Greening nearly 20 hectares of forest in Dong Nai

Ms. Do Thanh Huyen, Director of Gaia Nature Conservation, said about 19.5 hectares of poor forest in Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve have been replanted. The selected plants are native, including many rare species, such as honeysuckle, black rose, rosemary, shamrock, cypress, longan, mulberry, etc.

"Dong Nai afforestation program is important in reducing disaster damage, creating natural carbon sinks, and responding to climate change. At the same time, Dong Nai province afforestation also contributes to conservation. Protect the wild elephant population living here and protect water security for Ho Chi Minh City and the southeastern provinces," Mrs. Huyen said.

According to Mrs. Huyen, there have been a series of natural disasters in recent years. This is a sign that people must urgently act to restore forests. Otherwise, the cost of climate change will be very high.

"More and more businesses are accompanying Gaia to implement the program of afforestation and meaningful nature experiences. Through these activities, businesses not only carry out social responsibility, engage employees, but also contribute to the Government's project to plant 1 billion trees and aim for Vietnam to achieve net zero emissions by 2050," Mrs. Huyenn said.

According to Mrs. Huyen, in 2023, the Dong Nai afforestation program received the support of more than 1,000 employees, lecturers, students, and families of participating businesses.

These businesses regularly have meaningful social activities, especially those interested in sustainable development and dedication to the community. Among them are: Bosch, Onsemi, Siberian, Vietnam - Netherlands Program, KFC Vietnam, BAT Vietnam, CCIFV, Airbus, Wanna, Total Energies, P&G Vietnam, Central Retail.

To ensure the creation of positive and long-term values, Gaia is committed to coordinating with Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve to plan and implement tree planting, care, and close monitoring within the next four years.

Activities such as clearing bushes, cutting vines, tilling the land, planting miles, etc, are carried out twice a year. The parameters of height, root diameter, monitoring photos, measuring CO2 absorbed, oxygen generated, all are done by specialized staff. These figures are summarized in a report to donors every year.

To add meaning and impact to the reforestation program, Gaia has designed unique experiences for the community. Participants will experience afforestation, forest bathing, forest ecosystem exploration, and games. For businesses, this is a way of combining social responsibility and employee engagement, helping to optimize costs and maximize impact.

These programs have all received positive feedback, according to Mrs. Huyen. Most of them affirmed that immersing themselves in fresh nature, exploring the surrounding world, eagerly searching for bird nests, and tracking wildlife has made everyone feel relaxed and restored to health and more love of nature.

Mrs. Priyamvada Srivastava, Vice President and General Director of P&G Vietnam said sustainable development has always been the focus of the Company's business activities.

The "Forests For Good" initiative is essential to our efforts to protect nature. Through activities such as afforestation, ecological improvement, and local biodiversity, we also connect consumers, manufacturers, and retailers to participate in forest planting and protection," Mrs. Priyamvada Srivastava shared.

Before joining the project in Dong Nai, P&G Vietnam contributed more than 6,000 trees in Xuan Lien Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa province, and Ca Mau Cape National Park. Vietnam is one of 16 countries with the highest biodiversity resources in the world. However, Vietnam is facing severe biodiversity degradation due to human impacts.

Typical for the decline in biodiversity in Vietnam is the elephant population, which declined by 95% between 1975 and 2015. Currently, only about 50-100 elephants are left in the country. Dong Nai Culture And Nature Reserve has about 16-21 elephants.

In addition to elephants, many other large mammals are also on the verge of extinction.

Gaia Nature Conservation has carried out many meaningful activities to conserve biodiversity. In May 2023, on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, Gaia Nature Conservation, in collaboration with Dong Nai Cultural Nature Reserve, kicked off the program of planting forests and experiencing Dong Nai Nature 2023.

In 2023, Dong Nai province strives to achieve a forest coverage rate of more than 28%. Specifically, the area will plant nearly 3,700 hectares of forest and more than 4.6 million trees, continue zoning and promoting the regeneration of 420ha of forests, and nurture 323ha of natural forest.