Protecting forests thanks to the strength of local communities

Over the past years, Khun Ha commune (Lai Chau) has promoted propaganda and raised community awareness in forest management, protection and fire prevention and fighting.

Watching for 'fire' to protect forests in the dry season

The local community plays a decisive role in protecting and developing forests because they are closely connected to nature and benefit through the policy of payment for forest environmental services.

In San Phang Thap village of Khun Ha commune, the people have established 3 self-management groups with 27 members, with a high sense of responsibility. The groups are assigned to patrol key locations, promptly detecting and preventing forest encroachment. Every month, the groups conduct cross-patrols to clearly understand the forest situation. At the same time, they organize propaganda sessions for the villagers and relatives of the members of the self-management groups. Therefore, in just 10 months, the village has organized 24 propaganda sessions with more than 1,000 participants.

Forest rangers propagate forest fire prevention and fighting to people in Khun Ha commune, Lai Chau province. Photo: Van Tam.

Mr. Lu A Sai, a member of the forest protection team, shared: “Thanks to the propaganda about the Forestry Law, I understand more clearly the responsibility of protecting the forest. We regularly patrol, remind people not to cut down trees, prevent fires, and protect the forest to keep it green. Preserving the forest helps to have abundant water for production and avoid natural disasters.”

Khun Ha has more than 8,800 hectares of forest, of which natural forest accounts for 8,300 hectares, with a coverage rate of 56.66%. In the dry season, the risk of forest fires in the area is always high, so the commune has established a Forest Fire Prevention Steering Committee following the motto "4 on-site": Forces, means, command and logistics.

Up to now, 22 specialized forest protection teams have been established in 22 villages, both to propagate and monitor slash-and-burn activities, and to prevent acts that harm the forest. Thanks to that, the forest area of ​​the commune has been well protected and developed in recent years. People in the villages have actively protected, regenerated, and planted new trees to earn income from forest environmental services.

Mr. Cu A Hang in San Phang Cao village shared: "During the dry season, we build firebreaks, clear vegetation and patrol regularly to prevent forest fires, not allowing carelessness to lead to forest fires, blowing away the efforts of the people."

Proactive response

Khun Ha Commune assigned the Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Command to be on duty 24/24, ready to mobilize forces when an incident occurs. In the 10 months of 2025, the commune organized 82 patrols and propaganda for thousands of people. Specialized teams cleared fire-prone areas and made firebreaks over 12.4 km long.

Taking advantage of the large forest area, Khun Ha people develop Lai Chau ginseng. Photo: Van Tam.

During the peak of hot weather, commune officials have increased coordination with forest rangers through Party cell and village meetings to propagate and mobilize people to properly implement the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws on forest protection and development. Thanks to that, in recent years, there have been no forest fires in Khun Ha commune, and the number of violations of the law on forest exploitation, protection and development has decreased significantly, contributing to increasing forest cover in the area.

According to forest ranger Bui Trung Hieu, forest rangers and local people regularly patrol and control forest products, combining propaganda so that people strictly follow forest protection regulations.

Not only protecting the forest, the commune also guides people to exploit the advantages under the forest canopy to grow medicinal herbs such as Lai Chau ginseng, angelica... Currently, the commune has 444.2 hectares of cardamom, 29.5 hectares of ginseng. This model helps increase income, limit deforestation and slash-and-burn. Mr. Le Huy Chinh, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, affirmed that when people consider forests as assets, forest protection becomes a responsibility, no longer a task assigned by the State.

Thanks to the drastic participation of the government, the improvement of propaganda work and the awareness of the people, Khun Ha commune strives to increase the forest cover rate to over 57% by the end of 2025, contributing to environmental protection and sustainable economic development.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/giu-rung-nho-suc-manh-cong-dong-dan-ban-d786753.html