Prepared by: UNDP/MARD - DISASTER MANAGEMENT
UNIT, VIE/97/002
As of 04 April 2002
(According to Report to the Government,
dated 04 April 2002, on the Forest Fire and Forest Fire Prevention and
Suppression from the beginning of the dry season up to now)
I. Forest fire situation from the beginning of the dry season up to now:
According to immediate reports sent by Forest Protection Units, from early dry season up to now, there were 255 forest fires, damaged 2,328.0 ha of forest, of which, planted forest areas were 1,635.7 ha and natural forest areas were 693.2 ha (burnt areas were in the Central Highlands, the West of Southern Vietnam and the East of Southern Vietnam).
At 17:00 on 19 March 2002, there was a forest fire in the U Minh District, Ca Mau Province. According to preliminary report, planted forest areas was estimated at 200 ha, of which 100 ha were planted forest and the rest are natural forest areas.
At 20:00 on 24 March 2002, there was another forest fire in the Natural Cajuput Forest in the U Minh Thuong National Park. This was the second forest fire in the U Minh District, Ca Mau Province.
II. Immediate and long-term solutions:
On 02 April 2002, according to assessment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, forest fire situation in the U Minh Thuong National Park was absolutely severe and the entire primitive forest areas are likely burnt. Immediate solutions for fire suppression in the U Minh Thuong areas are as follows:
- Continue to pump water from canals to fires to control and prevent fire-spreading (round 1)
- Continue tos clear the 10-meter-wide fire prevent belt and dig canals for water to separate fires and the Hoa Mai Lake area
- Establish locations to prevent people to the National Park
- Enhance coordination and support from sectors, including forest protection units, police, and military forces, as a core of forest fire suppression.
On the long-term, it is necessary to implement the following solutions:
- Strengthen propagation and awareness
on forest fire prevention in communities, agencies, units, schools, etc.
On the other hand, enhance responsibility of authorities in management
of forests
- Give guidelines in building long-term
and annual projects on forest fire protection and suppression for each
locality
- Provincial, District, and Communal Committee
for Forest Fire Prevention and Suppression should enhance the investigation
and management of forest fire prevention and suppression regulations
- Continue to implement Circular No. 12/1998/TT-BLDTBXH,
dated 16 October 1998 by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social
Affairs which give directives for people contracted to protect forest in
the dry season and provide appropriate policy for people participated in
forest fire prevention and suppression activities
- Invest in projects on forest fire prevention
and suppression such as building fire prevent belt, canals and lakes for
water retention, propagation signs, forest fire warning equipment, forest
fire watch-out and supervision, canoe, water pumps, electric generator,
canoes, information system, etc.
- Relevant State agencies should strengthen
investigation and forest fire prevention
- Build mobilized and equipped forest fire prevention and suppression centers to take quick actions in cases of big forest fires.
III. Recommendation:
- The National Committee for Search and
Rescue is requested to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development and localities in suppressing forest fires in the U Minh
Thuong forest
- The Ministry of Police is requested
to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to
give directives to all bodies in the country and support the Arm Forces
and Forest Protection Unit in fire suppression
- The Government financed Kien Giang Province VND 03 billion for fire suppression. However, it is predicted that the present fires in the Cajuput Forest in Ca Mau Province (especially in the U Minh Ha areas) are notably severe. Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have made a proposal to the Government to ask for another VND 02 billion for purchasing fire suppressing equipment and for forest fire suppression activities.