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Former Tien Lang official explains land allocation term
While the land conflict in Hai Phong City’s Tien Lang District is being handled by competent agencies, a former district official has explained the related land allocation term.
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Farmers tend seedlings in the central province of Quang Ngai's Ba To District. Viet Nam's forests need to be properly managed in the face of a changing climate. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Long |
"Viet Nam is one of the five countries that is being severely affected as a result of climate change so we need to address a number of factors including regulatory mechanisms, market consumption and biodiversity conservation," said Nhi.
Nhi was speaking at a two-day regional conference that aims to address current and future challenges in developing and sustaining forests and biodiversity with a changing climate.
State Secretary of the German Development Ministry, Gudrun Kopp, said: "Forests are more than just a collection of trees and animals. Forests are a foundation of life and vital, national resources. Many people depend on the treasures of forests for resources like clear water and pure materials."
"Forests are the best climate protector. We need forests, we must protect them and we want to use them in a sustainable manner."
She pointed out that the proper use of the forest not only concerns protection, but plans should work to conserve biodiversity.
"Forests supply raw materials, which contribute to economic development," she said, citing that 1.2 million jobs have been created in the forestry sector in Germany.
Kopp appreciated the enormous effort Viet Nam had made in the past in the forestry sector. She highlighted the importance of co-operating with private institutes that can contribute financial support.
To help Viet Nam properly adapt to climate change, the German Government has been implementing a financial package worth US$145 million in Viet Nam since 1994. The funds, of which $90 million is used in financial co-operation and $55 million is dedicated to technical co-operation, focus on forest management, biodiversity preservation, and protection and use of forests in the coastal regions.
According to Kopp, German Chancellor Angela Merkel committed 500 million euros ($644 million) to help protect the forests in developing countries during the 2009-12 period. This amount will increase starting in 2013.
Viet Nam has 19.2 million hectares of forest areas, of which only 13.1 million hectares are covered with forests. Of the actual forests, 10.3 million hectares are natural and the remaining 2.8 million are plantations.
Nhi stressed that Viet Nam has achieved encouraging results from Germany's financial and technical assistance.
Viet Nam's forest areas have increased from 27 per cent in the 1990s to 39.1 per cent in 2009, Nhi said.
He acknowledged the challenges the Vietnamese forest sector faces, including encroachment, insufficient State investment, and weak competition. He also noted that conversation has so far focused mainly on biodiversity.
The conference, attended by 250 domestic and international delegates, hopes to shape the medium-term financial framework and possible funding mechanisms to enable sustainable forestry and to capitalise on forests and biodiversity in Viet Nam. — VNS
