Planting forests and keeping them green is preserving human life.

Many benefits

By planting and nurturing forests, we are joining hands to fight climate change and the imbalance of biodiversity. Only when forests grow large and develop well can people truly live healthy and safe lives. Forests also help protect watersheds, prevent soil erosion, mitigate climate change and improve the adaptive capacity of communities. The forests in the Truong Son region of Vietnam are also home to rare and endemic species.

Sao La Conservation Area, Phong Dien Nature Reserve or Bac Hai Van Protection Forest… are well protected, contributing to creating habitats for species. Many species of animals have been discovered and are thriving, which is a sign that their “home” is being well protected.

In Vietnam, millions of people depend directly on forests for their livelihoods. These communities are often the ones who know the forests best and are key partners in finding the best ways to protect them for future generations.

Climate change and extreme weather in recent decades have shown us the need to develop and protect forests. Losing forests means not only animals but also humans lose safe habitats. Landslides and landslides that bury villages are proof of forest degradation. When the foundation of human life is in danger, any disaster can happen. We can prevent and avoid but if we do not solve the problem from the root, it is only a temporary solution. Planting and protecting forests must always be the top priority.

Well-developed forests not only ensure the safety of all species, but also bring economic benefits when selling carbon credits. Obviously, the benefits that forests bring are immeasurable.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), restoring and sustainably managing the world ’s forests could help us remove the equivalent of carbon emissions from oil use each year. So the question is, how can we keep our forests green?

For a sustainable future

The Management Board of Huong Thuy Protective Forest has planted and cared for more than 600 hectares of native forest. Tree species such as ironwood, oil, and star anise are 5-6 years old and growing well. This is an effort of the Management Board. But to have lush forests is not something that can be achieved in a day or two.

Mr. Tran Phuc Chau, Deputy Director of Huong Thuy Protective Forest Management Board, said that the success of afforestation depends on preventing trampling by cattle. Forests have long been places where people have grazed cattle, so we must find ways to support their livelihoods; hire them to fence off, both to prevent cattle from destroying the forest and to support people's food expenses.

A barbed wire fence of more than 25km was erected, along with propaganda on the radio system, then meetings with the people, asking for intervention from the local government. These actions have helped the trees stand firm and grow better. "We contracted them a certain amount of money for an area, and they are always in the forest looking after their cattle," said Mr. Chau. According to Mr. Chau, planting native trees is very difficult and when doing so, one must be diligent. If the trees die, they must be replanted immediately.

Regarding the restoration and planting of forests in Bac Hai Van, Mr. Nguyen Dai Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the forest terrain there is very difficult, the climate is harsh, close to the sea, but now there are more than 40 native species, all of which are precious trees that grow well, so there must be solutions to preserve and develop the forest. "We must plant supporting trees, for example, acacia and cajuput trees, then under the canopy of the trees, we plant more native trees, they will support each other to grow. When those trees grow, the acacia will reach the stage of decline, we continue to plant other species there, and so on, each tree complements the other. The later trees are covered by the previous trees," Mr. Tuan proposed a solution.

According to Mr. Tuan, to do this requires a long-term investment policy, technical support, and planting methods. We must plant repeatedly on a unit area. When we plant the first batch, the trees grow, but it cannot be called a forest. When the project ends, we must open a new project, continue planting in layers to help the trees grow.

“It is impossible to create a forest in 5-6 years, it is just a few trees growing, it cannot be called a forest. We have to let the first generation grow up, develop well, then create another project, plant under the canopy. On the same area, we have to plant repeatedly, only then can we create a forest,” Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Article and photos: Nguyen Dac Thanh