The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has approved a budget of VND 13.9 billion (USD 650,000) for preventing and fighting forest fires during the dry season of 2015.

The sum will be allocated to 38 forest management units in the province to buy equipment and repair vehicles serving forest fire prevention and fighting.

Photo for illustration. Photo: tinmoitruong.vn

The money also helps upgrade temporary fire watching huts and permanent fire-watching towers; revamp fire-ban signs; gather meteorology data and print maps; maintain regular patrol and check as well as hold drilling and educational activities.

Besides the provincial government-run agencies, the Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park is preparing a project for building capability of managing and protecting forest, preventing and fighting forest fires for the park, to be submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for approval.

Lam Dong’s forest area extends across 580,870 hectares, occupying 59.43 percent of the province’s natural area.

Last year, the number of forest fires remarkably reduced, from 92 to 40 cases, damaging 131.5 ha, 66.8 hectares less than the figure of last year.

Source: VNA