Increase forest cover, reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Hai An• DNUM_CHZAGZCABI 11:12

(Baonghean) - Along with many countries in the region and around the world, Vietnam is making efforts to implement solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the risks of climate change. The North Central Region Emission Reduction Program (ER-PD) is being coordinated with the forestry sector to widely disseminate information to all people.

Promoting climate change response
Recently, the phenomenon of climate change and greenhouse effect has become more and more complicated, increasingly affecting and influencing human life. Floods, droughts, cold spells, storms exceeding normal levels, tornadoes, tsunamis... frequently occur, causing great damage to people and property. The solution is to minimize activities that heat up the earth's temperature, actively plant forests, and protect the ecological environment.

Cánh rừng săng lẻ tái sinh ở Xá Lượng, Tương Dương được bảo vệ tốt. Ảnh: Văn Trường

The regenerated mangrove forest in Xa Luong, Tuong Duong is well protected. Photo: Van Truong

Therefore, the REDD+ emission reduction program (a mechanism to provide financial rewards for avoiding deforestation and forest degradation, creating incentives for sustainable forest management; conserving biodiversity and maintaining environmental services; improving livelihoods for people and local communities living on forests in developing countries), was born as an international initiative, aiming to provide financial support to developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate climate change through five activities. Since 2009, Vietnam has participated in the REDD+ initiative with 44 large and small projects, with a total funding value of about 84 million USD. Support for activities to raise awareness, improve capacity, pilot some activities, models and prepare for REDD+ implementation in Vietnam. There are 19 provinces that have approved REDD+ action plans (PRAPs) up to 2020 and 12 provinces that have provincial REDD+ steering committees.
The purpose of REDD+ by 2020 is to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through REDD+ activities, increasing national forest cover to 42% and forest area to 14.4 million hectares; Contributing to improving forest governance, creating jobs, improving people's lives associated with new rural development and ensuring national defense and security. Improving the quality of natural forests and planted forests to increase carbon accumulation and forest environmental services; replicating effective forest planting models; managing, protecting and sustainably conserving natural forests.

Propaganda work is a focus
The ER-PD program is implemented in 6 provinces in the North Central region (Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue) with a total land area of 5.1 million hectares (accounting for 16% of Vietnam's total land area). Of which 80% is mountainous, the rest is coastal plains with agricultural land accounting for 14%. The program's objective is to directly address the causes of deforestation and forest degradation and to encourage forest restoration and sustainable forest management.
For Nghe An, there is Decision No. 2589/QD-UBND dated June 21, 2016 of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee on promulgating the Action Plan "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, through efforts to limit deforestation and forest degradation, sustainable management of forest resources, conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+)" in Nghe An province - abbreviated as PRAP. Drafting an update of the provincial REDD+ Action Plan according to the national action program NRAP (amended in Decision 419). To achieve high efficiency, since the beginning of 2018, the FCPF2 Project Management Board of Nghe An province has strengthened propaganda work for the emission reduction program in the North Central region. Specifically, coordinate with forestry management units such as the Protection Forest Management Board, Forest Ranger Department, Pu Huong Nature Reserve to disseminate information on forest protection, forest fire prevention and control, and related regulations, directives, mechanisms, and policies in the area. Widely disseminate information on REDD+ and the emission reduction program through media, conferences, seminars, billboards, and posters.

Khách du lịch nước ngoài thăm rừng Quốc gia Pù Mát (Con Cuông). Ảnh: Văn Trường

Foreign tourists visit Pu Mat National Park (Con Cuong). Photo: Van Truong

The project's propaganda period was from April 20 to June 10, with 17 communes, including Que Phong, Tuong Duong, and Anh Son districts. The propaganda target included key officials of the commune, village/hamlet, and some households contracted to protect the forest. The number of participants was about 53 people per propaganda session. Through the propaganda sessions, most people understood the meaning of the emission reduction program. Mr. Lang Hong Thang - Chairman of the Front of Dong Van commune, Que Phong district shared: After the propaganda session, people in the commune understood that having forests means having a clean environment, reducing the risk of flash floods. We also know how to use forest products (not wood), not to destroy them when picking bamboo shoots, vegetables, fruits, etc., but still leave the roots. Especially, together to protect the primeval forests. We will continue to widely propagate these contents to the people to know and effectively carry out forest protection work in the area.
Mr. Lu Van Tien - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Que Phong district said: The whole district is currently managing more than 144 thousand hectares of forest, the forest area paid for forest environmental services is more than 56 thousand hectares. There are currently 8 hydropower plants in the area, of which 3 plants have participated in forest environmental services. Through the propaganda campaign on emission reduction program, the awareness of ethnic minority communities about laws, regulations, and policies on forest protection, as well as about climate change, biodiversity protection, and sustainable forest management has been raised.

Pu Mat National Park has fresh air. Photo: Tuong Vi

In the coming time, the FCPF2 Project Management Board of Nghe An province will continue to propagate to 9 districts and 14 communes in the region to pilot the emission reduction program in the North Central region. Train the forest monitoring system using tablets for forest rangers and forest owners. Train the techniques of planting high-yield large timber forests, restoring and rehabilitating natural forests for technical staff of forest owners and related units in the province. Develop a project on forest allocation and leasing in Nghe An province for the period 2018-2024. Develop an urgent plan to prevent and combat illegal logging and exploitation of forest products in key areas for the period 2016-2020.
In fact, REDD+ is still a relatively new field. In particular, it is necessary to coordinate and combine with sectors and local authorities to focus on improving the livelihoods of people living on forests. At the same time, it is necessary to raise awareness of the environment and society, increase people's participation in the management, protection and sustainable development of forests, conserve biodiversity and increase forest carbon stocks to adapt to climate change. In that process, ethnic minority communities need to make more efforts in reducing emissions and accumulation of greenhouse gases through a series of daily tasks, such as protecting natural forests, planting forests, planting long-term native trees, changing farming methods such as no-slash-burning, etc.