The forestry sector will continue the project to plant 5 million ha of trees to improve the quality and value of forests and increase the country’s forest coverage to 42 percent by 2015, said Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Director General of the General Forestry Office.
Tuan said this forest protection project during the
2011-2015 period will help minimise the negative impact of climate change.
Forest protection will affect more than 20 million people, said Tuan, adding that it is one of the country’s key projects to encourage afforestation.
Since the project was launched in 1998, more than 2 million ha of forest have been planted and 2.5 million ha have been effectively protected.
In addition to its economic and environmental significance, the project has created jobs for local people and contributed to reducing poverty.
It has also raised the awareness of local authorities and people about forest protection and brought about socio-economic change in many localities.
(VOV)
