Protecting forests – a matter of survival.

"Forests are gold, seas are silver." Protecting forests is a strategic priority, essential for the survival of the nation and its people. Losing forests means losing everything. Forests are a vast resource for the country, a vital means of production, capable of regeneration, a crucial element of the ecological environment, and a key factor in biodiversity conservation. Through this, they contribute to mitigating natural disasters, adapting to climate change, ensuring water security, and safeguarding national defense and security.

Protecting and developing forests is both a right and a duty and responsibility of the entire political system and society. Over the years, the Party, the Government, and localities nationwide have issued resolutions, directives, and action programs related to forest management and protection. These emphasize solutions for developing the forestry economy, establishing mechanisms and policies to ensure the necessary conditions for the operation of forest rangers and specialized forest protection forces, and implementing specific policies to attract and retain workers in the forestry sector. The story of forest preservation, development, and livelihoods derived from forests in Binh Thuan is a reality.

Lesson 1: Protecting the forest at all costs.

Protecting and sustainably developing the province's existing forest area, while simultaneously implementing effective solutions to promptly prevent and strictly handle acts of forest resource encroachment and land grabbing, are among the main tasks and solutions outlined by the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee (14th term) in Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU dated September 10, 2021, on developing a modern, sustainable, and high-value-added agricultural sector. Strictly implementing the decisive directives from the central to local levels, those directly responsible for protecting the forests, driven by responsibility and love for the forest, have not shied away from difficulties and dangers, risking their lives to safeguard their homeland's forests…

*The BVR 143 force, under the Duc Linh Forest Protection Management Board, patrols and protects the forest.*

Staying close to the forest in the border area.

We arrived in a place often described as "where the rooster's crow can be heard in three provinces." This is the forest in sub-area 418, Da Kai commune, under the management of the Duc Linh Protective Forest Management Board (BQL RPH). Bordering Lam Dong province, I easily felt the cool, fresh air and the lush green of this natural "golden" forest. Sitting behind Mr. Nguyen Truong Bay – Station Chief of Forest Protection Station 143, under the Duc Linh Protective Forest Management Board – on his rickety motorbike, I felt a little apprehensive because the road to the forest was steep and winding. Mr. Bay reassured me while sharing the daily work of the station's staff: Due to the climate and evergreen forest, the soil under the canopy here retains more moisture than other forest areas, reducing the risk of fires caused by dryness. However, there are also areas of mixed bamboo, foliage, and undergrowth, so the forest protection force has to constantly clear the undergrowth, which is very hard work. Mr. Bay said that this forest area is located in Hamlet 11, Da Kai Commune. The station is assigned to manage and protect over 1,000 hectares, including about 3 km of forest bordering Lam Dong Province, so management is even more stringent and difficult. Currently, in addition to the station's 3 staff members, there are 15 households contracted to manage the forest, which somewhat reduces the workload. Each person gets 2 days off per week, rotating between them.

Present at the agreed-upon forest location, Mr. Dinh Hoang – Head of the Duc Linh Forest Protection Management Board – pointed to the forest area ahead and shared further: The unit is assigned to manage over 6,000 hectares of forest and forestry land, comprising 14 sub-areas, distributed across three communes: Me Pu, Sung Nhon, and Da Kai. This area borders Dap Loa and Ha Lam communes in Da Huoai district of Lam Dong province. Furthermore, the terrain is mostly rugged hills and mountains, making transportation difficult, and many areas lack telephone coverage, thus hindering communication and coordination for forest protection and fire prevention and control.

*The head of the Duc Linh Forest Protection Management Board and the unit's forest protection force have lunch in the forest.*

Meanwhile, the infrastructure, facilities, and information technology equipment serving forest protection and fire prevention and control are still lacking. In addition, awareness of forest protection and fire prevention and control among some households living near or adjacent to forests remains limited. Furthermore, some areas of forest land that were illegally occupied after tree removal are still being reoccupied by local people…

Along with these difficulties and hardships, Mr. Hoang said that from the beginning of 2024 until now, the weather has been complicated, with prolonged and intense heat compared to previous years, making the risk of forest fires very high. Also at this time, the trees in the forest bear fruit, and people enter the forest to cut down trees to harvest the seeds, creating great pressure on the forest protection force. The number of people directly protecting the forest is still insufficient compared to the assigned targets.

Ownership responsibility

Forest resources throughout the country in general, and Binh Thuan in particular, play a crucial role and have significant importance in all aspects of life, affecting the environment, ecology, production, economy, and society of the province. Binh Thuan has a forest cover rate of 43.02% of its natural area, higher than the national average (42.02%), and boasts diverse vegetation.

In particular, production forests in the province account for 39.51% of the total timber reserves of the province, significantly larger than many other coastal provinces in the Central region. Production forests are a highly valuable part of the forest, contributing to environmental protection, regulating air quality, controlling water levels, preventing floods, erosion, and landslides, and increasing soil fertility and potential. Economically, production forests represent a potential opportunity for the province's timber industry to expand, boost economic development, and increase exports. Simultaneously, planted production forests provide opportunities for many households to be allocated land for forest planting and protection, thus creating livelihoods and jobs for families and people in rural, mountainous, and remote areas of the province.

Aware of the importance of forests and recognizing the responsibility of each citizen to protect natural resources, all difficulties and challenges have been transformed into motivation for those who protect the forests to cling to them with all their might… For the Duc Linh Forest Protection Management Board, in the face of difficulties, the Board's leadership, in coordination with the Trade Union Executive Committee, has propagated and mobilized the specialized forest protection force to take only one day off per week, focusing on forest protection and fire prevention and control during peak periods. Forest protection teams and stations all develop monthly forest protection plans, coordinating with the mobile forest ranger team, forces from the three communes of Me Pu, Sung Nhon, and Da Kai, and forest rangers in charge of forest areas in the communes. Along with deploying patrols, inspections, and raids to protect forests and combat law enforcement within their managed forest areas, they pay special attention to the border areas with Lam Dong province and key areas at risk of forest fires, deforestation, illegal logging, and encroachment on forest land.

According to the assessment of the Steering Committee of the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province, after two years of implementing Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU, forest management and protection have been further strengthened, especially in headwater forests, coastal protection forests, and forests bordering other provinces. Simultaneously, effective measures have been implemented to promptly prevent and strictly punish acts of forest resource encroachment and land grabbing. The province has effectively utilized remote sensing and satellite imagery in forest management and protection.

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