Examination of the development of acacia trees in the garden. (Photo: Quang Quyet / Vietnam News Agency)

Delegates accessed to information on climate change and its impacts to agriculture and forestry production in the Central Highlands; payment policies for forest environmental services; forestry development projects contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction in ethnic minorities; experiences from UN-REDD Vietnam in Lam Dong (reduction program of greenhouse gas emissions).

In addition, delegates also focused on discussing, sharing some measures to respond to climate change, such as strengthening forest protection and sustainable development of forests; good implementation of forest allocation and lease of forest land manages all forest lands and etc.

Speaking at the forum, Dr. Phan Huy Thong, director of the National Agricultural Extension Center, said Vietnam, one of five countries in the world, has been most severely affected by climate change. Therefore, the forestry development is also a factor of sustainable development. Forestry plays an important role in protecting the environment, biodiversity conservation, poverty alleviation.

According to the report of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to 2010 there were nearly 1.25 million households (equivalent to nearly 5 million people) involved in the project on planting 5 million hectares of forest, of which nearly 485,000 poor households, mostly ethnic minorities in the mountainous, upland areas.

In Lam Dong, area of forest land is allocated is over 376,000ha (accounting for 63% of the forest area of ​​the province). The forest allocation improved the livelihoods of more than 17,000 of ethnic households who live near the forest. The forest allocation also helped raise awareness of environmental protection for people and communities associated with poverty reduction and environmental protection.