Members of the Đồng Xuân protection forest management board, the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Research (GreenViet) and the Japanese Dai-ichi Life Việt Nam, come together for tree planting in Phú Yên Province. More than 10,000 trees will be growing on a 12ha area of protected forest in Phú Mỡ commune. Photo courtesy of Kim Tuyến

PHÚ YÊN – The Đồng Xuân protection forest management board, in co-operation with the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Research (GreenViet), is committed to continuing a restoration and afforestation project in Phú Mỡ commune.

The project, in the coastal central province, will not just contribute to helping the Government hit its net zero commitment by 2050, but will also offer enhanced water security.

GreenViet said under the programme, 10,000 timber species will be put in the ground over an area of 12ha, using a VNĐ500 million (US$20,000) fund from the Japanese Dai-ichi Life Việt Nam.

The Đồng Xuân board will keep expanding the forest restoration project and take care of the saplings as the programme develops.

It said two large timber species – Jamblon (Syzygium cumini) and green ironwood (Erythrophleum fordii) – have been selected for the  Phú Yên-based project - part of the long-term forest afforestation programmes in the central region, covering areas including Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam and Phú Yên.

Previously, 10,000 trees were planted over 9ha in the Phú Ninh protection forest area in Quảng Nam Province.

Dai-ichi Life Việt Nam, in partnership with GreenViet, has given  VNĐ2.3 billion ($92,000) for forest restoration and supported the ‘One Million Trees Plantation’ project since 2023.

GreenViet reported that more than 156,000 trees, of which 70 per cent are forest trees, (those of economic importance) are now growing in Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam, Phú Yên, Hà Nội and HCM City, thanks to partnerships with different sponsors over the 2021-25 period.

Communities in Hoà Bắc, Hòa Phú, Hòa Liên communes in Đà Nẵng have planted precious timber species with funds from the UpRace campaign, Ecoculture of the US, domestic businesses and donors in 2024.

Not only will the trees help green the areas, but the upstream restoration and afforestation project area should help strengthen water security for Đà Nẵng, helping prevent erosion on the Cu Đê River banks.

The centre has been co-operating with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Việt Nam in promoting protection and conservation of the grey-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix cinerea) – the critically endangered primates – by supporting the local community with livelihood improvement and indigenous trees afforestation in Tam Mỹ Tây commune of Quảng Nam Province.

More than 54,000 ‘green shadow’ trees have also been planted in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng, HCM City, and the other so-called living quarters, in urban zones in 2021-25. VNS