Handing over more than 15,000 seedlings for forest restoration

The Center for Social Research and Development (CSRD, a non-governmental organization based in Hue City) has just handed over 5,000 seedlings of sen trung, lim xanh and sao den to Huong Phong commune (A Luoi district); 10,120 mangrove seedlings of ban chua and nipa to Phu Hai and Phu Gia communes (Phu Vang district, Hue City), to serve the activities of enriching native forests and planting scattered mangrove forests in aquaculture ponds and vulnerable areas in Tam Giang lagoon.

With the spirit of joining hands to launch the "Green Sunday" movement, contributing to the "Program to plant one billion trees in the period of 2021-2025" according to Directive No. 45/CP-TTg of the Prime Minister, the planting of seedlings attracted the widespread and active participation of departments, branches, organizations, Women's Unions, schools, communities of villages/groups/groups in the beneficiary areas in the 3 communes mentioned above.

Community participates in planting water coconut at the fishing port of Phu Hai commune, Phu Vang district. Photo: Van Dinh.

The activity is within the framework of the project "Planting mangrove trees scattered around aquaculture ponds in Tam Giang lagoon area and planting native forest trees to restore natural forests in A Luoi district" approved by the People's Committee of Hue City under Decision No. 168/QD-UBND dated January 20, 2025.

The total project capital is VND 735,550,000 (equivalent to USD 29,875) sponsored by Cotswold Company (UK) Ltd (United Kingdom), with implementation period until September 2025, including survey activities, dispersed afforestation and post-planting monitoring. In addition to handing over seedlings, CSRD has also supported VND 31,300,000 as funding for local and community afforestation activities.

The main objective of the activities and projects is to promote the role of the community in developing a sustainable aquaculture livelihood model based on protecting water resources and restoring natural ecosystems, creating landscapes for aquaculture areas; Increasing natural forest cover in the A Luoi mountainous area, contributing to reducing the greenhouse effect and landslides during the rainy season.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hai, Chairman of Phu Hai Commune People's Committee, said that this is a very practical and necessary activity for the locality. The 5,000 trees handed over by the project will be planted in the commune's boat dock area, along the dikes and aquaculture areas of households. Through this activity, people's awareness of planting mangrove forests and protecting the ecosystem will also be raised, increasing the responsibility of each individual in protecting the environment and forests...

For ethnic minority communities in A Luoi, their daily livelihoods and cultural and spiritual lives are closely linked to the forest. Therefore, the current A Luoi community is very keen on planting native forest trees to restore natural forests.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Thi Dinh - Director of CSRD, mangrove trees as well as native forest trees contribute greatly to reducing the erosion of lake/aquaculture lagoon banks and landslides in mountainous areas during the rainy season, creating landscapes for ecotourism development in the above localities. Afforestation is extremely important and necessary, thereby raising people's awareness in protecting resources, finding natural-based livelihood solutions, reducing natural disaster risks and responding to climate change.