Son La - Hua Phan strengthen cooperation in forest protection in border areas

The Department of Agriculture and Environment of the two provinces signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation for the 2025-2026 period, contributing to improving the effectiveness of forest management and protection in border areas.

On the afternoon of November 7, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La province held a meeting on coordination in forest management, protection, and forest fire prevention and fighting in border areas in 2025 with the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hua Phan province (Lao PDR).

Mr. Phung Kim Son, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La province and Mr. Chay Phet Huong Tha Von, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hua Phan province co-chaired the meeting.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La and Hua Phan provinces (Laos) held a meeting to coordinate forest management, protection, and forest fire prevention and fighting in border areas by 2025. Photo: Nguyen Nga.

Join hands to protect border forests

According to the Son La Forest Protection Department, the coordination between the two provinces' Agriculture and Environment sectors has continued to achieve many positive results in recent times. Every year, the two localities have organized signing and meetings to evaluate the results of forest management, protection, forest fire prevention and fighting; exchanged information and closely coordinated in the fight against acts of encroachment on forest resources, contributing to maintaining security and order in the border area.

From September 2024 to July 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La organized 15 commune-level conferences and 217 village-level conferences in the border areas of Yen Chau, Moc Chau, and Van Ho districts (before implementing the two-level government model), attracting more than 14,410 participants. The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hua Phan directed the Provincial Forest Protection Department to coordinate propaganda in 46 villages and hamlets, with more than 2,300 participants.

Propaganda work is carried out in both Vietnamese and Lao languages ​​in many forms such as: loudspeakers, leaflets, banners, billboards, mobile documents, and grassroots media, helping people on both sides of the border understand the role of forests, raise awareness and responsibility for forest protection and development.

Mr. Phung Kim Son, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La province, chaired the discussion on behalf of delegates from Son La province. Photo: Nguyen Nga.

During the patrol and protection of forests in border areas, Son La discovered and handled 69 cases of deforestation, with more than 5.9 hectares of forest damaged; 5 cases of illegal transportation of forest products, confiscating 2.21 cubic meters of sawn timber and more than 1,400 kg of red fruit.

Hua Phan province has directed border patrol units to patrol the border 27 times; discovered and handled 2 cases of violations of the law on smuggling, transporting and trading non-timber forest products; seized 120 kg of wild orchids, 250 kg of dried chit trees, 100 kg of fresh macadamia nuts and 224 kg of dried bamboo shoots. Notably, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Xieng Kho district and Border Guard 213 discovered a case of Vietnamese people illegally cultivating in the area of ​​border markers 227-228 Na Khang, coordinated with the Son La Border Guard to promptly resolve and handle the case.

During the 2024-2025 dry season, the two localities issued many documents directing and guiding the implementation of forest fire prevention and fighting in border areas. Son La province promptly prevented 6 grass fires, preventing them from spreading into the forest; Hua Phan province organized 9 patrols and inspections in coordination between forest rangers and border guards, promptly detected and handled 3 forest fires with a total damaged area of ​​over 460 hectares.

Mr. Chay Phet Huong Tha Von, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hua Phan province, gave his opinion, gave directions for cooperation and chaired the discussion session of Hua Phan province. Photo: Nguyen Nga.

Signing of cooperation agreement for the 2025-2026 period

Within the framework of the meeting, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation for the 2025-2026 period, agreeing to continue maintaining a regular coordination mechanism and periodic meetings between forest rangers at all levels; promptly exchanging information on forest management and protection, forest fire prevention and fighting, and border security.

Specifically, at the provincial level, the Forest Protection Departments of the two provinces are assigned to exchange information once a month and every six months in writing on forest management, protection, and forest product management in border areas.

At the district level, Hua Phan province has border district Forestry Departments, Son La has border area Forest Protection Departments, responsible for consulting and exchanging information periodically once a month by phone and once every 3 months in writing; closely coordinating with the Border Guard force to collect information, monitor the situation of forest encroachment, the risk of fire spreading across the border and promptly notify for accurate and effective handling.

In addition, the two provinces agreed to compile and publish bilingual Vietnamese-Lao propaganda materials for people in border areas; build bilingual notice boards at main border gates, reflecting regulations related to forest management, protection, fire prevention and fighting.

Actively inspect and review key areas with high risk of forest fires, develop plans to mobilize forces, vehicles and equipment to be ready to respond when forest fires occur. Forest protection patrols, forest fire prevention and fighting will be organized once a month at the commune and village levels; once every 3 months at the district level (Hua Phan) and the Forest Protection Departments in border areas (Son La); the Department level will organize forest patrols before the annual review meeting.

The Departments of Agriculture and Environment of the two provinces signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in forest management, protection, and forest fire prevention and fighting in border areas for the period 2025-2026. Photo: Nguyen Nga.

According to the plan, in September 2026, in Hua Phan province, the Forest Protection Departments of the two provinces will hold a conference to review the coordination work on forest management, protection and forest fire prevention and fighting in border areas in 2026, and propose coordination directions for 2027.

To effectively implement the signed contents, Mr. Phung Kim Son, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La, suggested that the two localities continue to promote propaganda and education , creating a strong change in awareness and responsibility of officials, party members and people in the border area. Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in forest protection, forest fire prevention and fighting; promote the role of forest rangers, border guards, police and local authorities.

Link the goal of forest protection and development with the task of supporting production and improving people's livelihoods, especially those living in border areas. At the same time, strengthen inspection, supervision, and promptly handle violations in the forestry sector; improve the capacity to respond to natural disasters, prevent and fight forest fires, and ensure safety for forests and border communities.

Son La and Hua Phan are two provinces with a border of over 242 km, complex terrain, high mountains, strong division, large forest and forestry land areas, and high biodiversity.

Maintaining the annual exchange mechanism between the two Departments is a meaningful activity, contributing to tightening the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in general, and the two provinces of Son La and Hua Phan in particular, improving the effectiveness of management, protection, and forest fire prevention and fighting on the border.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/son-la--hua-phan-tang-cuong-hop-tac-bao-ve-rung-khu-vuc-bien-gioi-d782905.html