This presentation by Trieu van Khoi from VNFOREST given during the Forests Asia Summit in the discussion forum "Investments: Promoting sustainable timber production" gives an overview over the 5MHRP, it's major achievements, the main reasons for those achievements, the shortcomings and weaknesses and finally the objektive and tasks until 2020.

1. Five Million Hectare Reforestation
Program (1998 - 2010)
Trieu Van Khoi, VNFOREST

2. Overview on 5MHRP
• The Five Million Hectare Reforestation Program (5MHRP) was
approved by the Parliament in 1997 and by the Prime Minister
with Decision No. 661/QD – TTg dated July 29 1998.
• The 5MHRP had been carried out from 1998 to 2010 and aims
to increase nation-wide forest coverage up to 43% of the total
land cover.

3. Major achievements
1. Forest area: increased from 10.435 mil. ha in 1998 to 13.553 mil.
ha in 2010; Forest cover increased from 32% in 1998 to 39.5% in
2010, and 40,7% in 2012.
2. Harvested yield from plantation forest: increased from 0,5 mil. m3
in 1998, to 4.489 mil. m3 in 2010 and reached 8,0 mil. m3 in 2013.
3. The value of timber–based export turnover has increased from 61
mil. USD in 1996, to 3,436 mil. USD in 2010, and 5,700 mil.USD
in 2013.
4. Production operations of the forest sector have been changing
remarkably from state–owned forestry with centralized planning to
socialized forestry.
5. The forest sector has been actively involved in employment
creation and livelihood improvement for nearly 25% of the
Vietnamese people.

4. The main reasons for the achievements
1. The state has paid more attention to forest protection and
development, and developed policies and large national investment
program. The awareness by society, the people and different levels
of the administration towards forest protection and development
has been increased.
2. The continuous and sustainable growth of the national economy,
firstly in the argricultural economy, has created favorable
conditions for forestry development.
3. Science and technology transfer on plantation establishment
techniques have made progress, contributing to boost the quality
and efficiency of afforestation in the recent years.
4. Forest protection and development and poverty reduction in rural
mountainous areas have received significant support from the
international community. Substantial effort and sacrifice have been
provide by people working in forestry professions, under difficult
working conditions with both material and spiritual shortages.

5. Shortcomings and weaknesses
• The quality and biodiversity of the natural forests have
been continuously reduced. In many locations, forest
areas have been increasingly damaged; The forest sector’s
growth is low and unsustainable. It is low in profit, weak
in competitiveness, and the potential of forest resources
has not been properly and comprehensively exploited,
particularly for non-timber forest products and
environmental services.

6. Objective and task to 2020
Carried out the Plan forest protection and development phase from 2011 to
2020:
1. Objectives
- Well protected forest area of ​​existing forest resources and use of land for
forestry is planned to be effective and sustainable.
- Increase forest cover to 42-43% by 2015 and 44-45% by 2020 and
increase productivity, quality and value of forest industry restructuring
towards higher value added; response basic application needs timber and
forest products for domestic consumption and export.
- To create jobs, raise incomes for people living in association with forestry,
contribute to poverty reduction, security and defense.

7. Objective and task to 2020
Target Units Planned to 2020
Forest allocated for protection ha/year 2,000,000
Afforestation
Protection forests, Special Use forests
Newly planted ha 250,000
Natural regeneration ha 750,000
Production forests 2,350,000
Newly planted ha 1,000,000
Replanted forests after harvesting ha 1,350,000

8. Thank for attention!

9. Achievements of 5MHRP projects from 1998 to 2010
Target
Planned to
2010
Result %
Forest allocated for protection
2,454,480
Afforestation
Protection forests, Special Use forests
Newly planted 1,000,000 898,090 89.8
Natural regeneration 1,000,000 1,283,350 128.3
Production forests 3,000,000
2,493,380
83.1
Forests supplying industrial materials 2,000,000 1,551,920 77.6
Industrial plants, fruit trees 1,000,000 941,460 94.1
Total afforestation 5,000,000 4,674,820 93.5

10. Figure 1: The distribution of plantation forest from 1998 - 2010
-
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
1998 2005 2010
Forest area
Natural forest
Plantation forest

11. The breakdown of the total funds invested for 5MHRP
Origin of funds
Amount
[bi.VND]
%
State budget 8,264 25.9
Credit loans 2,260 7.1
Overseas funds 3,312 10.4
Self-finance of enterprises 2,001 6.3
Resouce Tax and 232 0.7
Other sources (resident, …) 15,789 49.6
Total 31,858 100.0