Proactively preventing forest fires and protecting forest resources - Part 3: Need for synchronous solutions

Identifying fire prevention and fighting as a key task to limit natural disasters, especially in the face of global climate change, it is necessary to quickly and effectively deploy protection and fire prevention and fighting solutions.

In 2010, Nghe An suffered a historic drought, causing heavy damage to agricultural and forestry production. This was the objective cause of many large forest fires. However, it must be recognized that forest fires are not only due to the influence of climate conditions, but also stem from the lack of responsibility of sectors, levels and people in the work of management, protection and forest fire prevention.

Nam Dan, a locality where forest fires frequently occur, currently has over 8,000 hectares of forest, of which over 80% is pure pine, a type with a high risk of fire. Last year's hot season, the whole district had 11 fires, some of which were very serious. The cause of the fires, in addition to the hot weather, was that there were too many flammable materials in the forest such as pine needles, dry brushwood, and there were no runways between adjacent forests, causing the fires to spread...

Therefore, entering the hot season this year, Nam Dan has chosen the solution of handling combustible materials as the leading solution in controlling forest fires and protecting existing forest areas. The district has directed the Forest Protection Management Board to coordinate with units and localities to mobilize forces to collect and organize pre-burning of combustible materials such as pine needles and mulch. Mr. Le Dinh Minh - Head of Nam Dan Forest Protection Management Board said: "Learning from the bloody lesson of last year's forest fire, in 2011, Nam Dan Forest Protection Management Board has increased its 24/7 presence at forest gates in communes and villages to promptly detect and warn when fires occur. In all district meetings this year, a certain amount of time is always devoted to disseminating and implementing forest fire prevention and fighting work. Propaganda work to raise people's awareness is especially focused on through commitments to protect forests".

In Tuong Duong district, clearing bushes and clearing vegetation is a regular task that households assigned land and forests in Quang Yen village, Tam Dinh commune, carry out at the beginning of the hot season to effectively prevent fires. This work has also received the active and voluntary participation of many households when they have become aware of the benefits of forests.

Mr. Lu Van Chom - Deputy Head of Tuong Duong Forest Ranger Department said: "The fire prevention work in Tuong Duong has many characteristics because people live on slash-and-burn farming, so the unit has increased coordination in training and supervision of safe slash-and-burn farming. At this time, the local forest rangers always stay close to the people to check the implementation of forest fire prevention work". With the participation of authorities at all levels and functional branches, there has been a change in the awareness of ethnic minorities in mountainous districts, contributing to minimizing the damage caused by forest fires".

Mr. Le Cao Binh - Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department said: "Every year, the Forest Protection Department coordinates with local authorities at all levels to organize training, drills, develop plans, deploy and implement fire prevention and control work for forest owners and authorities at all levels. In particular, it focuses on implementing the 4-on-the-spot motto: on-the-spot forces, on-the-spot means, on-the-spot command and on-the-spot logistics. Along with that, it is necessary to build and maintain fire prevention and control works in localities with forests such as runways, clearing combustible materials, building water tanks, fire watchtowers... ".

In fact, the recent forest fires have posed more urgent requirements for the planning, production, management, protection and development of forest resources in our province today. First of all, it is necessary to urgently propose measures to strengthen state management of forests, especially to enhance the responsibility of functional agencies in managing and protecting forest resources. The sense of responsibility, high vigilance and capacity to perform duties of individuals and specialized management agencies are important factors contributing to preventing disasters and protecting forest resources. In addition to the shortcomings in propaganda work and weak awareness of a part of the people, the work of forecasting and forest fire prevention plans in many localities is still not close to reality.

At the conference on implementing fire prevention and control work in border areas in 2011 in Nam Dan district last March, the guiding viewpoint of the province as well as the specialized sectors in fire prevention and control work in 2011 is that it is necessary to strengthen and closely coordinate from many sides, especially in border areas between communes, districts, and provinces, with high risks. It is necessary to innovate in awareness, as well as direction from the people and local authorities, according to the viewpoint of prevention first.

From the lessons learned from the mountainous areas as well as the reality of 2010, forest fire prevention and fighting in 2011 of the whole province is a top priority task and has become an urgent issue. It is very necessary to complete and immediately implement a strategy with synchronous and feasible solutions for forest resource management.

Along with raising awareness through information, propaganda and practical education, it is necessary to have a specific legal framework for the stages in the process of protecting and developing forest resources; at the same time, it is necessary to train, foster and improve the qualifications of a team of specialized staff who are strong enough, have a sense of responsibility and high working ability, are adequately invested and equipped with modern specialized technical means.

TL- D.C