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| Gaia plants 6,465 trees at Ta Kou Nature Reserve in Binh Thuan province (Photo: Gaia) |
In addition, the program also helps spread love for nature, useful knowledge about forests, and inspires the community to join hands to turn planting forests in the “desert” that seemed impossible into possible!
Binh Thuan - a land with abundant sunshine, abundant wind, and lack of water - one of the driest places in Vietnam is suffering the severe consequences of desertification and sand drift, especially in coastal districts. According to statistics, the area of uncultivated land in Binh Thuan province accounts for 11% of the province's natural area. Many mobile sand dunes along the coast are often blown by the wind, eroding deep into the mainland, threatening the environment and people's lives.
In particular, Ta Kou Nature Reserve, one of 221 important ecological regions in the world, needs urgent conservation. With diverse forest habitats, Ta Kou forest is home to many rare species of flora and fauna such as Truong Son silvered langur, black-shanked douc langur and so on. However, in Ta Kou, there are still more than 100 hectares of poor coastal forests and mobile sand dunes that need to be greened to limit the phenomenon of sand blowing, desertification, contributing to enriching the groundwater resources of the area.
Faced with the urgent need for afforestation in Ta Kou, Gaia has researched, planned and called for socialized capital to turn sand dunes into forests!
With typical soil and climate conditions, the tree species planted here include drought-resistant native species such as Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Lagerstroemia indica,Sindora siamensis var, Lepisanthes rubiginosa, Dipterocarpus chartaceus Sym, Typhonium triobatum, Phyllantus emblica Linn,... etc. To help the trees grow better, water-holding beads and microbial fertilizers are added to the planting hole. These are water-holding beads made from cassava starch, capable of absorbing and storing water up to 300 times.
For five consecutive years, the Ta Kou Nature Reserve staff, together with Gaia staff, will regularly monitor growth, periodically supplement watering and conduct forestry technical interventions when necessary to best form the forest. Throughout that process, specific images and data on the development of the forest will be compiled in forest monitoring reports and sent to the sponsor annually for five years.
Ms. Huyen Do - Founder & Director of Gaia Nature Conservation Center, said: “According to the Department of Forestry, in 2021, Vietnam had a total area of degraded land of 11.838 million hectares, accounting for about 35.74% of the country's total natural area. This is a very alarming number and we need to take urgent action to restore these areas of land and prevent the widespread desertification and aridification. Especially with the appearance of La Nina this year and next year, with higher than average rainfall, it will create favorable conditions for afforestation activities. Gaia hopes to receive the support of businesses and organizations to seize this important moment to turn sand dunes into forests!”
By participating in afforestation with Gaia, businesses have contributed to the Project to plant one billion trees in the period of 2021-2025, the National Action Program on Desertification Prevention in the period of 2021-2025, aiming at the goal of Land Restoration - one of the main goals in the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and the goal of Vietnam achieving net emissions by 2050.
The 2024 Ta Kou afforestation program is honored to have the participation of businesses including DKSH Vietnam, Sociolla, UOB Vietnam, Zarubezhneft EP Vietnam, Un-Available, Olmix Asialand Vietnam, Deutsche Bank, onsemi, YODY.
On the afforestation trips, more than 700 employees of businesses, customers and partners experienced afforestation activities on sandy soil, explored the beautiful nature of tropical dry forests, and gained useful information about desertification, the current state of Vietnam's forests and the wonderful values that forests bring. After each trip, everyone feels inspired by the love of nature, more motivated to protect the environment, more connected to the team and together towards the sustainable goals and community values that the company wants to create.
In September 2024, Gaia will organize the Greener Vietnam program at Ta Kou Nature Reserve to introduce forest planting and sustainable development programs to businesses and press units. Gaia hopes to receive the participation, cooperation and contribution of all individuals, units and businesses to contribute to the forest./.