Preserving the upstream forest to protect the Be River

The Be River is 350km long, originating from Dak Nong and flowing to the provinces of Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai. Over the years, the strictly protected upstream forests have regulated the water source for hydroelectric plants; at the same time, creating a rich source of aquatic products and awakening many local ecotourism resources. We returned to Phu Hai village, Phu Mo commune, Dong Xuan district (Phu Yen) on an early morning in mid-November, the drizzle made the weather even colder. Many adults were still gathered around the fire waiting for the sun to rise to go to the fields, while at the schools, students had already arrived at class. To create such a learning discipline in highland schools is not an easy thing... On November 20, Sam Son Ethnic University Preparatory School solemnly held the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 - 2025 school year and announced the decision to appoint the Vice Principal of the school. Song Be is 350km long, originating from Dak Nong and flowing to the provinces of Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai. For many years, the strictly protected upstream forests have regulated the water source for hydroelectric plants; At the same time, creating a rich source of aquatic products and awakening many local ecotourism resources. On the morning of November 20, the Investigation Police Agency of An Giang Provincial Police announced that the unit had just issued a decision to prosecute the accused and an order to temporarily detain the accused Nguyen Van Gioi (born in 1991, Deputy Director of Nam Hao Kiet LLC), residing in Da Phuoc town, An Phu district, An Giang province, for the crime of "Violating regulations on investment in construction works causing serious consequences". The decisions and orders were approved by the Provincial People's Procuracy. On November 20, in City. Ha Long, Quang Ninh Department of Tourism in coordination with Quang Ninh Tourism Association and Sun Group Corporation organized the program of announcing the cooperation to stimulate tourism "Quang Ninh - Four Seasons Destination". On November 20, Colonel Nguyen Triu Men, Provincial Party Committee member, Party Committee Secretary, Political Commissar of the Border Guard of Soc Trang province chaired the Conference to review, evaluate and classify the quality of the collective and individuals of the Standing Committee in 2024 and issued a Resolution to lead the tasks in 2025 of the Border Guard Party Committee of Soc Trang province. Ms. Ho Thi Cam Dao, Standing Deputy Secretary, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council attended and directed the conference. The conference was also attended by representatives of the Party Committees of Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee. On the morning of November 20, Lieutenant Colonel Doan Cong Nghiep - Head of Hon Chuoi Border Guard Station (Ca Mau Border Guard) said that the unit had just successfully rescued a sailor drifting at sea. The summary news of the Ethnic and Development Newspaper, on November 19, had the following notable information: National Great Unity Day has profound humanistic meaning. Cultural experience tour of the Op village community. Young teacher in the highlands of Phuoc Son. Along with other current news in the ethnic minority and mountainous areas. On the morning of November 20, the 24th International Agricultural Exhibition Fair (AgroViet 2024) opened in Hanoi. On the morning of November 20, continuing the program of the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law on Teachers. At the discussion session, many National Assembly deputies expressed their interest in policies for teachers, especially in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, and areas with special difficulties. In 2022, Nghe An was recognized as having achieved level 2 literacy standards, which is an important premise for the locality to continue taking solid steps in the work of eliminating illiteracy. However, with difficult socio-economic conditions, limited awareness of a part of the people, remote areas... are obstacles to the work of eliminating illiteracy, requiring Nghe An province to have appropriate solutions. From November 20 to the end of 2024, Quang Ninh province will implement many events to "stimulate" tourism. With the theme “Quang Ninh - Four-season destination”, Quang Ninh province aims to welcome 19 million visitors in 2024. The Ministry of Health has just issued Circular 37 stipulating principles, criteria for building, updating, recording information, list structure and payment instructions for pharmaceutical drugs, biological products, radioactive drugs and markers within the scope of benefits of health insurance participants. The Circular takes effect from January 1, 2025.

We arrived at the Can Don Reservoir Inter-sectoral Checkpoint in Sub-area 52, Dak O Commune, Bu Gia Map District, under the management of Dak Mai Forest Protection Management Board (BQLRPH) under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Phuoc Province. The checkpoint is built of wood, covered with corrugated iron, located along the river, providing shelter from the rain and sun after hours of patrolling and protecting the forest by forest rangers.

In recent years, the unit has paid special attention to propaganda and raising awareness of forest protection, and has signed a commitment with households not to destroy forests, so every inch of land and forest trees are no longer encroached or cut down.

Forest ranger Ta Dinh Trung, who has worked in the forestry industry for 36 years, said that he rarely goes home, most of the time he stays in the forest, eating and sleeping at the post with 3 other forest rangers to protect the upstream forest along the Dak Huyt river. Life revolves around the forest, almost isolated from the outside world , few people pass by, phone signal is unstable, sometimes there is an absence of rice, fish sauce, salt is often lacking. But he and his teammates have overcome all difficulties, doing a good job of protecting the forest.

One of the people who has been accompanying and participating in forest protection with the Dak Mai Forest Protection Department since 2008 is Mr. Dieu Sa Riu, an Xtieng ethnic group, in Bu Gia Map commune, Bu Gia Map district. Sharing with us, Mr. Sa Riu said: “I am very happy that the Xtieng and Mnong people do not destroy forests anymore. I have a son who also loves the forest, passed the exam to become a Forest Ranger and then returned to work side by side with the people and forest rangers to protect the forest.”

Rich fauna in the special-use forest of Bu Gia Map National Park.

Following the rangers of Bu Gia Map National Park, we went deep into the forest. Vast tracts of primeval forest appeared before our eyes with many types of large trees, some of which were 30m high, several people could not hug them. We asked and learned that this was an area with 10 communities of more than 620 households, mostly of the Xtieng and Mnong ethnic groups in Dak O and Bu Gia Map communes, Bu Gia Map district, Binh Phuoc province and Quang Truc commune, Tuy Duc district, Dak Nong province, assigned to manage and protect 19,000 hectares of forest. Thanks to the forest, people's lives are more stable than before.

Mr. Dieu Ton, a member of the Forest Protection Team in Bu Dot village, Bu Gia Map commune, Bu Gia Map district, said: "Our team has 36 people, divided into 3 shifts each day, protecting more than 2,000 hectares of forest. In addition to patrolling hours, people also go to collect cashew nuts and tap rubber latex, earning an average income of more than 10 million VND/month, so we don't have to worry about hunger or lack of rice."

Forest ranger station protecting the Can Don reservoir basin forest on Dak Huyt river.

Forests provide food for the people

Looking at the lush green primeval forests growing strongly, Mr. Dieu Ton shared that the forest provides food for the Xtieng people, so they must cherish the forest. When patrolling and controlling, in addition to propagating and mobilizing people to strictly comply with regulations on protecting forests and wildlife, the team has many times discovered and arrested subjects who entered the forest to hunt, trap animals, and illegally destroy forests, handing them over to the park leaders for handling.

Bu Gia Map National Park has 1,117 plant species with many rare legumes such as rosewood, red wood, rosewood, agarwood, and goldfinch, 278 medicinal plant varieties, and more than 400 animal species, of which 30 species are listed in the Red Book, contributing to biodiversity conservation, serving scientific research, environmental education, ecotourism development, and is completing a dossier to request UNESCO to recognize it as the 12th World Biosphere Reserve of Vietnam.

According to Mr. Dieu Long, Dak A village, Bu Gia Map commune, Bu Gia Map district, at the age of 15, he had to go into the forest to make a living, from hunting wild animals to stealing forest products and then switching to clearing forests for farming. After many years of being a "forest bandit", he suddenly woke up when he saw the forest being destroyed, the people's lives becoming more and more difficult and thought "each person destroys 1 tree, 1,000 people will lose 1,000 trees and the forest will no longer exist".

In 2006, Mr. Dieu Long applied to protect the forest to pay off the debt to the forest, with an average income of 2 - 2.5 million VND/month, receiving 8 - 10 million VND once a quarter. He also encouraged the Xtieng people to abandon the habit of burning forests for farming and hunting wild animals to avoid committing crimes against the forest.

Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of Bu Gia Map National Park informed: The National Park is over 25,600 hectares wide, considered the "green lung" of the Southeast region, protecting the upstream protective forests for the reservoirs of the Thac Mo, Sork Phu Mieng, and Can Don hydroelectric projects. Over the past 22 years, the unit's staff and rangers have overcome many difficulties to protect the National Park's forests, thanks to which the exploitation of forest products and hunting of wild animals has significantly decreased. In particular, since its establishment, there has been no case of deforestation for slash-and-burn farming in the park, stopping the illegal encroachment of forest land, and the natural forest area has been protected intact.

One tree makes a forest

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/giu-rung-dau-nguon-bao-ve-dong-song-be-1731033253226.htm