The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang will carry out an action programme for sustainable forest management in its two coastal districts under the project “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation” (REDD+).

A cajuput forest in Soc Trang Province.

The areas will include Vinh Chau Town, Tran De District and Cu Lao Dung District.

At a meeting between the province’s People’s Committee and International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) delegation held on Tuesday, vice chairman of the People’s Committee Le Van Hieu said the province was one of the areas in the country most affected by climate change.

Salt intrusion had also caused damage to agricultural production, Hieu said.

A report delivered at the meeting unveiled that deforestation and illegal hunting had also occurred, with residents cutting down forests to grow crops.

Hieu said the REDD+ project would help to not only protect the existing forest in a sustainable way but also spur socio-economic development.

The IUCN will provide assistance to the province so it can reach the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by limiting forest loss and deforestation by 2030.

The province has more than 16,200ha of forest and zoned forested areas, including more than 10,800ha of forest. Its total forest coverage is 2.5 per cent.

The area’s mangrove forests have a high level of bio-diversity, leaving room for tourism development.

The province has worked with local authorities to set up 16 forest cultivation and protection teams and three forest management co-groups.   

According to Pham Trong Thinh, director of the Southern Forest Planning and Investigation Sub-Institute, and a member of the IUCN delegation, REDD+ is an international effort to encourage a path towards sustainable forest development and a low-carbon economy.

In Viet Nam, it is also a part of the national programme for green growth. Currently, 18 out of 63 provinces and cities in the country have drawn up an action plan for the REDD+ project.

The IUCN delegation on Tuesday spoke with leaders of agencies in the province about the regulations to protect the forests, as well as finance and human resources for the implementation of REDD+.

According to the REDD Desk, which is a collaborative resource for REDD readiness, REDD+ is an important component of Viet Nam’s climate-change mitigation efforts and is central to the National Climate Change Strategy.

The National Action Programme on REDD+ 2011-20, approved in June 2012, is the major framework for REDD+ implementation in Viet Nam. — VNS