VietNamNet Bridge – International commitments to environmental protection, bio-diversity and adaptation to climate change should dominate Viet Nam's forestry policies over the next five years, head of the Directorate of Forestry's Planning and Financial Department, Nguyen Nghia Bien, told a workshop on forestry policy here yesterday, Dec 7.

Bien said the efficiency of forestry policies was impeded by the lack of clear definition of the role and position of forests in terms of environment, conservation and economics.

"There are still questions that are left unanswered," he said. "For example, should plantation forests replace natural forests that are poor or exhausted? What sort of trees should we use, fast growth or indigenous species, large trees or small?

"And how can we link-up forests to milling and production?"

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hua Duc Nhi told the meeting it was time to review the inter-relationship between the forestry sector and other sectors.

Nhi, who is also the general director of the Directorate of Forestry, said forest management at present created situations that were not economically feasible and even wasteful.

He said benefit sharing mechanisms from forests, forest protection contracts and rental mechanisms were unclear despite the introduction of several policies.

Pham Xuan Phuong, deputy head of the ministry's Legal Department, said the overall planning was weak and subject to changes to fit in with the planning of other sectors.

Phuong said there was still no uniformity between land law and forest law in terms of forest land use.

"There is also a need to regulate collaboration mechanisms between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment regarding this issue."

According to data from Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, by January 1, 2009, the total forested area was 14.76 million hectares. Production forests covered 6.58 million hectares, protected forests covered 6.12 million hectares and the special use forests accounted for 2.06 million hectares.

More than 100 participants from ministries, research institutes, universities and international organisations took part in the discussions.

The workshop was organised by the Directorate of Forestry, Vietnamese-German Forestry Programme and Forest Sector Support Partnership.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News