Anti-CO2 emissions: Vietnam is at the forefront of the region

Years of experience combined with early participation in REDD + preparation helps Vietnam play a leading role in the region. This has been recognized by a world-renowned environmental activist, Mr. Charlotte Streck. On the occasion of the International Conference on Paying for Environmental Services and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, took place in Hanoi on June 23 and 24, 2010. We would like to introduce your article to VietNamNet.

In the fight against climate change, the powerful human assistant is the forest. The forest has just stored and absorbed the CO2 emissions to warm up the earth. In the face of ever-increasing forest destruction especially in Asia or Latin America, the United Nations has established a program to cut CO ₂ emissions by supporting poor countries to conserve forests.

This initiative is called "reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries", abbreviated as REDD (short for English phrase "Reduced mission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developping Countries " ).

The UN Summit on Climate Change (December 2009) in Copenhagen has expressed its commitment to create incentives to implement REED, bringing the REED initiative to REED +. Here the "+" sign means expanding the scale of the REED mechanism to include not only forest conservation and carbon stock enhancement, but also sustainable forest management.

Although the Conference did not achieve the desired results, REDD + appeared prominently in the Copenhagen Agreement. Developed countries have committed $ 3.5 billion to the REDD + quick response fund.

Vietnam actively participates in international climate change negotiations and ranks first in piloting REDD + implementation. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the National Target Program to respond to climate change since December 2008. The program has been implemented in Vietnam and is ongoing in neighboring countries like Laos and Cambodia. In the forestry sector, Vietnam is one of a few countries participating in the process of preparing for REDD + and the UN UN REDD Program; At the same time, he expressed his desire to participate in the enforcement of legislation on forests, management, and EU trade.

Vietnam is one of the few countries with experience in implementation
afforestation programs.

Viet Nam's active forestry policy has been in place for a long time and also piloted programs for afforestation and payment of ecosystem services (PES) over the past 20 years. Since the early 1990s, about 4 million hectares have been replanted and restored about 40% of the previous forest cover. The original deforestation rate has decreased by 77.9% since the late 1990s. Therefore, Vietnam is one of several countries with experience in implementing reforestation programs.

At the international level, Vietnam's success in preventing deforestation and forest planting programs is a typical case of implementing the ' plus ' component of REDD +, meaning support for governance. sustainable forest management and increasing forest area. This is one of the first countries to participate in preparing for REDD + and may also be the first country to propose a reference level to credit carbon sequestration from plantation, not just from reducing deforestation.

When implemented at the national level, REDD + provides an opportunity for Vietnam to successfully demonstrate lessons learned from its 5 million hectare forest program implementation (Program 661). Participation in REDD + may help Vietnam expand and reform, revising the 661 Program to begin implementation in 1998. With additional funding, the 661 Program can expand its scope, including protect existing forests, especially natural forests. Additional support and identification of objectives for afforestation will reduce the pressure on the remaining natural forests. Attaching Program 661 to REDD + also helps to monitor and monitor the program and the application of a more stringent payment method. International resources through REDD + can create new funds for building and strengthening local government capacity.

However, as forest cover increases, degradation and degradation is still a problem in the forestry sector, and forest degradation is common for forests with the highest carbon density. The development of forest degradation programs through long-term financial resources for sustainable forest management has been identified as a REDD + strategy in Vietnam. Community forest programs can also create examples of international REDD + benefit sharing. In the Central Highlands, where there is a high rate of forest degradation, community forest management programs can create important development opportunities for the rural poor and ethnic minorities.

Need to increase forest cover as well as pay more attention to degradation and degradation of forests.

Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Funds (FPDFs) can be the host of REDD + financial management and allocation skills at the national level. The objective of these funds is to mobilize resources to protect the remaining forests, engage the stakeholders in forest protection and management, and enhance the effectiveness of management. the forest. The FPDFs with their decentralization can implement REDD + programs on payments and allocate other benefits to localities with the participation of Forest Management Boards. The provincial FPDF is currently being piloted as part of the PES project in the Dong Nai River Basin, Lam Dong province.

The implementation of REDD + in Vietnam still faces many challenges, requiring a change in the way of natural forest management with a long-term vision in view of sustainable development . The application of a national REDD + strategy should be supported by an effective implementation framework, guiding local governments and forest managers on their rights and responsibilities, overcoming differences. between local and national policies.

Experience with early participation in REDD + preparation helps Vietnam play a leading role in the region. The implementation of the REED + activities includes many issues that must be based on efforts to create incentives at the local level to protect forests and increase forest cover.

Thus, Vietnam has taken the first steps. The remaining problem depends on the support of the international community for these efforts.