Intelligent monitoring
Currently, 70 out of 99 commune-level administrative units in the province have forests and forest land with a total area of over 174,000 hectares. Of this, approximately 70% is fire-prone forest, concentrated in 43 key communes with a high risk of forest fires. To protect this large forest area, the province maintains 607 forest protection and fire prevention and control task forces with more than 8,500 members ready to respond when incidents occur.
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The head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department monitors the state of forests in the province through a camera system. |
The entire province has also assigned 64 civil servants to regularly work in areas with large forest areas. However, the force of forest management and protection officers is still insufficient compared to the demands of the task. Given the vast area, complex terrain, and the fact that each officer is responsible for 3-5 communes, many of which are far from the center and have difficult transportation access, traditional inspection methods are no longer the optimal solution in practice.
The pressure is even greater as climate change becomes more unpredictable, increasing the risk of forest fires and damage to forest resources. During the 2024-2025 dry season alone, the province experienced 51 forest fires, 17 of which damaged nearly 50 hectares of forest, resulting in economic losses of approximately 10 billion VND, not to mention the significant impacts on the ecological environment and local security and order.
This reality necessitates an urgent need to innovate management methods, shifting strongly from "manual patrols" to "smart monitoring," using technology as the "eyes and ears" to support forest rangers. Since 2023, the Provincial Forest Protection Department has been building a system for monitoring and managing forest protection using smart cameras combined with a centralized data control center.
At the Provincial Forest Protection Department, a Center for Monitoring, Managing, and Protecting Forests was established. This is considered a breakthrough in the application of science and technology to the forestry sector. With nearly 20 billion VND from the budget, the unit invested in building a synchronized camera system installed at high points, capable of 360-degree rotation, operating continuously 24/7 in all weather conditions, and placed at forest entrances in key areas with large forest areas.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Deputy Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, said: “The cameras are capable of scanning and clearly recording the faces of people and vehicles entering and leaving the forest, detecting smoke and unusual heat sources from the moment they arise. Furthermore, the system helps monitor deforestation and encroachment on forest land, serving the purpose of statistics and assessment of green resource changes. Digitizing data significantly reduces fieldwork time, saves manpower and costs, and improves accuracy in management.”
Modernizing forest management and protection.
Along with putting into operation the Forest Monitoring, Management, and Protection Center in the province, the Forest Protection Department is also strengthening the application of drones, remote sensing imagery, and automatic forest fire warning signs to enhance the capacity for monitoring, managing, and protecting forests.
The Son Dong Inter-communal Forest Management Unit currently manages 63,000 hectares of forest and forestry land across eight communes: Son Dong, An Lac, Van Son, Duong Huu, Tay Yen Tu, Tuan Dao, Yen Dinh, and Dai Son. This area has the largest forest area in the province, with complex terrain and a high risk of forest fires and deforestation. In practice, the application of digital technology has yielded many noticeable results.
| The application of technology has gradually changed traditional management methods. Industry data is synchronized onto the system, making forest monitoring more scientific, transparent, and effective, especially shortening the "golden time" for forest fire fighting. |
Mr. Nguyen Minh Hai, Head of the Son Dong Inter-communal Forest Ranger Station, said that previously, forest rangers had to regularly organize on-site inspections, which was time-consuming, laborious, and required carrying maps and GPS devices. Now, with the FRMS Mobile application installed on smartphones, forest rangers can delineate and identify changes in forest area instead of using paper maps.
The software supports faster and more accurate measurement, field inspection, and management of forest plot numbers, forest status, forest owner names, tree species, planting year, and timber volume. Changes in forest status are also integrated into the system for centralized monitoring and management. Similarly, in other units, the application of technology has gradually changed traditional management methods.
The industry's data is synchronized into the system, making forest monitoring more scientific, transparent, and effective, especially shortening the "golden time" for forest fire fighting. Since the beginning of the year, the province has experienced only two forest fires. Due to early detection, the total burned area was small, causing no damage to the trees. Compared to the same period last year, there were three fewer fires, a decrease of 36.9 hectares in the total burned area (a 95.6% reduction), and a decrease of 6.1 hectares in the total damaged area.
For example, in early 2025, through the camera system, authorities detected a high risk of forest fires in the Non Vua peak area. Immediately afterwards, the Provincial Forest Protection Department, in coordination with militia, police, and inter-ward/commune forest protection units in Bac Giang, promptly extinguished the fires. Similarly, upon detecting small fires in the Khe Ro area, An Lac commune, even though they were more than 100 km away, the smart devices promptly reported the situation, and the leaders of the Provincial Forest Protection Department directed local authorities to quickly approach and handle the situation.
Bac Ninh is one of the leading localities nationwide in applying modern technology to forest management and protection, and has been highly appreciated by the Forestry and Forest Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment).
Building on those achievements, the forest protection force throughout the province continues to enhance its sense of responsibility, promote the application of information technology and digital transformation. They will strengthen the use of software, equipment, and remote sensing imagery in monitoring forest changes, preventing and fighting forest fires, and detecting violations. Emphasis will be placed on training and improving the professional skills of forest protection officers to meet the demands of the new situation.
Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/ung-dung-cong-nghe-so-giu-mau-xanh-cho-rung-postid445422.bbg
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