At the seminar "Nature conservation and buffer zone development of Vietnam's special-use forests" organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Con Cuong district at the end of July, Minister Le Minh Hoan suggested many solutions when approaching the forest ecosystem, changing the mindset about income and livelihood from forests.
Nghe An Newspaper respectfully introduces an article by comrade Le Minh Hoan - Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“ What does the forest teach us? ” - I would like to raise this question, so that each of us has the opportunity to think and contemplate.
Surely each of us has our own answer.
- I would like to share with the delegates attending the Discussion about an article: “ Returning to the forest: To see how small we are”. I would like to quote the original opening of the article: “100 years ago, we used a computer as big as a room, but now, a compact machine can be used to watch movies, edit photos, chair meetings with people half a world away… People always think that they grow up with science. But sometimes, because of emphasizing material achievements, we forget what is really great, forget how small we are before the “giving” of nature and of everyone”.
Forests teach us about tolerance. Despite all the damage and destruction, forests still give people clean air, produce, shade, and sweet fruits…
Forests teach us about silent sacrifice. The rangers, experts, scientists... participating in the discussion today, along with the rangers, forest guards, international nature conservation organizations across Vietnam - the "forest lovers" who silently and diligently contribute to protecting and developing forests every day. Forests teach us about learning and connecting to grow up. Being aware of our smallness means we are ready to learn and commit to growing up. To become great, we must learn from great things. To learn from great things, we must learn to dialogue to connect more with everyone and everything.
Forests teach us about the preciousness and uniqueness of all species, animals, flowers and trees. The act of releasing wild animals back into the wild helps us understand the value of rescuing, caring for and protecting each individual.
Forests teach us about the multi-use value of the forest canopy, if we know how to harmonize conservation and development.
The forest teaches us so many things we need to continue to engage in, to experience, to learn, to grow.
The forest teaches us to protect, care for, and live in harmony with each other despite our different statuses, regardless of big or small, high or low, main or secondary, like the multi-layered, multi-layered flora.
The forest teaches us to share and love, no matter what adversity. With the same amount of sunlight, wind, air, and water, every creature in the forest still exists without fighting for its own.
The forest teaches us lessons of optimism, always filled with the songs of birds and the songs of trees.
Our Survey Team was impressed with the portraits of children and ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas when visiting the Open Museum of Nature and Culture at Pu Mat National Park. People are always the center and the subject of activities that combine nature conservation and livelihood development.
The participants of today's field survey and discussion series are very diverse, from leaders with many years of knowledge and experience in the forest, agricultural management units, specialized forest rangers and protection forces, representatives of local leaders, to experts, scientists, international organizations on nature and conservation, to local people whose livelihoods are closely linked to national parks, conservation areas, and journalists and reporters from press and media units.
To see that, the story of conservation and sustainable livelihood development is a tireless, diligent journey, with the active participation, joint efforts, and perseverance of all of us.
It is necessary to distinguish between " livelihood" and " income"
If income is limited to salary, benefits, and material benefits, then livelihood includes quality of life, both material and spiritual values.
Livelihood is not just work, responsibility, duty, but the joy of doing that work, responsibility, duty.
Forest ecosystems not only bring economic value but also great social value. When exchanging an area of forest land, not only do we exchange a few forest trees but also the livelihoods of those involved in forest development.
In pursuit of a better life, humans have taken too much from nature, without taking into account the time it takes for nature to recover as it did thousands of years ago, hundreds of years ago. In order for the economy to grow faster, humans have unintentionally upset the natural balance. In order to get ahead, humans have impacted the ecosystem at all costs. Has anyone calculated how many “plus points” for growth must be exchanged for how many “minus points” due to environmental degradation, ecosystem deformation, and reduced biodiversity?
The natural green has gradually turned into brown, gray, now it is time to change from brown, gray back to green. Every change is not easy to achieve immediate consensus of society. All is due to the conflict of interests between individuals and the community, between immediate and long-term, between short-term and long-term. All is because the "pluses" are easy to see, but the "minus" are difficult to recognize immediately.
There is a funny association like this, "if you are still weighing the economic and environmental issues, try counting money and holding your breath"!
Let's answer the following questions together:
Do we really understand thoroughly about "sustainable development", with economic - environmental - social fields?
Do we think that forest space has no limits but humans set their own limits on open thinking, forests and nature are always open spaces, but humans close their own thinking space, and divide themselves due to single-sector management barriers?
We often talk about “forest ecosystem” as a scientific and technical concept, but how do we perceive “human ecosystem” or think about “community values” as a “social science and humanities” concept?
We always look for resources from above and outside, but do we forget to promote resources from within, or fail to combine resources from within and outside?
Price development multi-use value of forest ecosystems
The Forestry Department coordinates with localities and relevant units to implement the “Development of multi-use values of forest ecosystems”. This is not just a purely technical project, but a newer approach, a broader and more far-reaching vision of the values of forest resources. Thinking about the value of multi-use forests helps harmonize the relationship between natural resources and human resources, between tangible and intangible resources, towards sustainable development.
Attracting the participation of diverse subjects, such as reporters and the press, also contributes positively and importantly: "communication creates added value in the connected economy".
Diversification and integration create new economic value. Besides the value from wood, there are also rare ginseng and medicinal herbs, mushrooms with high nutritional value, and aquaculture can also be developed under the forest canopy.
Diversity does not create conflict, but rather adds resonance and richness to the forest. Today, the world has turned to foods derived from nature, from sustainably managed forests.
New economic value of forests also comes from forest environment rental services for ecotourism development and revenue from forest carbon credits.
A harmonious approach, connecting science and technology with social sciences.
Conservation of biodiversity with rare "genetic resources" of animals and plants, and community knowledge and culture also need to be preserved and developed in a "living museum" which is the forest space.
Forest space is the spiritual, religious and mental space of human life.
Forest space is always open for scientists, from science, engineering to social sciences and humanities, and experts in ethnology, to come and learn and experience.
Forest space is the "address" that inspires creative and innovative ideas for institutes, schools, organizations and individuals at home and abroad to research, train, coach, transfer and spread knowledge to communities.
Forest space is also a synthesis of crystallized values between indigenous knowledge, thousand-year-old cultural traditions and modern knowledge, creating new values.
Finally, I wish each of us to have a passport to explore the forest and discover our own life values?
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