Thousands of hectares of forests in Hoang Lien National Park in thenorthern province of Lao Cai are struggling to overcome forest fires,deforestation and illegal logging.
The park coversan area of nearly 30,000ha, spreading across six upland communes of LaoCai province's Sa Pa district and Lai Chau province's Than Uyendistrict.
Forest coverage has decreased over theyears, mainly due to careless behaviour, loose management, as well asillegal logging.
Party Committee Secretary of Sa PaDistrict Ma Quang Trung said: "The national park has several huge forestfires every year, and 80 percent of the fires are caused by localpeople who burn fields for cultivation."
In the lastfive years, there were two huge forest fires that broke out in HoangLien National Park. In the largest forest fire in February 2010, firedestroyed approximately 1,700ha of the park, including 1,000ha at Ban Hoand Ta Van villages and 700ha in the area between Lao Cai and Lai Chauprovinces, the People's Committee of Lao Cai province reported.
According to Deputy Chairman of the local People's Committee Vang VanKhin, the core forest is home to some 10,300 people whose livelihoodrelies heavily on forest resources.
"Most of themare poor and generate income through forest-based activities, such asagriculture, rearing livestock and fisheries, or logging. An expansionof the local population, along with associated threats such as forestfires, will put more pressure on the national park," he told the VietnamNews Agency.
"Most residents are ethnic people whohave low levels of education and literacy, therefore their poorawareness about fire prevention and their actions often cause forestfires."
A local resident said: "Although most peoplewere aware of illegal logging, we still turned to logging because wehad no alternative. The main income for us was from the forests."
Of note, illegal logging was becoming increasingly brazen and morecomplex, as rangers from the national park said. Giang A Sinh, aresident of Gang Ta Chai Mong, Ta Van commune, is an example. InDecember 2012, three forestry officers were hospitalised after Sinh andhis accomplices attacked rangers when they tried to stop them fromlogging, the province's Bureau of Forest Rangers reported.
The shortage of forest rangers and their lack of equipment, as well asthe difficult terrain in the park, are major problems in preventingillegal logging.
For long-term protection of theforest, Khin said: "The provincial authority needs to improve localresidents' awareness of illegal logging and its negative impacts, andincrease efforts to combat this".
He also suggested:"To effectively tackle this issue, authorities must support the peopleliving in core forests so they can achieve sustainable livelihoods."
In addition, faced with increasing threats on forestry resources,forestry officers cannot deal with the problem alone, and urged agenciesat communes to increase their co-operation.
HoangKim Ke, vice head of Hoang Lien Forest Protection Department, alsoconfirmed this goal, saying: "Local authorities need to improve theawareness and knowledge of people, especially in local communities whoare living near the forest, so they will understand about forest fireprevention and fighting."
The local community wasurged to sign an agreement to stop burning fields for cultivation, ceaseillegal logging, along with taking responsibility for protecting theforests.
In a further effort to stop illegallogging and poaching, the Government will need to provide much stricterpunishment, including prosecutions for violating forest management andprotection regulations.
Hoang Lien national parkcovers the communes of San Sa Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van, Ban Ho in Sa Padistrict and a part of Muong Khoa commune in Than Uyen District. Thepark was recognised by the ASEAN Secretariat as heritage site in 2006.
It also includes a buffer zone of 38,724ha borderingsome communes in the three districts of Van Ban, Than Uyen and Phong Thoin Lai Chau province.-VNA
The park coversan area of nearly 30,000ha, spreading across six upland communes of LaoCai province's Sa Pa district and Lai Chau province's Than Uyendistrict.
Forest coverage has decreased over theyears, mainly due to careless behaviour, loose management, as well asillegal logging.
Party Committee Secretary of Sa PaDistrict Ma Quang Trung said: "The national park has several huge forestfires every year, and 80 percent of the fires are caused by localpeople who burn fields for cultivation."
In the lastfive years, there were two huge forest fires that broke out in HoangLien National Park. In the largest forest fire in February 2010, firedestroyed approximately 1,700ha of the park, including 1,000ha at Ban Hoand Ta Van villages and 700ha in the area between Lao Cai and Lai Chauprovinces, the People's Committee of Lao Cai province reported.
According to Deputy Chairman of the local People's Committee Vang VanKhin, the core forest is home to some 10,300 people whose livelihoodrelies heavily on forest resources.
"Most of themare poor and generate income through forest-based activities, such asagriculture, rearing livestock and fisheries, or logging. An expansionof the local population, along with associated threats such as forestfires, will put more pressure on the national park," he told the VietnamNews Agency.
"Most residents are ethnic people whohave low levels of education and literacy, therefore their poorawareness about fire prevention and their actions often cause forestfires."
A local resident said: "Although most peoplewere aware of illegal logging, we still turned to logging because wehad no alternative. The main income for us was from the forests."
Of note, illegal logging was becoming increasingly brazen and morecomplex, as rangers from the national park said. Giang A Sinh, aresident of Gang Ta Chai Mong, Ta Van commune, is an example. InDecember 2012, three forestry officers were hospitalised after Sinh andhis accomplices attacked rangers when they tried to stop them fromlogging, the province's Bureau of Forest Rangers reported.
The shortage of forest rangers and their lack of equipment, as well asthe difficult terrain in the park, are major problems in preventingillegal logging.
For long-term protection of theforest, Khin said: "The provincial authority needs to improve localresidents' awareness of illegal logging and its negative impacts, andincrease efforts to combat this".
He also suggested:"To effectively tackle this issue, authorities must support the peopleliving in core forests so they can achieve sustainable livelihoods."
In addition, faced with increasing threats on forestry resources,forestry officers cannot deal with the problem alone, and urged agenciesat communes to increase their co-operation.
HoangKim Ke, vice head of Hoang Lien Forest Protection Department, alsoconfirmed this goal, saying: "Local authorities need to improve theawareness and knowledge of people, especially in local communities whoare living near the forest, so they will understand about forest fireprevention and fighting."
The local community wasurged to sign an agreement to stop burning fields for cultivation, ceaseillegal logging, along with taking responsibility for protecting theforests.
In a further effort to stop illegallogging and poaching, the Government will need to provide much stricterpunishment, including prosecutions for violating forest management andprotection regulations.
Hoang Lien national parkcovers the communes of San Sa Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van, Ban Ho in Sa Padistrict and a part of Muong Khoa commune in Than Uyen District. Thepark was recognised by the ASEAN Secretariat as heritage site in 2006.
It also includes a buffer zone of 38,724ha borderingsome communes in the three districts of Van Ban, Than Uyen and Phong Thoin Lai Chau province.-VNA
