9 million hectares of land are at risk of desertification

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Binh, Director of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the country currently has 8-9 million hectares of unused land, threatening to turn into desert. In response to this bad ability, the Government has just issued a national action program to combat desertification.

"Speaking of the desert people often think about Africa or the Middle East, where the sand is immense. But in fact, right in the green forest area, the land in cultivation also has the potential to become desert, then sa If there is no sustainable farming method, Mr. Binh warned.

Deforestation for agriculture is increasing the risk of desertification. (Photo: Cong An Ho Chi Minh City) In Vietnam, the process of desert and soil degradation is the result of erosion, laterite, drought, flying sand, alum contaminated soil, saline intrusion. Currently, there are 8-9 million hectares of unused land at risk of becoming desert, concentrated in 4 regions: Central coastal provinces affected by drought and mobile sand (about 430,000 ha); Northwest and Central Highlands due to steep terrain, depleted forests, eroded land; Long Xuyen quadrangular area with soil alum process, saline intrusion.

Mr. Binh said, desert land can still be used. Some countries, such as Israel, have grown dates but have to invest very expensive. Countries therefore actively protect the land before turning into a desert.

Director Binh expressed concern that some coastal provinces did not carefully study the water source and deforestation for shrimp, the results of shrimp were ineffective, while the soil was re-salted. In the northern mountainous provinces, slash and burn cultivation makes land degradation still occur.

The objective of the national action program until 2010 is the imperative against desertification for 4 regions of the Northwest, Central Coast, Central Highlands and Long Xuyen Quadrangle; by 2020 will basically overcome the causes of human activity causing desertification, limiting the desertification process due to natural causes.

Hong Khanh