In the Media
Vietnam urges ASEAN nations to save forests
June 29, 2012
VietNamNet Bridge
The ASEAN community must co-operate more profoundly at all levels to promote sustainable forest management and development, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said.
Phat was speaking at the opening of the 15th meeting of senior ASEAN officials on forestry, an annual meeting chaired by forestry leaders in the region. He said that although the forestry sector created jobs and contributed to the economic development of ASEAN countries, there were many common problems. Phat said that the use of forest land for hydro-power plants, roads and agricultural production had reduced the quality and quantity of natural forests. And illegal logging and trading in wildlife were still popular pursuits. He said ASEAN countries should share information, experiences and effective policies to help each other.
Nguyen Ba Ngai, deputy director of Viet Nam Administration of Forestry, said the destruction of forest land for other economic purposes occurred in many ASEAN countries. He said the Philippines is now coming to terms with the massive construction of hydro-power plants and cocoa farms on former forest land.
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Keywords: ASEAN, Asia, Cambodia, deforestation, Forest, forest cover, hydro power, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam