Meeting observes World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

ABO/NDO – A meeting was held in Lao Cai province by the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VAF) and the provincial People’s Committee to observe the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, on June 17.

Participants plant trees in the locality (Photo: VNA).

Addressing the event, VAF Deputy General Director, Pham Van Dien, said that the UN selected “Land has true value – invest in it” as the theme for the 2018 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

Desertification is threatening the livelihood and security of many people, particularly ethnic minority groups, he stated, stressing that forests play a vital role in recovering degraded land and preventing land degradation.

Statistics showed that, in 2017, Vietnam planted an additional 235,028 hectares of forest, equivalent to 102.4% of the yearly target. As many as 6.12 million hectares of forest were put under the management of the community.

It is an urgent need for Vietnam to continue planting trees and boost the sustainable development of forests, contributing to preventing land degradation and meeting the demands of socio-economic development and defence-security.

(Source: NDO)