1. LAND DEGRADATION IN DRY LAND IN VIET NAM Dr. Tran Viet My

2. It has 4 parts: Introduction; Concept and causes; Some major measurements to combat land degradation in VN up to 2010; Conclusion.

3. Introduction VN land resource is classified into 14 groups and 31 soil units. Nearly 50% (15.3 million ha) of total land area is deteriorated. Forest coverage reduced from 43.0%(1943) to 37.6%(2006).Deforestation resulted in extensive land degradation, ecosystem declining, and watershed deterioration. Water pollution is increasing step by step, water scarcity is very high in near future.

4. Introduction( cont.) Due to dry and hot weather, severe drought, land break, land slide have been prevailing in many areas. Especially in Central Coast, North- west, Central Highland, Mekong Delta. That is 4 priority areas to implement the program of anti-land degradation in period of 2006-2010.

5. Land degradation map in Viet Nam and Asia

6. Land use in Viet Nam

7. Soil degradation figures in Viet Nam and some countries in Asia

8. Introduction(cont.) Central Coast area comprises of 12 provinces, from North to South. Many places have low rainfall, high temperature, strong vaporization; a lot of savanna, brush, drought sandy coastline, poor fertility. It is one of the most arid areas of VN with some natural characteristics of desertification. It is difficult to earn living for people due to poverty, suitable for priority area in both environment and socio- economic restoring.

9. Shifting sand in Central Coastline

10. Planting trees on coastal sand

11. Introduction(cont.) North- West includes 4 mountainous provinces where erosion, slide, deterioration of soil has been done seriously, and increased step by step due to big slope, low forest coverage, shifting cultivation. Local people are poverty, and most of them are ethnic minorities; so they always extra- impact on forest around lead to vegetation deterioration, land degradation.

12. Land degradation in North- West of Viet Nam

13. Introduction(cont.) Central Highland has 5 provinces with many ethnic minorities and migrants who come from plain. They destroyed and changed forest into farming land with rubber, coffee, fruit tree plantations due to high income make forest coverage to be decreased seriously, lead to flood in rainy season, drought in dry season. So, erosion, slide and deterioration of soil have been certainly big risk. Mekong delta (Long Xuyen Quadrangle) comprises 2 provinces where mangrove has been destroyed everyday by aquaculture. Soil contaminated acidity and salty lead to land deterioration.

14. Bared land in Central Highland

15. Concept and causes Land degradation is to reduce the potential of land resource via the process of desertification and deforestation(UNDP/GEF).It caused by a combination of factors ( direct &indirect) as:  Drought;  Land erosion, pollution, organic matter and fertility decreasing;  Loss of vegetation coverage, biological or economic productivity and invasion of plants come from outside;  Changing living environment;  Declining watershed resource lead to loss of fertility top soil …

16. Concept(cont.) The concept of “ Combating desertification “ stated in UNCCD document is quite broad. In VN, that means combating with desertification, soil degradation, and reducing impact of drought. So, that’s all activities aimed at preventing land degradation and mitigating impact of drought, including land erosion, salinization and acidification control, forest protection and development, shifting and mitigation, water resource management… should be associated with poverty reduction in an national action program( NAP). Land degradation can be occurred in many different eco- system such as arid, semi- arid, humid, sub- humid, coastal and mountainous area.

17. Major measurements to combat land degradation in VN up to 2010 Objectives of NAP of Viet Nam toward 2020 for combating desertification, include land degradation: Upgrade effectiveness & efficiency of forest resource management; Strengthen land use management; Improve water resource management, mitigate the adverse effects caused by drought; Meet present needs of people in affected areas.

18. National level Make sure desertification process is overviewed, include current situation and causes of desertification; set up data base on desertification situation; Continue to receive legal framework, policy system related to desertification, integrate activities, action at all levels, sectors to develop new or improve current policies; Develop crop, livestock and agro-forestry system for each priority area appropriate to each condition system to ensure sustainable use of land, water and forest resource as well as improve living conditions of local people in affected area; develop technical handbook sets. Each province of the 4 priority areas sets its own action plan with fund requirement for multi- sector project

19. Some activities on coastal area as workshop, planting

20. National level(cont.) as irrigation, forestry, resource management, environmental protection etc. Strengthen awareness raising from local to international organization, from ministries to localities with various messages such as “ do not leave dried area”, “if not action, desertification will attack us”, “do all to return the greenery to the white land”; worked with VN television to produce documentary film on combating desertification, launched communication campaigns ; conduct training courses to raise awareness ; prepared short film on present status of desertification and successful models on combating desertification; arranged national seminars and workshops to share experience from 4 priority areas during the International Year on Combating Desertification.

21. National level(cont.) Set up and implement projects/ programs in national scale as:  Continue the National 5 mil. Ha Reforestation program;  Set up the Partnership Program on Sustainable management of Forest Land;  Survey, assess present status on desertification and study to identify causes, measures in the 4 priority areas;  Develop capacity for UNCCD National Office;  Raise awareness on desertification for local community in 4 priority areas;  Provide guidelines & extension measures for combating desertification; Promote & strengthen market information system for agri. Products of 4 priority areas ;

22. National level (cont.)  Study & identify mechanisms for mobilization & utilization of funding allocated to support combating desertification;  Research on possibility to create a Fund of Combat Desertification, etc.

23. International level VN has nominated National Science & Technology Research Institutions to take park in difference Asia Network, such as Network on evaluation desertification process, Network on agro- forestry & land degradation combating, Network on steep slope & shifting sand control, Network on drought warning capacity building & desertification combating, and Network on integrated local programs.

24. Conclusion Soil deterioration in VN is rapidly increasing both in speed & seriousness, especially in mountainous areas; Consequences of land degradation in VN are very serious, lead to depletion of fauna & flora, loss of land productivity & reduction of agri. Land per capita; Several policies & programs/ projects to combat land degradation are being implemented in VN, but combating desertification, land degradation, especially in dry land is a long & complex process. It need a close cooperation, collaboration of all relevant local stakeholders, VN government & international organizations to implement successfully NAP- the program with multi- sector & multi- disciplinary characteristics.

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