Preserve coastal protection forests.

Recently, the situation of deforestation and encroachment on protected forest land in coastal localities has become increasingly complex. With the aim of improving the effectiveness of state management in the forestry sector, the An Giang Forest Protection Department has established a team to inspect and monitor forest management and protection in the forest area managed by the An Giang Forest Management Board, Region I.

Current state of the An Minh coastal protection forest. Photo: THUY TRANG

Recently, in November 2025, the An Giang Forest Protection Department's inspection team conducted six field inspections of coastal protection forests in Van Khanh, Dong Hung, Tan Thanh, and An Minh communes, within the forest area managed by the An Giang Forest Management Board Area I. With a coastal protection forest area of over 3,500 hectares, the team inspected approximately 585.28 hectares over four days from November 18-20, covering 663 contracted households in Van Khanh, Tan Thanh, and An Minh communes, revealing a significant and changing reality.

On-site observations indicate that coastal protection forests continue to experience severe erosion despite the construction of breakwaters. The area of restored forest remains limited, and many vulnerable points are directly impacted by waves, high tides, and climate change, significantly diminishing their natural protective function.

In the forest management contract system, many households have not fulfilled their responsibilities in protecting the forest. The situation of households arbitrarily dredging ditches, expanding fish ponds, and using land beyond the permitted area still occurs. During inspections, the task force discovered 3 households violating regulations and 2 excavators operating illegally, causing damage to 11 square meters of forest and 6 mangrove trees.

Mr. Le Thanh Cong, Deputy Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, stated: “Through reviewing live drone footage from the scene, forest rangers have observed that many aquaculture ponds exceed the permitted area. Inspections are being conducted at several households to verify this. Forest loss has many objective and subjective causes. Accurately assessing the current situation is crucial for developing more effective coastal protection plans, contributing to maintaining this green shield against the increasing impacts of climate change.”

Coastal protection forests play a particularly important role in protecting sea dikes and safeguarding the livelihoods of people living along the coast. These protective forest canopies act like a green shield, reducing wind force and preventing coastal erosion caused by ocean waves. Violations of these regulations not only reduce forest cover but also threaten the safety of sea dikes.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, Head of the Forest Protection Department Area VI, in the coming time, the unit will continue to coordinate with local authorities and the An Giang Forest Management Board Area I to strengthen patrols and inspections, promptly detect violations and strictly handle cases of using protected forest land for purposes other than those stipulated in the Forestry Law; and apply flycams for continuous monitoring. At the same time, they will educate and remind households that have been contracted to replant forest land but have not yet achieved the committed 60% forest area.

THUY TRANG

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/giu-rung-phong-ho-ven-bien-a470041.html