VietNamNet Bridge – While the Environment and Natural Resources Institute under the HCM City National University affirms that it is quite reasonable to build hydropower plants on the selected areas, scientists believe that the plants would damage the environment.

The institute, which prepared the report on the possible environmental impacts of the Dong Nai 6 and Dong Nai 6A hydropower plant projects under the request of Duc Long Gia Lai Group – the investor – has stated that hydropower plants can be developed in the Cat Tien National Park’s area.

The institute, after some field research, has come to a conclusion that the forests here have nearly disappeared, while salamanders and chameleons are getting exhausted, and that hydropower plants should be set up here.

The institute’s conclusion can be understood that the forests here have been destroyed, while there has been nothing more here to protect, therefore, it would be better to build hydropower plants to serve the local economic development.

In an interview given to Saigon tiep thi, Nguyen Van Phuoc, Head of the Environment and Natural Resources, affirmed that the forests here are regenerated ones which are comprised of bamboo of different kinds, and that they are not valuable because they are not primeval forests.

Phuoc said that in the project’s area, there are now only 4.32 hectares of rich forests, accounting for 1.16 percent of the total forest area. Meanwhile, the others are medium forests and mixed forests which account for 124.59 hectares, or 19.31 percent, the poor forests (92.85 hectares, 25 percent). The remaining forest areas are shrubs and deserted land, accounting for 51.49 percent of the total area to be occupied by the projects.

Especially, the land area programmed for developing preventive forests in Binh Phuoc and Lam Dong provinces, in fact, is being used for growing cashew and rubber trees.

Phuoc has affirmed that the Dong Nai 6 and Dong Nai 6A projects would use little forest land if compared with other hydropower projects. Especially, only 136.98 hectares of the Cat Tien National Park’s area and 235.25 hectares of the preventive forests would be taken for the projects.

Other hydropower projects need 4-10 hectares to create one MW of power. Meanwhile, with Dong Nai 6 and Dong Nai 6A, it would take 1.34 hectares only.

Regarding the information that the land areas projected for hydropower plants are the places where black gibbons with yellow cheeks - one of the endemic species in the Red Book, and Camellia longii – a newly discovered flower species, Phuoc has affirmed that the scientists from his institute did not find out the flowers during their field research trips.

“We have found six flora species in the Dong Nai 6 plant area and nine flora species in the Dong Nai 6A plant areas which have preservation value. However, the figures prove to be very modest, just accounting for a small proportion if compared with the total 80 flora species subject for conservation in the Cat Tien National Park,” Phuoc said.

“This shows that the projected areas do not coincide with the living areas of rare and precious animals,” he added.

There are only some kinds of amphibian reptiles still living here. However, since local residents regularly trap the animals, the number of individuals left proves to be modest. Meanwhile, no trace of rhino or bear was found.

Compiled by Kim Chi