At a meeting with forestry agencies, on the basis of promoting potentials and advantages and pointing out solutions to overcome existing problems, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy hopes to focus on developing a sustainable, multi-purpose forestry sector in the coming time.
On the morning of March 6, Minister Do Duc Duy chaired a meeting to listen to the reality and propose solutions to improve the effectiveness of forest management and protection as well as promote sustainable development of the agricultural sector. Attending the meeting were Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri; leaders of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection; and leaders of specialized units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Currently, Vietnam's forestry sector is facing many challenges in the management, protection and development of forest resources. However, with its great potential, this sector also brings many opportunities to contribute to the sustainable development of the country's economy. At an important meeting with agricultural management units, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Do Duc Duy made in-depth assessments of the forestry sector and proposed urgent solutions to promote sustainable development in the future.
Contributing nearly 60% of the country's trade surplus
According to the report of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection, Vietnam's forestry sector has achieved many remarkable achievements. In particular, the forest area of the whole country has been restored from a low level in the 90s, when forest cover was only 27%, to about 42% now. Minister Do Duc Duy assessed this as a great achievement, reflecting the continuous efforts of the authorities in protecting and developing forest resources.
Another important factor is the improvement in the legal system and production organization in the forestry sector. Positive changes in policies, especially Directive 18 on closing natural forests, have helped prevent the decline in forest area. At the same time, the forestry sector also contributes significantly to exports with nearly 1 billion USD, accounting for about 80% of the agricultural sector's trade surplus and nearly 60% of the country's trade surplus.
Difficulties in management and development of Vietnam's forestry industry
However, in addition to the achievements, Director of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection Tran Quang Bao said that the forestry sector also faces many difficulties. Delegates attending the meeting also shared more about the difficulties and conflicts of the Vietnamese forestry sector, leading to many serious challenges in forest protection and sustainable development.
One of the major difficulties is the lack of financial investment. In particular, forest protection projects, plantation development and scientific research have not received sufficient investment. Mobilizing capital for sustainable forestry is difficult due to the long production cycle and economic benefits that cannot be recovered immediately.
Lack of specialized human resources is also an important factor. The industry is lacking highly qualified human resources in research, management and sustainable exploitation of forests. Furthermore, the forest protection force lacks a reasonable remuneration regime, making it difficult to attract quality personnel. In addition, the fragmentation in management is another difficult factor. Because the current forest owner system is too fragmented and lacks synchronization, causing errors in zoning and managing forest resources.
Another difficulty is the pressure of socio-economic development, which has caused forest areas to shrink. The demand for infrastructure, urban, industrial and tourism construction is increasing, leading to deforestation and encroachment on forest land. In addition, trade competition and export barriers also put pressure on the forestry sector. Markets require control of legal timber origins, while science and technology have not been widely applied in forest exploitation and protection.
Finally, climate change and statistical issues are also having negative impacts, reducing the effectiveness of forest protection and development, and leading to financial losses.
In addition to the opinions of the delegates attending the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri also added a number of solutions to improve the effectiveness of management, protection and sustainable development of this sector. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop specific mechanisms and policies for forest management and protection, especially the remuneration regime for the force directly protecting the forest.
Submit to the Politburo a resolution to resolve issues related to land use rights and overlaps in management; review and simplify the system of related policies and programs to avoid overlaps and inadequacies; strengthen coordination between ministries, sectors and localities in forest management, protection and development; promote technology application and technology transfer to localities in traceability and agricultural production management.
According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri, these solutions not only aim to improve management efficiency but also contribute to the sustainable development of Vietnam's agriculture and forestry sector in the future.
Developing sustainable, multi-purpose forestry
Minister Do Duc Duy assessed that the forestry sector plays a key role not only in economic development but also in environmental protection, climate change response and biodiversity conservation. With about 14.8 million hectares of forest, Vietnam possesses a valuable natural resource that is of international interest. However, for the forestry sector to truly develop its potential, there must be synchronous, strong and resolute solutions from the authorities, communities and businesses.
Minister Do Duc Duy also emphasized that, in the future, the forestry sector needs to become an indispensable part of international political negotiations, especially in developing and responding to climate change, protecting the environment and creating sustainable sources of income from carbon credits.
Vietnam’s forestry sector is facing many opportunities and challenges, therefore, Minister Do Duc Duy said that in order to develop sustainably, there needs to be concerted efforts and coordination between all levels of government, communities and businesses. Institutional improvement, application of science and technology, development of new economic models and improvement of infrastructure are important factors that help the forestry sector contribute to the country’s sustainable development.
Regarding the current difficulties and problems that have been pointed out, Minister Do Duc Duy said that in order to resolve the problems, each problem must be clearly identified, implemented step by step, with a clear plan and decisive action. For example, the industry needs to solve the problem of converting forests for economic development while still ensuring the forest coverage rate according to the set target. To solve this problem, the Minister said that there should be policies on increasing the area of biomass forests, applying science in protection and exploitation, and standards to make full use of forest products...
“Only when the current difficulties are resolved can the forestry sector truly become a key economic sector, contributing significantly to environmental protection and improving the quality of life for people, especially communities living around forest areas. The sector’s viewpoint in the coming time is to develop a sustainable and multi-purpose forestry sector,” said Minister Do Duc Duy.
Faced with these issues, Minister Do Duc Duy proposed a series of strategic solutions to develop the forestry sector sustainably. In particular, reviewing and perfecting policy institutions, Minister Do Duc Duy said that handling conflicts and overlaps between areas such as land, nature conservation, and biodiversity is essential to ensure comprehensive and effective development of the forestry sector. Legal documents need to be reviewed and adjusted to suit the development situation.
Restructuring the agricultural and forestry sectors is also one of the key tasks that need attention. Developing the forestry sector is not only about changing production methods but also about reforming organization and management. Expanding forest area, enriching forests and increasing added value from forests are prerequisites for improving economic efficiency from forest resources.
Researching economic development models under the forest canopy. The Minister emphasized that instead of simply exploiting timber, it is necessary to develop economic models under the forest canopy, such as eco-tourism and planting high-value trees. These models not only protect the forest but also bring stable income to the community.
Applying science and technology in forest management, one of the solutions in the context of current scientific integration is to increase the application of technology in forest management and protection. For example, using drone technology to monitor and track forest conditions will help increase efficiency and reduce costs in patrolling and preventing forest fires.
In addition, the Minister said that it is necessary to research and develop new mechanisms and policies to link the development of the forestry economy with environmental protection and climate change response. Especially the development of the carbon credit market. "This is a great opportunity for us to research and apply new scientific and technological standards to improve the effectiveness of environmental protection and climate change response." - Minister Do Duc Duy emphasized.
In addition, the Minister said that the issue of managing forest areas such as special-use forests, national parks, and nature reserves also needs to be clarified. Each forest area has its own management goals, and management agencies need to find ways to harmonize these goals, between biodiversity conservation, economic development, and protection of natural landscapes. According to Minister Do Duc Duy, this is an extremely important issue, because each forest area has different functions and tasks, and tourism development, nature conservation, or forest resource exploitation need to be carried out in a reasonable manner, without conflicting with each other.
Finally, propaganda and awareness raising about the role of forests and the benefits of protecting forest resources should be emphasized. Models of community participation in forest protection, such as contracting forest protection services to residential communities, should be expanded and improved.
“Given the importance of the forestry sector to the country’s sustainable development, I hope that in the coming time, we will take drastic, scientific and effective steps to maximize the value of forests and protect a clean living environment.” - Minister Do Duc Duy shared.
Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/bo-truong-do-duc-duy-phat-trien-nganh-lam-nghiep-ben-vung-da-muc-tieu-387340.html
Comment (0)