Ho Chi Minh City increasingly lacks trees

TP - According to many experts, the cutting down and relocation of trees to implement a series of infrastructure projects has increased the density of concretization, narrowing the green lungs that regulate the climate, making Ho Chi Minh City increasingly suffocating, with harsh heat in the dry season, while flooding in the rainy season disrupts people's lives.

Touch is cut

In early May 2024, dozens of trees on Hoang Hoa Tham Street (Tan Binh District) were cut down to serve the construction of the project to expand the road connecting Terminal T3 - Tan Son Nhat International Airport (HKQT). According to the reporter's records, there were about 90 trees that had to be cut down and relocated. Among them, many were old trees, large in size and provided shade.

Mr. Mai Van Hieu (residing in Ward 13, Tan Binh District) said that Hoang Hoa Tham Street is quite narrow, often congested during rush hour at the intersection with Cong Hoa overpass. The road expansion and traffic congestion reduction are supported by many people. However, witnessing the trees being cut down one by one, many people feel extremely regretful. "When the trees are bare and the sun is hotter, we can see the value of trees. We hope that the project will be completed soon, and trees will be replanted to create shade like before" - Mr. Hieu shared.

Previously, many trees on Truong Chinh Street (Tan Binh District) were also cut down to make way for the Tran Quoc Hoan - Cong Hoa connecting road project (connecting Terminal T3 - Tan Son Nhat International Airport). In addition, part of the land of Hoang Van Thu Park (Tan Binh District) was also used to carry out this project. More than 300 trees in the park were cut down or relocated.

In addition to the above projects, in recent times, Ho Chi Minh City has had many projects that had to cut down and relocate trees, such as An Phu intersection (Thu Duc city) with nearly 1,100 trees relocated, more than 200 trees had to be cut down; the project to strengthen the connection of metro line 1 (148 trees were uprooted and moved elsewhere, 37 trees were cut down); the technical infrastructure project, preparing the ground for metro line 2 (404 trees were cut down, 49 trees were relocated).

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just assigned localities to review and reclaim public land that is planned as park land that is being leased to build parks. For land that is not being used for the right purpose and has no longer been leased, localities will coordinate with the Department of Construction to classify and assess the needs and necessity to implement park construction projects.

Many trees are cut down in the context of the city becoming increasingly stuffy, not only making people angry but also making many experts worried. According to Dr. Vo Kim Cuong, former Deputy Chief Architect of Ho Chi Minh City, with projects that require cutting down many trees such as metro line 2, investors need to have solutions to replace the cut down trees, such as: Making climbing vines to create green areas or green works, opening local green parks in the area where the trees were cut down... "Only when absolutely necessary do we have to cut down trees to build projects. Units must be responsible for re-greening" - Mr. Vo Kim Cuong said.

Cutting down trees on Hoang Hoa Tham Street Photo: HH

Dr. of Science, Architect Ngo Viet Nam Son (urban expert) is concerned: The proportion of green space in Ho Chi Minh City is decreasing to make way for infrastructure projects. Currently, the green space area of ​​the city is only 0.55m2/person, 20 times lower than the minimum criteria of UNESCO (10m2/person).

According to Mr. Son, trees play an important role in regulating the urban climate, especially in the context of severe heat like the recent past. Green space also acts as an air filter, reduces noise and creates cool breezes in the city due to the difference in temperature.

“The city has too few trees. If they are cut down, they will not grow fast enough when replanted. Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City needs to make adjustments. When a project requires cutting down trees, it must be implemented quickly and replanted. We must plant twice or three times as many trees to be commensurate because we have to cut down large trees and replant small ones,” Mr. Son advised.

Quickly restore green lungs

According to the representative of the Management Board of Investment and Construction of Traffic Works in Ho Chi Minh City (abbreviated as Traffic Board), the project to expand Hoang Hoa Tham Street is about 800m long, from the foot of the overpass intersecting with Cong Hoa Street to the Tan Son Nhat Airport. The number of trees that were cut down because they could not be uprooted and cared for. After the project is completed, other trees will be replanted to ensure urban aesthetics.

The investor of the Tran Quoc Hoan - Cong Hoa connecting road project also said that after the project is completed, the contractor will return nearly 700m2 of park to replant trees. At the Metro No. 2 project, the representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (investor) also said: The rearrangement of trees and green areas will be carried out in the project "Sustainable urban transport for Metro Line No. 2 Ho Chi Minh City". The new planting plan will be implemented after the completion of the station construction. Planting new trees in the next phase ensures that the total canopy area of ​​newly planted trees is larger or equal to the previous one.

On May 7, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee issued a plan to implement the Program for developing public parks and trees in the city for the period 2024 - 2025. In particular, the city set a target of developing at least 68 hectares of public parks and planting and renovating 12,000 trees. In addition, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee requested localities with large land funds such as Thu Duc City, Districts 7, 12, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Nha Be districts... to promote the development of parks and trees. Localities themselves propose investment targets. The minimum area must be 50 hectares (Thu Duc City alone must have a minimum of 100 hectares) and include these targets in the Party Congress resolutions of each locality for the period 2026 - 2030.

Huu Huy - Trong Thinh

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tphcm-ngay-cang-thieu-cay-xanh-post1635832.tpo