Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved adjustments to a national project on protecting and developing coastal forest in response to climate change during 2015-2020.

Vietnam will plant additional 14,930 hectares of forest during 2015-2020.

Accordingly, localities nationwide will work to protect an existing 310,695 hectares of coastal forest, plant an additional 14,930 hectares, and restore 6,670 hectares of low-quality forest.

The overall goal of the project is to promote the protection role of coastal forest to respond to climate change and rising sea levels; mitigate natural disasters, protect sea dykes, infrastructure and biodiversity; reduce greenhouse gases; and make contributions to economic development and national defence and security.

The Government leader asked provincial People’s Committees to arrange capital for coastal afforestation.