Strong solutions are needed to prevent the burning of vegetation for planting acacia.

Rampant burning of vegetation causes pollution

Traveling along National Highway 48 through Quy Chau district in the first days of the year, on many hills in Nghe An, black smoke billowed up as people burned the ground to prepare for forest planting. In the Bu Bai slope area, bordering Chau Hanh and Chau Thang communes, the smoke billowed up into the sky, covering the entire National Highway 48, causing environmental pollution and traffic safety problems.

Ms. Luong Thi Chau, in Chau Thang commune, said: In this area, people often burn the ground cover to plant acacia trees. The fire burns and the smoke is very unpleasant, and it also obscures the view of the steep mountain road full of hairpin bends. Traffic safety risks can occur at any time. Some other local people added: Burning ground cover pollutes the air and affects people's health. The authorities need to have a solution to prevent this situation.

A local resident who was burning the ground cover said: After harvesting the acacia, we choose dry weather to burn the ground cover to plant forests. Burning the ground cover is faster and saves effort and costs for cleanup.

According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quy Chau district, the district currently has over 24,000 hectares of raw acacia forest. In 2024, the district will coordinate with relevant sectors to grant forest certification (FSC) to over 4,800 hectares in the communes of Chau Phong, Chau Hanh, Chau Binh, Nghia Dung, Nghia Hanh. According to the plan for 2025, Quy Chau district will continue to be granted certification for over 1,000 hectares in Chau Hoi commune.

Identifying acacia trees as the main economic development force, helping people escape poverty, the district wants to increase the area of ​​raw material forests certified by FSC to ensure stable output and increase the economic value of acacia trees in the long term. However, the current difficulty is that the district still has problems because most people still burn the ground cover to plant acacia.

Currently, the district has directed communes to carry out propaganda and explanation work so that people can clearly understand the harmful effects of burning vegetation to plant forests, leaving many consequences, especially the criteria for granting FSC certification prohibiting burning vegetation after harvest.

Also in the same situation, in Con Cuong district, this season, walking along the communes of Mau Duc, Bong Khe, Thach Ngan..., one can see many hills burned black. In some places, people burn the ground cover, causing black smoke to suffocate the entire residential area.

Ms. Dinh Thi Thuy Anh - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Con Cuong district added: The whole district of Con Cuong has over 12,000 hectares of raw material forests, currently the whole district has only granted FSC certification for 400 hectares, in 2025-2026 the district is coordinating with the sectors to increase the area to 4,000 hectares to achieve FSC certification.

However, people are still burning forest cover, which affects the FSC certification process. The district is continuing to promote and encourage farmers in the localities to limit burning forest cover, implement safe collection methods, minimize pollution and facilitate the construction of FSC certification for raw material forests to increase the economic value of the forest.

Solutions are needed to limit burning of vegetation.

Mr. Hoang Trung Son - Head of Forest Use and Development Department (Forestry Sub-Department) added: In recent years, Nghe An has worked with localities, businesses and sectors to accelerate the progress of granting sustainable forest certification (FSC). Up to now, the whole province has had 30,184 hectares of forest granted FSC certification out of a total of 175,000 hectares of raw material forest. Mainly concentrated in Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, Con Cuong, Quy Hop districts...

Every year, Nghe An grows 18,000 - 20,000 hectares of raw acacia. However, the current difficulty is that before planting forests, most people burn the ground cover on the spot, causing many environmental consequences. In 2025, The province directed localities to implement forest certification for over 50,000 hectares, and review the area of ​​planted forests in the area that meet the conditions to introduce to businesses to implement forest certification.

However, because many localities burn vegetation to treat forest plantations, certification will be very difficult. In addition to meeting strict criteria, FSC-certified forest areas must strictly comply with production processes from planting, care to harvesting; in addition, vegetation must not be burned after harvest.

Recently, the Forest Protection Department has directed the district Forest Protection Departments to strengthen propaganda and mobilize people not to burn and treat vegetation, but it is still very difficult.

According to experts, being granted FSC certification gives raw wood the opportunity to reach out to the world market and increase economic value for forest growers. Specifically, most of the FSC certified areas have been signed by businesses to purchase products at prices higher than market prices.

While the price of free forest plantations is lower, forest farmers need to change to non-burning forest plantations. They must use on-site clearing methods, collect and compost to retain vegetation.

According to new regulations of the European Union (EU), products such as coffee, cocoa, wood and rubber... if originating from areas with devastated and degraded forests will not be exported to this market. If forest growers want to export wood and wood products to the markets of Japan, Korea, the US and the EU, they need to change the way they manage organic materials after exploitation in an environmentally friendly way.