Year Tree Planting Festival and responding to the Government’s programme of planting 1 billion trees during 2021-25, held in Hanoi on February 21, Ha said the average tree coverage fails to meet the planning’s figure of 7 square metres per capita in the inner city, around 12 square metres on the outskirts, and 15 square metres in accordance with the international standards.

More than 60 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh wrote an article which was published in Nhan dan (The People) newspaper, stressing the significance of tree planting to each person, each family and the entire nation. It has since become an annual Vietnamese custom each Lunar New Year.

For a green Vietnamese, the Prime Minister initiated a programme to plant one billion trees in five years in a bid to restore forest ecosystem across the nation. Of the total, nearly 700 million trees will be planted in urban and rural areas and more than 300 million trees will be planted in the forest. In 2021, the country will plant about 182 million trees.

According to Ha, his ministry submitted the Prime Minister a project to recover and develop tree system in response to the emergency state of climate change, and environmental pollution. It stated out the leading responsibilities of the MoNRE, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as competent organisations and individuals to mobilise resources for this meaningful activity.

Ha said the database would be put on the App store as an application soon after it is finished.

The application would help State-management agencies assess the current distribution of green trees, monitor the trees’ growing process and connect tree providers and growers, he added.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha plant a tree in respond to the New Year Tree Planting Festival. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Besides, the digital map would also assist the agencies to identify areas in need of ecosystem restoration, prevention of salinity intrusion and anti-desertification.

Therefore, Ha called upon every individual and organisation in the country to participate in the festival and the programme.

He said he expected all Vietnamese people to help in planting and protecting trees. It aimed to express the commitment and responsibility of protecting the environment and adapting to climate change from today’s generation to the next generations.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chu Ngọc Anh chairman of the municipal People’s Committee ordered districts and towns of the city to disseminate information to local residents about the importance of planting and protecting trees.

Additionally, each household was encouraged to plant trees and flowers to make Hanoi a city with four seasons of blooming flowers, he said.

It targeted that the city would plant over 300,000 trees this year and each resident would plant one tree by 2030, he noted./.