Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Funded by the European Union(EU), the 2017-2021 project aims to strengthen voices of non-State sectors,including civil social organisations, local residents and communities, to improvesustainable forest governance in the region.
Speaking at the event, DeputyDirector of the Centre for People and Nature (PanNature) Hoang Xuan Thuy said theproject covers Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam with the goal of empoweringand connecting non-State sectors, monitoring and responding appropriately tostrengthening forest governance, particularly in the EU Action Plan for forestlaw enforcement, governance and trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreements(FLEGT-VPA) and REDD (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forestdegradation).
By 2019, forest governance supervisorysystems will be piloted and spread while an information sharing platform amongregional countries will be launched for the effort.
Deputy Director General ofthe Administration of Forestry Nguyen Van Ha lauded the efforts of civil socialorganisations, local residents and communities to the success of the country’s forestrydevelopment strategy until 2020.
Over the past years, theforestry sector has helped with environment protection, climate change responseand raising forest coverage from 32 percent in 1998 to 41.19 percent in 2016.The figure is expected to hit 42 percent by 2020.
Mekong region is now home tonearly 85 million people living on forests, one third of them are natives. Anestimated 30 percent of population in rural areas are living in need.-VNA
VNA
