VietNamNet Bridge – The total forest area burnt down between January and August amounted to 1,915 hectares, two times higher than the same period last year while the total forest area logged down in the period was 685 hectares, 73% of last year’s figure, according to the Forest Protection Department.

An official of the department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said the country’s forest areas are being destroyed seriously. Furthermore, reforestation targets of the country have failed while the wood volume exploited recorded a sharp rise in the first eight months of the year.

For instance, as of August 20, the concentrated newly-afforested areas only reached 99,700 hectares, down 10% year-on-year; while the afforested areas allocated for resident to take care of stayed at 284,600 hectares, dipping by 6% and the natural forest areas allocated for protection also tumbled by 5.3% from the previous year. Meanwhile, the wood volume exploited amounted to 3,104,900 cubic meters, surging 11.6% year-on-year.

A number of localities in central coastal areas and the Central Highlands and northern and central mountainous and midland regions have still seen people devastating forests to make room for farming.

In addition, the national system of specialized forests is facing a decline in biological diversity, mainly due to human impacts, according to Ngo Tien Dung of the Nature Preservation Agency under the department. The shortage of manpower in charge of specialized forests and their limited capabilities have also resulted in the lamentable situation.

Additionally, Dung noted with the inadequate regulations and capital shortages, provincial governments have been unable to attract locals to join hands in directly protecting forests as expected.

VietNamNet/SGT