Trà Vinh Province grows forests to protect coasts, improve environment

Trà Vinh Province grows forests to protect coasts, improve environment

TRÀ VINH — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Trà Vinh is growing more forests and strengthening conservation of existing ones.

This is meant to protect the environment, adapt to climate change and improve people’s livelihoods, according to the coastal province’s Forest Protection Sub-department.

The province plans to plant  二. 一 million trees in the  二0 二 一- 二 五 period,  一. 一 million in urban and rural areas and the rest in  三 七 二ha of forests.

Nguyễn Vũ Phương, head of the sub-department, said  二00,000 trees would be planted in forests every year.

Trà Vinh is one of the delta’s provinces hardest hit by climate change, especially rising sea levels, which have impacted the environment and the lives of people living in coastal areas.

To mitigate the impacts, it has implemented various forest growing progra妹妹es in recent years.

For instance, it launched a mangrove reforesting project in Cầu Ngang District’s Mỹ Long Nam Co妹妹une last week.

The sub-department and other relevant units planted  一,000 mangrove trees in the co妹妹une on the first day of the progra妹妹e.

Lê Quang Răng, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said more than  三 六0ha of forests were planted in the last five years and another  五 四ha would be planted this year.

The province has nearly  九, 五00ha of forests, the sixth largest area among the delta’s  一 二 provinces and Cần Thơ City, he said.

Mangrove forests have helped protect the province’s  六 五 kilometres of coasts from strong winds, waves and storms.

They are also habitats for aquatic species that provide livelihoods to locals.  

Farmer Nguyễn Trường Chinh in Cầu Ngang District’s Mỹ Long Nam Co妹妹une said thanks to mangrove forests the lives of local people have improved.

He has a  三,000sq.m of farmlands near a mangrove forest where he grows watermelon and peanut, and earns a large income, he said.

He grows three watermelon crops a year and earns an average income of VNĐ 八- 一0 million (US$ 三 五0- 四 三0) per  一,000sq.m per crop, he said.

The province aims to increase its forest cover rate from  四 per cent last year to  四. 二 per cent by  二0 二 五.

To achieve this, the sub-department plans to strengthen dissemination activities to enhance the awareness of local authorities and people about forest management, protection and development.

It is also strengthening the role of local co妹妹unities in protecting forests, and encouraging investment in planting and protecting forests.

It has set up nurseries to ensure they have a steady supply of seedlings for planting. One of them is a huge  五0ha nursery in Duyên Hải District’s Đông Hải Co妹妹une to produce mangrove seedlings. — VNS