Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) aimsto collect 2.8 trillion VND (121.7 million USD) from forest environmentalservices this year.
According to VNFOREST Deputy Director Pham VanDien, forest carbon sequestration and emission reduction services, a newfeature of 2021, will add between 300 to 500 billion VND to the sector’s annualincome from environmental services.
Last year, the revenue from those services stoodat 2.56 trillion VND, meeting 91 percent of the yearly target
The number fell short of expectation due largelyto severe water shortage taking place at large hydropower reservoirs betweenthe fourth quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2020, said the VietnamForest Protection and Development Fund (VNFF). The shortage affected businessperformance of hydro power companies. Inaddition, complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic locally andglobally last year directly impacted businesses employing these services.
The fund added revenues from forest environmentservices supported 226 forest management boards and 138,000 forest owners,while creating incomes for 81 forestry companies and livelihoods for more than172,000 families in mountainous areas.
According to Dien, forest environmental servicesincome are now mainly sourced from hydropower plants and firms producing cleanwater.
Experts recommended collecting environmentservice fees from other sources like ecotourism businesses, industrialproduction establishments, and aquaculture facilities./.
In 2019, Vietnam’s forestry sector will foster the implementation of forest development policies and the building of a production chain, said Vu Xuan Thon, head of the Management Board of Forestry Projects under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Developing tourism and services in protective and special-use forests in parallel with conservation will become a key part of the national economy in the future, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong.
The central province of Quang Tri has approved a project funded by the EU to promote sustainable partnership between smallholder forest owners and enterprises in sustainable forest management in response to climate change.
As many as 160 forest fires were reported across Vietnam in the last six months, destroying about 756ha of forest, according to the Vietnam Fire and Rescue Police Department under the Public Security Ministry.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
Transitioning to a circular economy not only offers a sustainable development path for Ho Chi Minh City but also serves as a pivotal step toward establishing a fully green economy.
An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) 
