Meeting on coordinating forest management, protection, and fire prevention and control in the Son La - Hua Phan border area.

Son La province shares over 242 km of border with Hua Phan province of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The border area between Son La and Hua Phan provinces has a complex terrain, mainly consisting of high mountains and hills, making transportation difficult. The forest areas in these border regions are largely far from populated areas, posing challenges in patrolling, monitoring, detecting and handling violations, and mobilizing local people to participate in forest fire fighting.

 

The delegation from Son La province attended the meeting.

Implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in forest management, protection, and fire prevention and control in the Son La - Hua Phan border area, for the period 2024-2025, the coordination between the agriculture and environment sectors of Son La and Hua Phan has achieved many positive results. Both sides regularly exchange information and closely cooperate in combating and preventing acts of forest resource exploitation, contributing to maintaining security and order in the border area.

 

The head of the Son La Provincial Forest Protection Department speaks at the meeting.

From September 2024 to July 2025, the Son La Department of Agriculture and Environment directed the Forest Protection Sub-Department to organize 15 commune-level conferences and 217 village-level conferences in Yen Chau, Moc Chau, and Van Ho districts (before the implementation of the two-tiered government model), attracting more than 14,400 participants. The Hua Phan Department of Agriculture and Environment directed the Natural Resources and Environment Inspection Sub-Department to coordinate and organize awareness campaigns in 46 villages, with more than 2,300 participants.

 

The delegation from Hua Phan province attended the meeting.

In forest patrol and protection work, the Son La Forest Protection Force regularly coordinates with Border Guard Posts to strengthen patrols and inspections in the border forest belt area to prevent illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming, exploitation and transportation of forest products, and hunting of wild animals. The Son La provincial authorities have detected and handled 69 cases of forest destruction and 5 cases of illegal transportation of forest products. Hua Phan province directed border patrol units to conduct 27 patrols, detecting and handling 2 cases of violations of laws on smuggling, transporting, and trading non-timber forest products; and promptly detecting and handling 3 forest fires in the border area…

Leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La province and the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hua Phan province signed a memorandum of cooperation.

Leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La province and the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hua Phan province signed a memorandum of cooperation.

At the meeting, delegates discussed, agreed upon, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in forest management, protection, and fire prevention and control in the Son La - Hua Phan border area for the period 2025-2026, with the following contents: Regularly exchange information on forest management and protection, forest product management, and forest fire prevention and control to ensure timely and accurate unified direction between the two sides. Coordinate the development and organization of professional training and joint forest fire fighting drills for communes and villages in the border area. Promote cooperation in research and sharing of experiences on biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihood development associated with forest protection.

 

Leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La province presented gifts to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hua Phan province.

In addition, each side proactively develops programs and plans for forest management and protection; coordinates patrols in key areas at risk of forest encroachment to promptly prevent acts of deforestation, illegal logging, trading, and transportation of timber, forest products, and wild animals in the border area. They proactively inspect and review key areas with a high risk of forest fires; develop plans to mobilize resources, vehicles, equipment, and tools ready to participate in forest firefighting… and effectively protect the forest area in the border region.