Efforts to restore land, combat drought and desertification

World Environment Day 2024 calls on countries around the world to work together towards the goals of restoring land, combating desertification and drought, slowing climate change, protecting nature, and enhancing livelihoods and food security for billions of people around the world.

In Lao Cai, based on analysis of meteorological and hydrological data series from 1961 to 2021, it is noted that temperature and rainfall trends have both increased compared to the average of many years.

According to experts, due to the impact of global climate change, extreme weather phenomena such as hail, severe cold, frost, frost ... have greatly affected people's lives and production. Drought and water shortages occur in the dry season, especially in the 46 communes at risk of desertification in 3 districts: Muong Khuong, Bac Ha and Simacai. Desertification has caused difficulties in water supply.

In Muong Khuong district, there are some areas showing signs of desertification and low groundwater levels, such as Lo Co Chin village, Pha Long commune (18 households), Din Chin, Ngai Thau, Cung Lung villages, Din Chin commune (total 240 households), Ta Gia Khau village, Ta Gia Khau commune (23 households), especially in the dry months. The current water use is mainly rainwater or pumping from nearby sources. The cause of the water shortage, in addition to the lowering of groundwater levels due to the impact of desertification and climate change, is also due to people living and producing on high mountainous terrain. To overcome this situation, local Party committees and authorities have surveyed and searched for new sources of water. The solution being implemented is to build a system of rainwater storage tanks, pumping from areas with water sources, initially solving part of the people's needs. In the long term, this locality has determined that it needs to make efforts to plant forests and reforest bare hills to combat drought and desertification in a more sustainable way.

Similarly, Simacai district is one of three localities at high risk of desertification. In recent times, the district has had many solutions to reforest barren land and hills, creating stable livelihoods for people as well as combating desertification. In particular, the conversion from food crop cultivation to afforestation on hilly land and areas at risk of desertification is a policy suitable to the actual conditions in Simacai.

Regarding drought, from 2012 to 2022, there have been a number of prolonged droughts and widespread heat waves in some localities in the province, causing damage to the crop sector, especially short-term crops (rice, corn, other crops). The number of severe cold spells and damaging cold spells from 2012 to 2022 averaged 5-7 per year, however, the number of severe cold days tended to decrease in most areas in the province. In 2023, prolonged heat waves caused droughts in many places and affected many sectors, of which agriculture was the most severely affected sector; in 2023 alone, damage due to heat waves and water shortages amounted to VND 751.9 billion.

According to Mr. Luu Duc Cuong, Head of the Department of Environmental Protection (Department of Natural Resources and Environment), climate change is having a major impact on many provinces and cities across the country and countries around the world. This year's World Environment Day has the theme "Land restoration, drought and desertification prevention" and this is also the content that Lao Cai province is interested in. To implement this theme in particular and combat climate change in general, Lao Cai has developed an action plan to respond to the period up to 2030, with a vision to 2050.

Specifically, Lao Cai aims to control water and land resources well by 2030, ensuring adequate water balance for daily life, agriculture, industry, services and important economic sectors. With the risks of drought and desertification, the agricultural sector and related sectors have implemented solutions to restore land and improve adaptability. Crops and livestock have been transformed towards smart adaptation to climate change, developing sustainable agricultural - forestry - fishery value chains, ensuring food security and national nutritional balance.

In addition, Lao Cai is interested in implementing sustainable forest management solutions, increasing forest cover; conserving nature and biodiversity; reducing emissions, increasing the ability to absorb greenhouse gases... Lao Cai also develops specific plans to deploy response and adaptation tasks for each sector and field.

According to Mr. Cuong, sectors and localities are expanding effective models in land restoration, drought and desertification prevention, especially in areas directly affected by drought and desertification. On the occasion of World Environment Day and the Month of Action for the Environment, Lao Cai simultaneously organized community activities, such as rallies, environmental sanitation campaigns, tree planting, waste collection and treatment; launched the Campaign to join hands to protect resources, protect the environment, and respond to climate change with practical actions...

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