According to the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), over the past 10 years, Vietnam's forest area has increased from 13.9 million hectares to 14.86 million hectares; the forest coverage rate has risen from 41% to 42.02%.

Planting coastal mangrove forests to protect the environment.

The area of planted forests has increased from 3.5 million hectares to 4.7 million hectares, while the area of natural forests has shown a slight decline.

Although these statistics paint a positive picture, it must be recognised that the area and quality of natural forests are not yet high because the regeneration, recovery, and natural succession of forest ecosystems still require a long time to restore natural balance.

Thanks to effective and timely management measures, combined with planned afforestation programmes and regeneration promotion, many upstream natural forest areas have begun to recover, with significant increases in both area and quality.

This not only brings hope for the sustainable recovery of natural forests but also opens up positive prospects for the future regarding the water retention and soil protection capabilities of upstream protection forests.

Along with international commitments on combating climate change, Vietnam has been and is continuing to intensify environmental protection measures, including strengthening the protection and sustainable development of forests, while considering this as one of the important solutions to help ensure livelihoods for people living from forestry, natural balance, and promoting stable socio-economic development.

Vietnam also acknowledges the support of international organisations in cooperation for forest protection and development, including the collaborative afforestation model between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and international organisations in this field.

The collaboration with Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam in 2024 is a prime example of joint efforts to protect the environment and forest ecosystems, yielding encouraging initial results in promoting the multi-purpose value of forests.

The rapidly implemented model not only contributes to water source protection and carbon absorption but also supports improving livelihoods for local communities.

Ky Son District in Nghe An Province is one of the localities chosen to implement the "Water Conservation - For a Green Vietnam" programme. This is an area that has experienced serious deforestation and faces negative impacts from climate change with frequent flash floods and landslides.

The model creates a meaningful transformation not only for the environment but also in people's awareness, nurturing consciousness about forest protection, serving as a foundation for replicating the model nationwide, accompanying the government in realising commitments to sustainable development.

Previously, non-governmental organisations from the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US, Finland, Germany and others have also cooperated and supported the forestry sector with many important projects.

Recently, the German government, through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has committed to supporting the implementation of a project on protection and management of conservation areas with complex ecosystems in Vietnam.

The project is jointly implemented by the German international cooperation organisation GIZ and the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection.

The German government has also committed to providing additional funding for a project on scaling up sustainable forest management and forest certification in Vietnam.

Tran Quang Bao, Director of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection, stated that with their important ecological role in regulating rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding and landslides, protection forests need to be prioritised for protection and development in the coming period, especially in areas vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change.

The work of restoring and improving the area and quality of protection forests needs to focus on key areas such as comprehensive planning, selection of appropriate tree species, development of multi-layered forest structures, and rational spatial distribution.

It is necessary to ensure the maintenance of a stable national forest coverage rate from 42% to 43%, while stabilising forest areas combined with improving the quality of three forest types, especially natural forests.

Protection forest planning must be carried out based on scientific foundations and in accordance with the geographical and climatic conditions of each region.

For upstream protection forests, priority must be given to areas at high risk of erosion and landslides, where water retention and flood prevention capabilities are essential due to steep terrain and heavy rainfall, with typical examples being the northern mountainous provinces and the Central Highlands, which need to be protected, especially to prevent flash floods and surface flows causing erosion and landslides.

In coastal areas, especially in the central region, the planning of windbreak and wave-break protection forests is also very important as these areas not only face major storms but also suffer from coastal erosion.

These protection forests are distributed along the coastline, forming a natural barrier to mitigate the impact of storms, sea waves, and protect the living environment.

In the coming period, along with the proactive approach of localities and the forestry sector, with effective close cooperation from the business community, domestic and international organisations, forest protection and development work will deepen, bringing more positive value, contributing to increasingly effective climate change mitigation, environmental protection, and promoting sustainable socio-economic development.