Determining that the task of forest management and protection can only be carried out well when the people understand and participate, especially those living near the forest, it is necessary to increase the provision of information and promote propaganda so that people understand the effects of forests on the living environment, grasp the benefits of forest protection and actively participate in forest management and protection. This is a key solution for effective forest protection that has been well implemented by the Provincial Forest Protection Department and local authorities with forests in recent times in Quang Tri province.

Exploiting planted forest wood in Cam Tuyen commune, Cam Lo district - Photo: D.T

Along with that, diversifying propaganda objects, changing propaganda methods, and providing information to make forest management and protection more effective are also the goals that the Provincial Forest Protection Department and local authorities with forests have been aiming for.

In Quang Tri province, the Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic minorities live in concentrated village communities. Localities with large ethnic minority populations include Huong Hoa and Dakrong districts. In addition, Vinh Linh, Gio Linh and Cam Lo districts also have ethnic minority populations.

In Quang Tri, the area of ​​natural forests, which have high biodiversity conservation value, is mainly distributed in Dakrong and Huong Hoa districts, where the Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic communities live. From generation to generation, the Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups have always been attached to the forest, living dependent on forest products. Since then, many forest protection and exploitation practices have been formed, and these practices have also promoted some good points in forest protection according to the community's commitment.

In recent times, the Party and the State have issued many policies to attract more resources for forest protection and development and have brought about many results. Forests have been better protected, more and more communities have actively participated in forest protection activities and people have had income from the forestry economy...

However, the success in forest protection and biodiversity conservation depends heavily on the participation of local communities, because the community always monitors and educates each other through regulations and conventions. The community also uses public opinion to praise, motivate, and encourage groups and individuals who do well and criticize, remind, and fight against those who harm biodiversity. Thereby raising awareness, building attitudes and behaviors of the community in forest management, protection, and development.

In reality, communities have a close relationship with each other and with nature, sharing a common language, cultural traditions, customs and practices. Therefore, forest management and biodiversity conservation in general based on the community will bring many practical benefits such as raising awareness and compliance with forestry laws of community members; resolving the relationship between people and nature; managing and exploiting forest resources in a sustainable manner; minimizing conflicts between socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation; promoting the active role of communities in forest protection and biodiversity conservation.

Therefore, propaganda and mobilization of communities living near forests to join hands in protecting forests and launching a movement for communities to participate in forest protection is an important solution based on a highly socialized humanistic ecological perspective.

The propaganda content includes introducing the Forestry Law; forest management, protection and development associated with sustainable poverty reduction in ethnic minority areas; the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State on building and implementing ethnic policies, associated with forest protection and development in ethnic minority areas; forest protection and development through traditional customs and practices; the current status of forest protection and development in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas of the province in recent years, orientations and solutions in the coming time.

Thereby, helping ethnic minorities identify forests as a valuable resource of the country, a habitat for many rare animals and plants. Forests provide wood for human life, help regulate the air, reduce environmental pollution, protect water resources, and help prevent natural disasters such as floods, landslides, etc.

Forests have such great significance for life that forest protection is not only a matter of awareness and responsibility but must become an action of the entire population. Forest protection is also protecting the environment where the community lives. Doing this well will also help local Party committees, authorities and people to more conveniently implement socio-economic development programs associated with forest protection activities, contributing to improving the lives of ethnic minorities.

Identify village elders, village chiefs, prestigious people, cadres and party members in ethnic minority communities as important and typical cores in the work of propagating and disseminating the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws to the people in order to continuously raise awareness of forest planting and protection, and limit violations of forest protection laws in the area.

Along with that, build and form networks, connect communities, promote propaganda to raise capacity and awareness for the community, ensure people's access to information, laws, and resources for forest protection and development activities. Form volunteer teams and groups to propagate and mobilize forest protection, creating a large movement in the community, affecting many generations.

Every year, the Provincial Forest Protection Department develops plans and coordinates with relevant functional agencies and local authorities at all levels to organize many propaganda campaigns in communities, villages, and schools about forest protection. Many documents, leaflets, and posters are distributed to households, restaurants, and production facilities, which have had a strong influence, raising awareness among the people about forest protection and the protection of rare wildlife species.

To date, the total forest area in the province has reached 248,189 hectares, of which 126,693 hectares are natural forests and 121,495 hectares are planted forests; the forest coverage rate has reached 49.4%. The province has allocated land and forests to forest owners of all economic sectors for management with a total area of ​​over 200,000 hectares, accounting for 62% of the total forestry land area.

Of which, over 20,000 hectares were assigned to communities and households; over 90,000 hectares of natural forests were contracted out for people to manage, protect and benefit from long-term. Forest protection and forest fire prevention and fighting were strengthened and well implemented; timely detection and prevention of acts of encroachment on forest resources, fighting and suppressing gangs and lines of forest product smuggling, creating conditions for people to feel secure in forestry production, continuously improving income and living standards for people in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas.

Dan Tam