Management Board for Forestry Projects effectively attracts ODA

Mr. Pham Hong Vich, Deputy Director of the Management Board for Forestry Projects (MBFP) said that due to the extraordinary situation of epidemics, rain and flood in 2020…, the implementation of forestry projects across the country faced many difficulties.

However, thanks to the attention and direction of leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), MBFP has basically completed its planned tasks assigned by MARD, in which ODA fundraising as well as new forestry-project development activities have gained remarkable achievements.

In the context of unpredictable climate change, forestry sector can’t avoid big challenges. MBFP with assigned important tasks continued to bring into full play its experiences, achievements with a view to advising and assisting MARD in ODA fundraising as well as effective management and utilization of this fund.

MBFP is assigned by MARD to be the owner of 9 projects, in which 8 projects are under implementation: Protection Forests Restoration and Sustainable Management Project, Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity as a Measure to Decrease CO2 Emissions Project, Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program (VFD), Sustainable Natural Resource Management Project (SNRM)…

In 2020, MBFP focused on directing the completion of planting 394.31 ha of forest, reaching 96% of the plan; tending 3,682 ha of forest as planned, at the same time conducting forest patrol and management activities for 86,990 ha of forest which reached 100% of the plan, localizing for reproduction of 5,413 ha of forest.

In addition, technical assistance projects of MBFP have supported forestry sector to organize multiple conferences and seminars with a view to developing and proposing guidelines and policies on forest protection and development as well as forest product processing, especially improving legal documents for the implementation of the Law on Forestry; pilot project on Emission Reduction for North Central Region and the signed Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement (ERPA), at the same time guiding the monitoring and evaluation of Payment Forest Environmental Services (PFES) and payment for forest environmental services through electronic transactions (non – cash payment); granting forest certificates to some project areas.

Through monitoring of forest resource changes, MBFP projects have provided local forest rangers with equipment and technical instructions so that they can apply tablets in monitoring forest resource changes and managing biodiversity.  

Mr. Pham Hong Vich also shared, in 2021, MBFP will focus on planting 1,342 ha of forest; tending 165 ha of planted forest and restoring 2,035 ha of forest…at the same time carrying out patrols to protect 73,700 ha of forest; reclaiming 12 ha of terraced fields and thinning 500 ha of acacia pine forest.

Also in 2021, MBFP is expected to accelerate the completion of procedures to kick off 5 new projects, including: Conservation and management of coastal mangrove ecosystem in the Red River Delta; Sustainable management and biodiversity conservation; Restoration and sustainable management of mangrove forests in the Red River Delta; Strengthening sustainable natural resource management, phase 2; Forest restoration and sustainable management in Central and Northern Vietnam, phase 1.

Standing Deputy Minister of MARD, Ha Cong Tuan highly appreciated MBFP’s achievements in 2020.

Standing Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan suggested that MBFP should continue to bring into play its achievements, pay more attention to ODA fundraising and develop new projects in forestry sector as well as closely cooperate with relevant agencies for the achievement of the proposed plan of 2021.