Vietnam and RoK enhance cooperation in multi-use forest development

On June 21, MARD Minister Le Minh Hoan met with Korea Forest Service (KFS) Minister Nam Sung-Hyun.

The cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea has grown in recent years. Minister Le Minh Hoan opined that the cooperation, particularly the funding and support projects, and programs provided by the South Korean government and businesses to Vietnam, has begun to bear fruit.

Minister Le Minh Hoan thanked his Korean counterpart and KFS for actively cooperating with MARD to advance bilateral forest sector cooperation activities.

The Vietnamese agricultural commander also thanked the RoK Government for its support and cooperation with Vietnam in implementing programs and projects related to capacity improvement in climate change response, including the "Mangrove Restoration and Sustainable Management Project in the Red River Delta".

Vietnam is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Vietnam has over 14,7 million hectares of forest with a coverage of over 42 percent, substantially contributing to its sustainable development and environmental security. As a consequence, the Vietnamese government has given a great deal of attention to issues such as forest protection, climate change response, combating forest degradation, and sustainable development, etc., according to Minister Le Minh Hoan.

He anticipated that the cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Vietnam in the forestry sector would flourish through projects and programs, particularly in light of the fact that Vietnam requires the advice and assistance of the international community to deal with climate change, including in the forestry sector.

Vietnam is developing a plan to promote the multi-use value of forest ecosystems based on a broader understanding of multi-use ecology. South Korea is an industrializing nation that has made significant strides in science-technology management and forest development. To put the plan into action, Minister Le Minh Hoan requested South Korea's assistance and partnership through upcoming cooperation projects.

Nam Sung Hyun, Minister of Korea Forestry Service, stated that the visit of his delegation was part of the state visit of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife to Vietnam.

According to Nam, KFS has participated in the greening movement by establishing more trees and increasing the diversity of vegetation in other nations. In the context of industrialization and soil erosion, the movement is significant for all nations, including the Republic of Korea.

A cooperative agreement between Vietnam and South Korea in 1999 has resulted in a number of enhancements to bilateral cooperation in forestry. With current knowledge and expertise in the forestry sector, the Republic of Korea is willing to collaborate with Vietnam on projects and programs. Specifically in Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh, where the "Mangrove Restoration and Sustainable Management Project in the Red River Delta" is conducted. The Governments of the Republic of Korea and Vietnam have shown significant interest in the initiative, demonstrating the role of the Republic of Korea in the current climate change response.

Nam anticipated that the "REDD+" program for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, which has been implemented in Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, could also be implemented in Vietnam.

Mr. Nam reported that the National Assembly of South Korea is currently discussing enacting a law to support REDD+ initiatives. The KFS representative expects that there comes the law, and the initiative will be implemented in Vietnam on a national and corporate scale in the future. Hopefully, many related initiatives can be implemented from there.

The Minister of KFS also praised Vietnam's participation in the "Mangrove Restoration and Sustainable Management Project in the Red River Delta" and viewed it as exemplary of the successful cooperation between the two ministries.

Minister Le Minh Hoan stated that Vietnam is implementing the restructuring of the forestry industry in the direction of developing a multi-use forestry industry, with an emphasis on improving productivity, output, and value of planted forests, with a particular emphasis on planting large timber forests and enhancing the welfare value of forests for people, as well as conserving biodiversity and implementing international forest-related commitments in a responsible manner.

RoK is a country with a great deal of experience and technological prowess in promoting the role of forests; thus, the Minister wished that it would support Vietnam in this field, assisting in the development of sustainable forest livelihoods associated with indigenous landscapes and tourism, particularly in the northern mountainous region; and the creation of value for forest ecosystems in the interest of the public good.

In addition, the Minister suggested that Korea support planting and restoring mangroves in areas where land is still available; converting the traditional aquaculture system to sustainable farming under the canopy of flooded forests; piloting mangrove carbon credits; and transforming sustainable aquaculture systems under the canopy of flooded forests.

The leader of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also requested that KFS support the development of a digital map of land use for the development of medicinal plants under the forest canopy, as well as promote cooperation in the construction and operation of high-tech nurseries for forest trees, medicinal plants, and precious and rare plant species in accordance with South Korean standards.