Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Currently,natural forest area in the region is 2,234,442 hectares, down 11,626 hectares from2015, leading to a 0.2 percent drop in forest coverage to 46.01 percent.
DakNong and Gia Lai have coped with the sharpest fall in natural forest area with 8,132hectares and 1,894 hectares, respectively. Their forest coverage also fell to33.42 percent and 38.03 percent.
TheSteering Committee for Central Highlands Region pointed to several reasons, includingthe slow organization and transformation of forestry enterprises, and the managementboards for protective and specialized forests delaying the review and planningof forests in regional localities.
Besides,legal documents on forest management, protection and use have yet to match thereality, and faced many obstacles during implementation.
Meanwhile,the communal people’s committees, which are assigned to manage a huge area offorest, have not received capital resources for the work. Regulations on responsibilityof administrations at all levels, especially grassroots level, remained unclear.
TheSteering Committee for Central Highlands Region has proposed central agenciespermit regional localities to pilot the co-management of forests on thefoundation of shared responsibility and interests. The Government should also seekmeasures to back forestry companies to foster connections in forest managementand development.
Ithas also requested for the early approval of a project on sustainablyprotecting, restoring and developing forests in the region for the 2016-2025period, enabling localities to design their own specific planning.-VNA
VNA
