Scientists and environmental managers discussed measures to deploy the UN-REDD programme in Vietnam at a seminar in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on Nov. 26.
They highlighted why the location of Lam Dong was selected for the implementation of the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD) and improving the technical capability and management and coordinating mechanisms from central to local levels.
The issue of how to combine the UN-REDD programme with the provincial land use programme to prevent forest degradation was also tabled for discussion.
Many delegates mentioned that the lessons learned by many countries can be applied to Lam Dong, including raising people’s awareness through dissemination work, and attracting the involvement of the local community as well as domestic and foreign businesses and organisations to the programme.
They also suggested the expansion of information exchange and international cooperation and the implementation of a policy of sharing benefits with households, the local community and organisations involved in carrying out the UN-REDD programme.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hua Duc Nhi confirmed that measures put forward at the seminar will be carried out in the UN-REDD programme in Lam Dong.
The programme will help not only to protect and develop forests but also improve the life of people who depend on the forests, Nhi said.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country director, Vietnam is one of nine countries in the world chosen by the UNDP to implement the UN-REDD programme and Lam Dong province was selected for the programme because it has the largest forest coverage in the country and much experience in implementing major forestry programmes.
Sponsored by the Norwegian Government, the 4.3 million USD programme will be carried out over 20 months. The results gained from Lam Dong province will serve as an important foundation for the UN to devise a master programme on reducing green house gas emissions and preventing global climate change under its framework convention on climate change, he added.