Many trees in Vinh city fell during storm number 2 - issues raised

(Baonghean) - According to Mr. Thanh, the important issue is investment funding, so we should call on organizations and individuals to join hands and contribute; especially the participation of funds belonging to large organizations.

Nghe An Newspaper reporter had an interview with Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh - Director of the Department of Science and Technology about the green tree system of Vinh city.

Reporter: Sir, after storm No. 2, most of the roads in Vinh city were littered with uprooted and broken trees. Many roads were blocked, obstructing traffic for many hours, forcing the authorities to spend a lot of effort to clear the roads. The public opinion of the city is indignant about this reality. What do you think about this?

Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh:There are two issues that concern me after the second storm has ended. The first is the “strangeness” of this storm. I say strange because Nghe An usually only has to face storms around the 7th and 8th lunar months, which are not the first storms of the year...

Furthermore, storm No. 2 “entered” our province very quickly, but “stayed” for a very long time. From such complex and unpredictable characteristics of storm No. 2, it can be seen that climate change has had and is having a negative impact on the North Central region in general and Nghe An in particular.

Trees fell down after the storm passed. Photo: Archive

Monday,is about the quality of trees in Vinh city. It can be seen very clearly that the trees that were uprooted and broken were mostly sycamore, banyan, royal poinciana trees... which have the common characteristics of brittle trunks and branches, wide and heavy canopy, while the roots are clustered, shallow, even above the ground, so when there is a big storm, it is easy to break.

As far as I know, most of these trees were planted spontaneously by the city's residents several decades ago. And these trees are still abundant on the streets of Vinh city. In general, the density of trees in Vinh city is quite good; but in terms of quality, it is clearly not guaranteed, and there needs to be investment and renovation accordingly.

PV: As a manager of the provincial science sector and also a citizen of Vinh city, from the two issues mentioned above, what suggestions can you give to the city government and relevant agencies?

Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh:Because the negative and unpredictable impacts of climate change are clear, we all need to be prepared to respond promptly, not just for authorities and organizations... Regarding urban trees, through storm No. 2, urban authorities and relevant agencies need to consider it a lesson to be better prepared and respond promptly during the rainy and stormy season.

Regarding the need for investment and renovation to improve the quality of the green tree system, in recent years, Vinh city government has also been concerned a lot, from planning, projects and implementation of renovation and planting new trees on some streets.

Therefore, when there was a very interesting topic about urban trees that won first prize at the 2016 Youth Creativity Contest, which presented new ideas about planning and building flower streets, tree types suitable for the width and length of roads... the Department of Science and Technology transferred this topic to the Vinh city government for further reference.

In fact, with the desire for the city to have streets with a green tree system that ensures quality, there have been many organizations and individuals with good ideas about building an urban green tree system that have been sent to the Vinh city government. But an important issue is that to implement it, investment funds are needed. In the context of many economic difficulties, using the city budget to invest in green trees is difficult to do, or very slow.

Therefore, in my opinion, the city government should aim for socialization. Based on the planning and projects that have been built and approved, organizations and individuals should be called upon to join hands and contribute; especially, it is necessary to call for the participation of funds belonging to large organizations...

In 2016, Phung Chi Kien street of Vinh city was completely replanted with purple flowers from such a funding source.

- Thank you for the conversation!

Nhat Lan(Perform)