The alarming problem of burning undergrowth while planting acacia trees in Nghe An.
Hai An•December 5, 2024 15:48
Burning undergrowth after harvesting planted forests is one of the practices that violates the regulations in the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Sustainable Forest Management Certification. However, in Nghe An province, some households still burn acacia plantations.
Clip: Van TruongAfter logging, locals burn the undergrowth in a forest in Dong Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, causing environmental pollution and posing a risk of wildfires. Photo: Hai AnA local forest farmer in Tien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, said: "We all have a habit of burning undergrowth because it's faster and saves on the cost of hiring laborers to clear it." (Photo: Hai An)Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, a resident of Dong Thanh commune, said: "During the dry season, burning vegetation causes thick smoke and dust to drift into the villages, creating suffocating and unpleasant pollution." (Photo: Hai An)Mr. Le Van Hong, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Yen Thanh District, said: Every year, Yen Thanh District plants about 2,000 hectares of timber forests. Traditionally, most people burn undergrowth to clear the forest before planting. This affects the issuance of FSC certification. The district is actively promoting and encouraging people to reduce undergrowth burning and to collect and transport the undergrowth to safe locations. (Photo: Hai An)A recently harvested acacia forest in Tan Ky district has been burned to the ground. Photo: Hai AnAccording to a report from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tan Ky district, the district currently has over 28,000 hectares of acacia forests for timber production, and to date, over 3,000 hectares have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). However, the district is still experiencing the problem of people burning undergrowth to plant acacia trees. Meanwhile, the criteria for FSC certification prohibit burning vegetation after harvest. The district is directing local authorities to focus on mobilizing and educating people not to burn undergrowth to plant large timber forests, ensuring that the criteria for FSC certification are met. Photo: Hai AnAccording to experts, new regulations from the European Union (EU) prohibit the export of products such as plantation timber originating from areas with degraded or destroyed forests. If forest growers want to export timber and wood products to markets such as Japan, South Korea, the US, and the EU, they need to change their post-harvest organic waste management practices to be more environmentally friendly. (Photo: Hai An)
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