On August 7, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the European Union (EU) and the Federal Republic of Germany officially launched the "European Union's Support for Vietnam's Forestry Industry" Project to contribute to the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of Vietnam's natural forests, while promoting comprehensive, smart and climate-adaptive forest value chains.
The project will contribute to green, sustainable growth and adaptation to climate change, biodiversity conservation, thereby promoting a value chain based on sustainable forests with the environment and climate sensitivity.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Tran Quang Bao - Director of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection said: "Vietnam's Forestry sector plays an important role in the socio-economic development of the country with the main task of protecting the ecological environment, responding to climate change, contributing to socio-economic development of mountainous areas through creating jobs for millions of households participating in activities of forest protection and development, afforestation, logging of planted forests and processing of forest products.
In the coming time, the Forestry sector with a sustainable development orientation, with 3 pillars being economy, society and environment, will continue to play an important role in the country's development process. With the project's goal of contributing to green, sustainable, and comprehensive growth, I hope that the results of the Project will make important contributions to the development of the Forestry sector in general and the Northwest and Central Highlands regions in particular".
Ms. Kristina Buende, Head of the Cooperation Board of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, said: "Vietnamese forests play a particularly important role in efforts to respond to climate change. However, the impacts of climate change, forest degradation and biodiversity decline are putting these ecosystems before many challenges.
Through the European Group approach, with the participation of the European Union and EU member states, we are committed to accompanying Vietnam in its efforts to conserve and restore forests for humans, for nature and for a future with high resilience and low carbon emissions.
The project is being implemented in 5 provinces of Son La, Dien Bien, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai and Dak Lak with a total funding of 20 million EUR from the European Union.
The project contributes to supporting Vietnam in implementing the goal of green growth, sustainable and inclusive development through conservation, restoration and sustainable management of natural forests as effective carbon absorption tanks and highly resilient ecosystems.
In 5 provinces in the Northwest and Central Highlands regions, the Project will implement integrated forest management, adapting to climate change; applying community-based forest protection solutions and applying digital technology in biodiversity monitoring; developing smart forest value chains, adapting to climate change, environmentally friendly and creating fair livelihood opportunities as well as promoting gender equality.
The project also aims to replicate nature-based solutions on a large scale. Thereby, contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity conservation and promoting sustainable development.
