WWF promotes sustainable forest management in Central Truong Son

On the morning of July 28, the World Wide Fund for Nature in Viet Nam (WWF-Viet Nam) coordinated with the Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment to hold the event "Connecting for Sustainable Forest Management." The workshop brought together more than 100 delegates from management agencies, businesses, forest owners, cooperatives, and the FSC certification organization.

According to the report presented at the workshop, FSC-certified forest area in the Central Truong Son region has reached 151,802 hectares to date. A cooperation program between WWF-Viet Nam and HP aims to expand sustainable, FSC-certified forest by an additional 12,000 hectares, plant 200,000 more native trees, and support livelihoods for approximately 1,000 households in Hue City and Quang Tri Province during the 2025-2029 period.

Speaking at the workshop, Nguyen Vu, Director of the Nature-Based Solutions Initiative Program at WWF-Viet Nam, said sustainably managed forests not only provide a legal source of raw materials for the market but also create stable livelihoods for forest growers, serve as a refuge for biodiversity, and act as a "shield" against climate change.

However, he noted, sustaining and expanding these values requires more than individual and organizational effort, it requires a linkage chain strong enough that forest owners, businesses, management agencies, and development partners share a common vision and take joint action.

As international markets place increasingly strict demands on the legal origin of forest products, forest certification, and environmental and social responsibility, building linkages within the forestry value chain is no longer optional, it has become a condition for strengthening the competitiveness of Viet Nam's wood industry.

According to Phan Van Phuoc, Deputy Director of the Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment, sustainable forest management and the development of FSC forest certification are among the province's strategic goals, as set out in the Quang Tri Provincial Master Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision toward 2050.

"We hope this event will create space for genuine dialogue and connection among stakeholders in the forestry value chain, helping to resolve difficulties in developing FSC forest certification, expand cooperation opportunities, and improve the effectiveness of sustainable forest management and development in the province," Phuoc said.

At the workshop, Sepon Group (Quang Tri Trading Corporation JSC) signed two memorandums of cooperation with WWF-Viet Nam and the Quang Tri Association of Forest-Certified Household Groups, aimed at expanding FSC-certified forest area and building a responsible timber supply chain in the Central Truong Son region.