Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam planted a total 12,385ha ofcoastal forest between 2015-2017 via climate change response and coastal forestprotection project for 2015-2020, which raised the coastal forest coverage from16.9 percent in 2014 to 17 percent last year.
However, the figure has fulfilled only 22 percent of thetarget set by the project, which aims to grow 46,058ha of forest by 2020.
Given the pressing time scale, the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development (MARD) proposed that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucadjust the forestation target of the project down to 25,085ha.
The MARD urged relevant ministries and agencies to pour moreinvestment into projects under the target programme of sustainable forestdevelopment during 2016-2020 and the target programme of climate changeresponse and green growth for 2016-2020.
The ministry called for the early completion of investmentand capital allocation procedures for the projects, and greater efforts inmobilising official development assistance (ODA) and capital from businesses,organisations, households, and individuals for forest protection anddevelopment.
Besides, localities were also asked to closely monitor theshift of coastal forests to serve other purposes.
Statistics provided by the provinces show that as ofDecember 2017, the total area of coastal forests and forestry land nationwidewas 469,170ha, including 311,551ha covered by forests. –VNA
