Green Forest Program to launch in 2024

This was the third time VUSTA and PanNature have organized afforestation activities in Van Ho to help restoring the degraded natural forest strip connecting the district and Mai Chau, in an effort to preserve natural habitats for wild plants and animals, in particular the critically endangered white-cheeked gibbon. The event is especially more meaningful as it was held on World Environment Day (June 5^th) with the theme of "restoring land, fighting drought and fighting desertification".

VUSTA Vice President Pham Quang Thao giving his speech at the ceremony

At the ceremony, VUSTA Vice President Pham Quang Thao emphasized the role of forests in human life and how everyone is responsible for preserving, protecting and restoring this invaluable resource. This is also an urgent global task that has been raised at many Summits on climate change and biodiversity, says the Vice Chairman.

According to the Vice Chairman, the United Nations has recently called for applying nature-based solutions to promote biodiversity conservation in the decade of ecosystem restoration (2021-2030) where forest restoration is considered one of the most important solutions to achieve these goals. In response to this and in order to raise national awareness of forest ecosystem protection, the Vietnamese government also launched the "Planting one billion trees from 2021 to 2025" in 2021; together, people across the country will plant, care for and protect nearly 700 million scattered trees in urban and rural areas and more than 300 million concentrated forest trees. The tree planting and afforestation movement has since then spread further, with numerous organizations and individuals enthused to participate whether directly or indirectly. In particular, the Vietnamese government also deemed 2024 the "Year of Biodiversity Restoration" with the theme "Living in harmony with nature" to raise everyone’s awareness about the importance of preserving biodiversity and forest ecosystems.

Technical staff guides delegates participating in tree planting activity

VUSTA, with its role of gathering hundreds of science and technology organizations operating in many different fields—including the field of biodiversity conservation— always supports and creates opportunities for its members to conduct meaningful and effective tree planting activities. Vice President Pham Quang Thao stated VUSTA therefore welcomes and supports afforestation activities carried out by local departments in coordination with PanNature in Van Ho to restore degraded forest areas, contributing to protect the natural habitat.

After the launching ceremony, more than 200 delegates, guests and common citizens participated in planting seed bombing trees to replenish 25 hectares of forest in the villages of Pa Cop, Hua Tat and Bo Nhang II, belonging to Van Ho District, Son La Province.