The People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Lam Donghas approved a project to reduce greenhouse gas emission implementedin 2015.

The project will cost about 781,000 USD, of which 769,000 USD comes from official development assistance (ODA) sources.

It looks to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through effortsto reduce deforestation and forest degradation, enhance sustainablemanagement of forest resources, and conserve and improve forest carbonstocks.

Previously, an action programme reducingemissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) for the2015-2020 period in Lam Dong set a target to cut greenhouse gases by 27percent by 2020, equalling 2,056,277 tonnes of CO2 per year.

REDD+, which officially began in the province on March 22, is worthsome 1.75 trillion VND (81million USD) and is aiming to curbdeforestation and forest degradation, devise sustainable forestmanagement and conservation initiatives and improve local livelihoods.

Lam Dong will focus on building itscapacity and has planned a series of measures to reduce its carbondioxide volume.

The province has a total land area 977,219 ha, more than 596,600ha of which has been zoned off for forests.

The Prime Minister approved REDD+ as a national action programme inJuly 2012 with the initial participation of eight provinces.-VNA