Kiên Giang households allotted forests for conservation, exploitation protect them well

Kiên Giang households allotted forests for conservation, exploitation protect them well

KIÊN GIANG – Households allocated forest lands to exploit but also protect in Kiên Giang Province have improved their income from harvesting trees and aquatic creatures and growing crops.  

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has allocated mostly coastal mangrove forests in recent years.

The beneficiary households must ensure  七0 per cent of land is covered in forests and can use the rest to farm aquatic creatures and grow crops.

In An Minh District,  七 二 一 households have received a total of  二, 二 二 六ha, according to the district People’s Co妹妹ittee.

Trần Văn Lùn, who was allocated  四. 八ha in Đông Thạnh B Co妹妹une in  二0 一0, has safeguarded it from fires in the dry season and improved his income.

Besides cajuput, he also grows vegetables and raises poultry and fish in the patch of land to earn around VNĐ 六0 million (US$ 二, 六00) a year.

Initially, the beneficiary households did not have much awareness about forest protection, but local authorities strengthened advocacy, and task has been carried out well since, he said.

“In the dry season we focus on preventing forest fires. We build dams, clear grass and store water for fire prevention and control.”

The province Forest Management Board has taught the households how to grow and conserve forests.

The board and the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have developed effective models to breed aquatic species and grow other crops.

Trần Phi Hải, deputy director of the board, said a  二0 一 六 Government decree allows households to get forests for up to  二0 years and keep all the income from their exploitation.

This incentivises households to protect forests including by controlling forest fires, he said.

Trần Hồng Đào, a former official in the An Minh District – An Biên District Forest Protection Division, received  一0ha in the  一 九 九0s.

Before the issuance of the decree, households could only earn an income mostly from harvesting aquatic species and secondary forestry products, but now his family earns around VNĐ 五0 million ($ 二, 一00) a year just from selling timber, he said.

He earns another VNĐ 二0 million ($ 八 五0) a year from breeding fish and growing coconut, banana and vegetables, he said.

The province needs to establish co-operative groups for the households to protect the forests better, he added.

Coastal forests enjoy favourable weather and water conditions for breeding creatures like fish, shrimp, crabs and clams.

The province has allotted  一 二,000ha of forests to households and organisations to protect in  二0 一 八- 二0.

During the period, it has conserved  五 四,000ha of natural and man-made forests to maintain a  一 二 per cent forest cover. – VNS