Lawmakers concerned over forest losses in light of central floods
Forest protection issues were in the spotlight on Tuesday in the National Assembly, amid public concern that the loss of forests had contributed to the devastation from floods and landslides in the central region in recent weeks.
Responding to lawmakers’ concerns, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Xuân Cường painted a rosier picture of the country’s forest situation. The country currently has 14.6 million hectares, 70.5 percent of which, or about 10.3 million hectares, are natural forest, with the remaining planted forest. The current forest coverage ratio of the country is about 42 percent against the global average of 29-30 percent.
