Hanoi (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led by Nguyen Van Dien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Forestry Administration under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, is attending the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which opened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 17.
Held from August 17-28 under the theme Restoring Land, Restoring Hope, the session brings together high-level representatives from 197 member countries, scientists, international organisations and businesses worldwide.
On the opening day, the Vietnamese delegation participated in plenary discussions, reaffirming the Government’s strong commitment to working with the international community to advance land restoration and combat desertification.
As a country heavily affected by climate change, drought, soil erosion in hilly areas, and saltwater intrusion, Vietnam has consistently demonstrated its responsible role as a member of the UNCCD since joining the convention in 1998.
Over the years, Vietnam has implemented a range of strategic programmes and policies to protect and restore land resources, with forest cover maintenance among its key priorities. The country has undertaken forest restoration programmes, the “one billion trees” project, and the forestry development strategy. It also maintains forest coverage at above 42%, with forests serving as a vital ecological shield that helps conserve groundwater, prevent landslides, and curb land degradation.
Vietnam has also introduced several forestry solutions adapted to key drought-prone areas. These include restoring and expanding protection forests in upstream areas and coastal sand-shield forests in south-central coastal provinces, as well as protecting sloping land and preventing erosion in the northern mountainous and Central Highlands regions.
Alongside forest restoration, Vietnam is promoting sustainable livelihood transformation and agroforestry. Climate-smart agroforestry models are being expanded, while cover crops and medicinal plants grown under forest canopies are being developed to increase local incomes and protect and enrich soil resources.
The country is also strengthening institutions and green financing mechanisms. Efforts include promoting the implementation of forest environmental service payments, integrating voluntary land degradation neutrality targets into national forestry planning and climate change adaptation action plans, and implementing the national action programme on combating desertification through 2030, with a vision to 2050.
According to the Vietnam Forestry Administration, on the sidelines of UNCCD COP17, the Vietnamese delegation will hold bilateral meetings with the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and major international partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), as well as regional and international cooperation organisations.
Discussions will focus on the transfer of remote sensing technologies to monitor land and forest resources, mobilisation of climate finance and sharing practical experience in sustainable forest landscape restoration.
Throughout the two-week conference, participants will engage in a high-level segment including ministerial dialogues, alongside multi-stakeholder forums and thematic discussions on science–policy integration, innovation and solutions, tools and technologies, and financing. In addition to formal negotiations, COP17 is expected to catalyse collective action on rangelands, resilience and water, as well as food systems and soil health.
The Vietnamese delegation plans to contribute to the COP17 joint declaration and technical decisions, reaffirming the country’s national responsibility and commitment to protecting the planet and promoting sustainable land management./.
