An aerial view of Pu Huong Nature Reserve which makes up a green corridor in Nghe An province together with Pu Mat National Park and the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve.

Vietnam to speed up shift to modern, sustainable forest management

NGHE AN (VNS/ANN) -- Vietnam is accelerating its move toward modern and sustainable forest management, aiming for 70 percent of special-use and protection forests to adopt smart technologies for data storage, patrolling, monitoring and biodiversity conservation, VNFOREST said at its annual review conference on Monday at Pu Mat National Park in Nghe An province.
Vietnam currently manages 14.87 million hectares of forests, including 10.13 million hectares of natural forest and 4.74 million hectares of planted forests, with a national coverage rate of 42.03 percent.
The 2024 national forest status report records 14.874 million hectares of forested land, equivalent to 44.89 percent of the national territory, underscoring the sector’s pivotal role in the ecosystem and sustainable development.
Speaking at the event, VNFOREST director general Tran Quang Bao said these areas encompass most of the country’s key forest ecosystems and are essential for biodiversity conservation, disaster prevention, soil and water protection, climate change response, eco-tourism and national defence.
“As the agency responsible for advising on state management of forestry, we are committed to sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and the enhancement of forest ecosystem services,” he said.
Vietnam’s special-use forest system includes 35 national parks, 56 nature reserves, 18 species and habitat conservation areas, 63 landscape and cultural-historical protection sites, and various research forests.
The largest special-use forest areas are found in Dak Lak province with 224,300ha, Quang Trị province with 176,400ha, Nghe An province with 167,500ha, Da Nang City with 158,800ha, and Lam Dong province with 149,400ha.
Protection forests are concentrated in the northern midlands and mountains, with Nghe An, Lam Dong, Tuyen Quang, Son La and Gia Lai holding the largest areas.
Anja Barth, chief technical advisor of GIZ Vietnam, noted that viewing special-use and protection forests as part of a connected landscape-wide network strengthens long-term and effective conservation. She said Vietnam’s forestry development strategy, biodiversity plans and the strong commitment of forest managers position the country on the right track toward a more resilient, better-connected and more effective forest network.
Through international cooperation, knowledge exchange and improved national coordination, the 2025 annual review conference aims to further Vietnam’s efforts in biodiversity conservation, policy reform, carbon stock enhancement, technology adoption, digital transformation and climate mitigation.

(Latest Update December 9, 2025)