Vietnam has taken action to combat desertification for sustainable development of the agricultural sector, according to Hua Duc Nhi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Mr Nhi says Vietnam has implemented many measures to combat land degradation caused by desertification and drought.

However, he says the country now has 9.3 million ha of land at risk of becoming desolate and infertile, which makes up 28 percent of the total land area nationwide. Of this, over 5 million ha is unused, 2 million ha is being used but is degrading and the remaining 2 million ha is in danger of becoming barren.

Along the central coast, partial wastelands are beginning to appear and the soil fertility is being declined due to erosion and salt infiltration. In addition, land erosion is also having a devastating effect on forestry resources, which poses a big challenge to an agriculture-based country like Vietnam.

Source: VOV