According to the report of the Forest Protection Department of Dien Bien Dong district, Dien Bien province, in the first 11 months of 2024, there were 42 violations in the forestry sector in the district, an increase of 31 cases compared to the same period in 2023. Of which, there were 39 cases of illegal deforestation with a total area of nearly 77,000m2 (protection forest over 51,000m2, production forest over 25,000m2).
Up to now, Dien Bien Dong District Forest Protection Department has established records, issued and advised on decisions to handle violators. Of these, 3 cases have been prosecuted and transferred to the district police investigation agency for handling; 3 cases are under the jurisdiction of the district People's Committee and 36 cases are under the jurisdiction of the Forest Protection Department. The total amount of fines imposed on violators is nearly 400 million VND.
Speaking with Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Trung Truong - Head of Dien Bien Dong District Forest Protection Department said that the main reason for the sudden increase in deforestation cases (nearly 300%) is due to the continuously high price of cassava, so people have destroyed forests to grow cassava.
