President launches tree-planting festival

Speaking at the ceremony, President Quang hailed the Tree Planting Festival as a fine tradition in Vietnam, occurring on the first days of the Lunar New Year and contributing to environment protection and socio-economic development.

President Quang stressed the importance of and practical benefits that tree plantations bring to the country, especially in the context of climate change and environmental pollution throughout the world.

He called on the entire nation to actively join together during the festival, which has become an annual event every spring since President Ho Chi Minh first initiated the activity in 1959.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc joins local authorities and residents in the Tree Planting Festival in Nam Dinh.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, last year, Vietnam planted over 235,000 hectares of forest and involved people in the management of about 6.1 million hectares of forest, bringing the total area of forests in the country to 41.45%.

The number of violations of the Law on Forest Protection and Development has been reduced by 23% and losses caused by deforestation fell by 68% in comparison to 2016.

Also on February 21, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended a tree-planting festival in the northern province of Nam Dinh.

On the same day, the Tree Planting Festival was also held in Son La, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Thai Binh, Quang Tri, Nghe An and Quang Binh provinces.