Vietnam - Forestry



In 2000, forests covered 30% of the total land area of Vietnam. Important forestry products include bamboo, resins, lacquer, quinine, turpentine, and pitch. Depletion of forests, however, has been serious, not only through US defoliation campaigns in the south during the war, but also because of the slash-and-burn techniques used by nomadic tribal groups in mountainous areas.

According to Western scientists who have visited the SRV in recent years, the damaged areas are recovering faster than anticipated, although reforestation has been slow and some regions are faced with sterility and erosion. Official policy currently emphasizes the replacement of natural forests with export crops such as cinnamon, aniseed, rubber, coffee, and bamboo. Roundwood production was estimated at 31,242,000 cu m (1.1 billion million cu ft) in 2000, with 85% used as fuel wood.

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