The forest over the mountainous district of Pa Nang, Quang Tri province, central Vietnam, (Photo: VNA)

These new projects will help conserve more than 950,000ha of forested area across 12 provinces in the country.

“Healthier, fuller forests, coupled with strong biodiversity, are critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” the statement reads.

The Sustainable Forest Management project, implemented by DAI Global, will reduce carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, and poor timber plantation management in seven provinces.

The project is expected to strengthen Vietnamese law enforcement’s ability to combat forest crimes such as illegal logging, improve the livelihoods of 60,000 people in forest-dwelling communities, and strengthen the management of more than 250,000ha of forest.

The Biodiversity Conservation project, implemented by the World Wildlife Fund, will protect critical ecosystems to build resilience against the impacts of climate change, maintain and increase forest quality, and protect and stabilise wildlife populations.

The project is set to improve the ability of community patrol teams to detect and deter wildlife trafficking, improve economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities, and strengthen the management of 700,000ha of forest.

These activities build upon more than a decade of USAID’s partnership with the Vietnamese Government, the private sector, and other partners to protect forests and biodiversity, counter wildlife trafficking, and curb environmental pollution to mitigate the effects of climate change./. VNA