At the working session on August 20 with Mr. Lê Trường Lưu, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Ms. Alice Salburg, senior expert of German bank KFW said the project has four components, including strengthening capacity of natural reserves, minimizing the illegal transport of timber at the Việt Nam-Laos border areas, restoring and growing forests, and reducing the emission of carbon dioxide into environment.

Mr. Lưu said the province has paid due attention to forest-related issues, noting that its forest coverage is now over 56%. However, forest preservation is facing difficulties mainly because of insufficient funding, low educational levels and living standards of many local people living around forests.

A US $7-million project to combat climate change in Việt Nam’s Quảng Nam and Thừa Thiên-Huế provinces and Laos’ Salavan and Sekong provinces is being implemented, Ms. Salburg said.

 (Source: VGP)