Hanoi (VNA) – The Tay Nguyen (CentralHighlands) region aims to raise its forest coverage to 49.2 percent, and forestarea to 2.72 million hectares by 2030.

Tay Nguyen has the second largest forested area among regions in the countrywith nearly 2.56 million ha (statistics in 2019), accounting for 17.5 percentof the national figure.  

The region boasts a great potential for forestry-based economic development.The forests play an important role in protectingthe local ecosystem, biodiversity and water resources, and regulatingthe climate for not only regional localities but also the central coastal,southeastern and Mekong Delta regions.

However, reports from the regional localities revealed a strong decline offorest area and quality.  

The contradiction between the rising need to develop food production, long-termindustrial tree, and nature conservation, biodiversity, along with freemigration are major issues that are putting pressure on the natural forest and forestland.

The region has also recorded an increasing number of deforestation cases, andillegal exploitation, trading, and transportation of forest products,especially in border areas, special-use forests,nature reserve areas, and areas with abundant forest resources.

Regional localities have yet to pay attention to building forestry technical infrastructure,and protecting and developing forests. Meanwhile, the change of forest usepurpose in a number of localities is not strictly controlled.

According to official statistics, the region’s natural forest area in 2019reduced by 15,753 ha, and the forestcoverage was 45.92 percent, down 0.09 percent compared to the previousyear.

In 2019 and the first five months of 2020, the Central Highlandsprovinces discovered 1,309 cases of deforestation, 644 cases of illegal forestexploitation, and 2,120 illegally trading cases of  forest products.
According to Minister of Agriculture andRural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, the four-year implementation of the PrimeMinister’s instruction on restoring forest has produced remarkable results.

Forestation work has received due attention, with Dak Lak province aloneplanning to plant 1,770 ha of forest this year.

A conference to be held in Dak Lak onJune 22 will assess the implementation of the target programme on sustainabledevelopment of forestry in 2016-2020 and outline measures to promote forestprotection and forestry in Tay Nguyen./.