Mekong province leases forests for eco-tourism development

More than 6,800ha of forests in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kien Giang will be leased for eco-tourism development.
The provincial People’s Committee launched the project of leasing forests for tourism between 2010 and 2015 to promote eco-tourism and forest preservation in the districts of U Minh Thuong, An Minh, Kien Luong, Kien Hai, Hon Dat and Ha Tien.
Lam Hoang Sa, deputy chairman of the Kien Giang People’s Committee, said through the project, they would seek businesspeople to manage, protect and develop forests.
He said officials would assess which areas would be suitable for lease, adding that the main focus of the project would be to maintain the forests’ area and natural state.
The lessees would need to prove sound business practice and forest management experience. They would be regulated to protect, beautify and reforest cleared areas, he said.
The province is responsible to move out those living in the areas selected for lease.
"Kien Giang has a lot of islands, coastline and forests of cajuput and mangrove; so it’s hard to manage residents in separate forest areas," Sa said.
He added that the province had started to demarcate parts of forests and was deciding how to move households out with reasonable compensation.