Should the proposal be greenlit, a large chunk of forest in the Central Highlands will be gone.
In order to facilitate local development, officials of Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands recently submitted a request to the central government to convert some 12,700 hectares of forest within the province’s borders into land suitable for human activities, according to Tuoi Tre.
The document, signed by Dak Lak Deputy Chairman Y Giang Gry Nie Knong, went to the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, but it’s too early at this point to know whether it will get the nod of approval yet. The plan seeks to increase the locality’s total land available for development projects to 23,900 hectares by 2020.
Of the 12,700 hectares of forested land, over 10,000 hectares are classified as commercial forest, while 1,700 and 427 hectares are listed as protection forest and special-use forest, respectively.
If the land conversion plan is approved, 4,000 hectares of new land will become zones for sedentary farming and residence (SFR); over 1,755 hectares will be reserved for national defense and security projects; and, 4,430 hectares will house energy projects such as solar power plants.
The government usually manages the distribution of SFR land in order to minimize problems brought about by nomadic farming and protect natural resources and the environment.
The remaining area will also serve other developmental projects: 937 hectares will serve irrigation projects; 784 hectares will house agriculture and forestry projects; and 687 hectares will house trade and service operations.
[Photo via VTV]
