In order to promote the tradition of tree planting, initiated by President Ho Chi Minh, it is necessary to turn the planting of trees into a practical and effective emulation movement, of all levels and sectors, with the active participation of all people.
In addition to concentrated afforestation, it is necessary to increase the rate of planting scattered trees in rural areas, urban areas, roads, urban infrastructure works, educational, medical, cultural and factory facilities, industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech parks, cultural and historical zones, in order to ensure the proportion of trees, according to national technical regulations. Planting trees must go hand in hand with care, protection, management and supervision, to ensure good growth for the development of trees and planted forests.
Strictly following the Prime Minister's direction on closing natural forests, since 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has guided localities not to grant quotas and close down logging in natural forests across the country, including those that have obtained international certificates of sustainable forest management. This also includes, to stop the granting of quotas for domestic timber harvesting, while switching to another support mechanism and using alternative materials.
Vietnam is currently one of the countries heavily affected by climate change. Deforestation and destruction of the forest environment are still taking place in many areas, and have not been completely prevented.
At the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), Vietnam and more than 100 countries that own 85% of the world’s forests, pledged to prevent complete deforestation by 2030, increase the budget for sustainable agricultural development, forest management and conservation and restoration of forest resources.
On the other hand, the wood processing industry's continuous growth over recent years, has been posing a problem of stable and sustainable raw materials, strongly urging the promotion of effective tree planting and afforestation.
On April 1, 2021, the Government issued Decision No.524/QD-TTg, approving a project on growing one billion trees in Vietnam, during the 2021 - 2025 period. Accordingly, by the end of 2025, the whole country will have planted one billion trees, of which 690 million trees will be scattered in urban areas and rural areas and 310 million trees are concentrated in protection forests, special-use forests and newly-planted production forests. This project is in order to contribute to protecting the ecological environment, improving the landscape and responding to climate change, socio-economic development, improving people's quality of life and the sustainable development of the country.
In 2021, the whole country planted 277,830 hectares of concentrated plantation forests, reaching 102.8 percent of the yearly plan, up 27% over the same period and 100 million scattered trees. Ensuring a stable supply of raw materials for the processing industry with an output of more than 32 million m3 of wood per year, the forest coverage rate is stable at 42%. The total export value of the wood and the forest product processing industry, reached more than 15.8 billion USD. In 2022, the forestry sector set a target of planting 244,000 hectares of forest and 121.6 million scattered trees, an increase of 21% compared to 2021.
Right from the beginning of 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has requested localities to strengthen information dissemination, education, and encouragement at all levels, branches and people, to actively participate in tree planting and afforestation.
The organisation of the “Tree Planting Festival” is not ostentatious, ensuring the regulations on a safe and flexible adaptation and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating conditions for agencies, organisations, schools, armed forces and people from all walks of life, to actively participate in tree planting and afforestation.
The time to launch the "Tree Planting Festival" for the northern provinces, is in the early spring of the new year, and for the southern provinces, on the occasion of Uncle Ho's birthday (May 19), in accordance with the tree planting season of individual localities, in each specific time and place.
In order to organise a practical and effective tree planting festival, ministries, branches and localities need to develop tree planting and afforestation plans, in association with the implementation of targets for sustainable forestry development.
Specific plans should be devised to actively continue implementing the project, on growing one billion trees and turn it into an emulation movement of all levels and branches, in each residential area, with the participation of all people.
Priority should also be given to the selection of large, multi-use timber trees, associated with the synchronous implementation of solutions for forest fire prevention and fighting, protection and sustainable development of forests.
