Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh joins the tree-planting festival in Quang Binh province. (Photo: VNA)In her remarks,Thinh recalled the tree-planting campaign launched by President Ho Chi Minh inthe Spring in 1960, saying that generations of Vietnamese have responded to hiscall for environmental protection in the time since.
Climate change andextreme weather patterns have had negative impacts on many areas nationwide,she said. In 2020, central provinces, including Quang Binh, suffered substantiallosses from storms and floods.
Given this, she stressed,tree planting and forestation hold strategic significance for the country’ssustainable development.
She called forjoint efforts in the campaign, particularly the initiative from Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc to plant a billion trees over the next five years.
A representative from the MARD said that during the 2016-2020 period, some 227,000 ha of concentratedforests and 67 million scattered trees were planted each year.
The rate of forestcoverage reached 42 percent last year and the export value of wood and wooden productswas 13.17 billion USD, up 16.4 percent year-on-year.
Forest coverage isexpected to remain unchanged during the 2021-2025 period, with export revenue setat 20 billion USD.
Chairman of theprovincial People’s Committee Tran Thang reported that the locality planted8,100 ha of concentrated forests and harvested 450,000 cu.m. of wood in 2020.
Quang Binh rankedsecond nationwide in forest coverage last year, with 68 percent, he said.
After the launchceremony, Thinh paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh and martyrs in QuangBinh, and visited a centre for disabled children in Dong Hoi city./.
VNA
