Economic development goes hand in hand with sustainable ecological environment protection

According to the data published on the forest status in 2022, Thai Binh province has 4,248.06 hectares of coastal forests distributed in 12 coastal communes of Thai Thuy and Tien Hai districts. Over the years, Thai Binh coastal forests have played a very important role in coastal protection, environmental protection, and preserving coastal biodiversity.

Thai Binh currently has 4,248.06 hectares of coastal forests in two districts, Thai Thuy and Tien Hai.

Coastal mangrove forests have the function of protecting against erosion, maintaining ecological balance, creating favorable conditions for forestry production, aquaculture, providing animal and plant breeds and coastal security and defense. Therefore, forest protection and development is always one of the tasks that the province pays special attention to. Many projects on planting, protecting and developing mangrove forests have been implemented in the province, contributing to significantly increasing the area and quality of forests. Specifically, from 2015 to 2022, the coastal forest area of the province increased by 539 hectares (from 3,709 hectares in 2015 to 4,248.06 hectares in 2022). In the coming time, Thai Binh will continue to have a policy of planting 1,000 hectares of new forests and planting 500 hectares of additional coastal forests. This policy is specified in the proposal for national forestry planning and Thai Binh province forestry planning for the period 2021 - 2030.

The establishment of Thai Binh Economic Zone is one of the key breakthroughs and turning points for the province's socio-economic development; focusing on exploiting the advantages of marine resources, developing the economy towards the sea to unleash the province's marine economic potential, contributing to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 19th and 20th Provincial Party Congresses.

Clearly identifying that importance, the consistent and continuous policy of Thai Binh is to develop the Economic Zone in parallel with protecting the sustainable ecological environment, especially in the two coastal districts with mangrove ecosystems. To serve the development of Thai Binh Economic Zone according to the Prime Minister's master plan, the Provincial People's Committee directs departments, branches and localities to review and adjust all relevant plans to ensure consistency and synchronization with the master plan of Thai Binh Economic Zone. In the forestry sector, the regulations that must be adjusted include: Forest protection and development planning for the period 2012 - 2020 (this planning has been adjusted by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 600/QD-UBND dated March 28, 2023); The scale of the special-use forest (adjusted by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 731/QD-UBND dated April 17, 2023 of the Provincial People's Committee on determining the location, scale, area, and boundaries of the special-use forest in the three coastal communes of Nam Phu, Nam Hung, and Nam Thinh (Tien Hai). Accordingly, the area of the special-use forest is 1,320 hectares, including 632 hectares of land with mangrove forests and 688 hectares of land without forests. Citing Decision No. 731/QD-UBND, there is an article with inaccurate information about Thai Binh developing the Economic Zone, affecting the mangrove ecosystem.

Regarding this, Mr. Dinh Vinh Thuy, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: On October 28, 2019, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1486/QD-TTg on the master plan for the construction of Thai Binh Economic Zone to 2040, with a vision to 2050 (Decision 1486). Accordingly, the People's Committee of Thai Binh province is responsible for reviewing and adjusting related plans to ensure consistency, consistency, and synchronization with the master plan for the construction of Thai Binh Economic Zone. Plans related to the forestry and conservation sectors must be adjusted to ensure consistency, consistency, and synchronization with the master plan for the construction of Thai Binh Economic Zone, including: Forest protection and development plan of Thai Binh province for the period 2012 - 2020; The special-use forest called Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve in 3 communes: Nam Phu, Nam Hung, Nam Thinh (Tien Hai) was established according to Decision No. 2159/QD-UBND, dated September 26, 2014 of Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee, because compared to Decision No. 1486, this special-use forest overlaps a lot with Thai Binh Economic Zone. Pursuant to the 2017 Forestry Law and Decision 1486, the agricultural sector has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Decision No. 600/QD-UBND dated March 28, 2023 approving the adjustment of the forest protection and development planning of Thai Binh province for the period 2012 - 2020, Decision No. 731/QD-UBND dated April 17, 2023 of the Provincial People's Committee on determining the location, scale, area, and boundaries of special-use forests in 3 coastal communes of Nam Phu, Nam Hung, and Nam Thinh (Tien Hai).

Mr. Dinh Hai Luc, Head of the Forest Protection Department (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) said: Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve in the above 3 communes is just a name, in fact this is a special-use forest, there is no legal document stipulating that this is a wetland and the area of 12,500 hectares as stated in the article is also not an exact figure when the scale and area of this special-use forest have no legal basis for recognition. Therefore, the determination of the location, scale and boundaries of the special-use forest in the 3 communes according to Decision No. 731/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee is completely consistent and in accordance with the Prime Minister's planning for Thai Binh Economic Zone; there is no case of Thai Binh "erasing" more than 11,000 hectares of mangrove forest as stated in the article.

After 6 years of being established by the Prime Minister, Thai Binh Economic Zone is gradually completing its infrastructure and gradually attracting many large projects, receiving consensus and high support from the government as well as the people of the two coastal districts of Thai Thuy and Tien Hai, including the 3 communes of Nam Phu, Nam Hung, and Nam Thinh.

Mr. Tran Minh Phung, Nam Hung commune (Tien Hai) said: The forest in this area is very scattered, fragmented, divided and interspersed with aquaculture ponds, the land use here is very complicated, almost all the land area without forest (ponds, tidal flats...) is used by people for aquaculture. I am very excited that the locality is located in Thai Binh Economic Zone because it will create stable jobs for many children, promote local economic development, and maximize the potential and advantages of the sea.

Thai Binh is currently focusing on implementing many solutions to attract investment and develop Thai Binh Economic Zone to become a comprehensive, multi-sector economic zone, a breakthrough area of the province towards the goal of creating jobs and increasing income for workers. Therefore, consensus from Party committees, authorities as well as people is needed to successfully carry out socio-economic development tasks.

Ngan Huyen

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