Since 2013, Sumitomo Forestry has teamed up with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to engage in forest management activities with Dien Bien Province in Vietnam, including forest conservation and planting of deforested areas. Our comprehensive support has also included livelihood assistance to help reduce excessive dependency on forests. Among Vietnam's poorest areas, Dien Bien has suffered severe forest depletion due to practices by local residents such as expansion of farmland and burning of fields. Given its importance as the location of a hydroelectric generator dam and sources of water crucial for all of Vietnam, however, we assist with a portion of the support that JICA provides to the province, such as the formation of organizations to protect forests, conservation activities, forest planting, fruit tree and vegetable cultivation support, as well as helping to provide feed for fish and livestock. As of fiscal 2019, we had reforested a total of approximately 28.8 hectares in six locations.
In Dien Bien Province, where open livestock grazing has been the local custom, the resulting damage to planted tree seedlings has become an issue as it prevents them from taking root and growing. We are therefore promoting a forestation model that introduces the use of protective barriers. The seedling survival rate has increased compared to previous forestation models, thus confirming the effectiveness of the forestation model using protective barriers. The results have been acknowledged by the provincial Rural Agricultural Development Bureau, and received an award in October 2018.
