Deploying forest inventory in the Central Highlands provinces

On the afternoon of November 28, in Buon Ma Thuot City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the People's Committees of the Central Highlands provinces (including Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum) to organize a conference to deploy forest inventory in the Central Highlands provinces.

Comrades: Bui Chinh Nghia - Director of the Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Vo Van Canh - Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee; Duong Mah Tiep - Vice Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee co-chaired the conference.

Conference scene.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Bui Chinh Nghia - Director of the Forest Protection Department said that in the period of 2013-2016, the national forest inventory work has been effectively implemented. The inventory results have identified over 1.1 million forest owners who are households, individuals, communities, villages and 2,100 forest owners who are organizations; established forest records for forest owners and authorities at all levels; built a database to manage 7.1 million forest plots. The database is managed in software to serve the purpose of searching, monitoring, planning and planning for forestry from the central to local levels and as a basis for implementing the policy of payment for forest environmental services.

On June 20, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Decision No. 1826/QD-BNN-KL promulgating the Forest Inventory Plan in the Central Highlands provinces. Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will support 5 provinces in the Central Highlands to implement forest inventory work, especially support in receiving and interpreting remote sensing images to hand over to the provinces as an initial basis for organizing forest investigation and inventory according to regulations.

Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee Vo Van Canh spoke at the conference.

According to the results of the announcement of the forest status in 2023, the total forest area in the Central Highlands is more than 2.5 million hectares, of which natural forests are nearly 2.1 million hectares (accounting for 81%), planted forests are 492,113 hectares (accounting for 19%); the forest cover rate in the Central Highlands is 46.34%. The whole region has 12,944 group I forest owners and 691 group II forest owners.

In recent times, forest management, protection and development in the Central Highlands have achieved many important achievements, the awareness of forest protection of the whole society has been raised; the viewpoint of social innovation in forest protection has been initially implemented effectively; the legal system on forest protection and forest product management has been increasingly improved, consistent with current practices and policies on management innovation; forestry policies have been issued and are being put into practice. Authorities at all levels have paid more attention to investing in forest management and protection through many programs, projects, and plans on forest protection, development and social security, which have had a positive impact on forest management and protection.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province Nguyen Minh Chi informed about the implementation of forest inventory in Dak Lak province.

However, in addition to the achieved results, land use planning and forest protection are also under great pressure from socio-economic development issues. Over the past 10 years, data on forests and non-forested land in the Central Highlands provinces have fluctuated, especially in areas without management owners, areas assigned to forest owners such as households, individuals, and private economic organizations. Although the provinces have annually reviewed and updated forest developments according to regulations, they still mainly focus on area, and the assessment of forest quality and reserves is still limited.

Therefore, the organization of forest investigation and inventory is currently very necessary, serving as a basis for state management of forestry. The results of forest inventory are also the basis for implementing the contents of plans such as: national forestry planning, regional planning, provincial planning and the Project on protection, restoration and sustainable development of forests in the Central Highlands for the period 2016-2030 approved by the Prime Minister; as a basis for organizing the implementation of the Project on restructuring the agricultural and forestry sector and framing forest prices according to the actual situation.

Director of Forestry Department Bui Chinh Nghia spoke at the conference.

In addition, this forest inventory is also to evaluate and serve the implementation of contents related to carbon credits, which is a common trend worldwide with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting the environment and ensuring livelihoods for people, and developing the forestry economy.

To ensure the completion of forest inventory in the Central Highlands provinces in 2025, at the conference, delegates focused on discussing the implementation of forest inventory in the Central Highlands provinces, the tasks of units under the Ministry and localities; technical measures in forest investigation and inventory; interpretation of remote sensing images, plans to hand over forest status maps to localities; information on remote sensing image collection results and resolving difficulties and problems of the National Remote Sensing Department - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; implementation plan and difficulties and problems of the grassroots in the process of organizing forest inventory in localities...

Source: https://daklak.gov.vn/-/trien-khai-kiem-ke-rung-tai-cac-tinh-vung-tay-nguyen