The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai officially announced its action plan, Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), at a conference in Lao Cai on July 5.

The event was co-organised by the provincial People’s Committee, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Norwegian Embassy and the management board of the UN-REDD programme.

The action plan was supported and received advising from the Centre for Natural Resources and Environment – Forest Inventory and Planning Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It aims to provide solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as to manage, protect and sustainably develop forests in Lao Cai province.

The launching of the REDD+ action plan is an important step for the province in protecting the ecological environment and combating climate change,while ensuring the community’s interests in the local economy and society.

The province has set a target of better managing and protecting 267,100 hectares of existing natural forest, including nearly 57,000 hectares of special-use forest in the Hoang Lien National Park and Bat Xat and Hoanh Lien-Van Ban Natural Reserves, nearly 102,000 hectares of protection forest, over 76,000 hectares of production forest and 33,600 hectares of outside forestry planed forest.

In order to reach the target, Lao Cai’s authorities will strengthen capacity in forest fire prevention and control and limit deforestation and forest degradation due to forest exploitation, and cardamom cultivation, and conserve and enhance forest carbon stocks through selection and breeding of forest trees to plant them on the local forest land.

The province will also promote mobilisation and attraction of more investment capital to afforestation, protection of ecological systems and procession of forestry products, contributing to creating more jobs for local people as well as improve the incomes and lives of people.

On the occasion, the provincial People’s Committee announced its decision to approve plans for sustainable management of nearly 11,000 hectares of forests by Bao Yen Forestry One Member Limited Company and development of its plant for processing forestry products reaching standards to be exported to Europe./.