VietNamNet Bridge – The Prime Minister has approved a master plan to develop the national special-use forest system through 2020 with a vision to 2030.

A mangrove forest in the southern province of Ca Mau. The Prime Minister has approved a plan to expand the country's special-use forests to 2.4 million ha by 2020.

Under the plan, special-use forest will be expanded from the current 2.2 million hectares to 2.4 million by 2020, in line with the strategy on management of special-use forest and sea and inland water reserves adopted in February. The 2.4 million ha will cover 34 national parks, 58 nature reserves and numerous landscapes and research areas.

The northwest region will have 222,000ha of special-use forest, including a new 17,000ha nature reserve at Muong La, while 400,000ha will be zoned off in the northeast region, covering well-known landscapes such as Ha Long Bay, Tam Dao mountain area, Ba Be Lake and Hoang Lien Son mountain range.

Meanwhile, the Red River Delta will have 65,000ha of protected forests, preserving local lime mountain and wetland ecosystems as well as forests in Ha Noi and the provinces of Ninh Binh, Hai Duong and Nam Dinh.

VNS/VNN