Deforestation in Vietnam

According to a 2005 report conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Vietnam has the second highest rate of deforestation of primary forests in the world, second only to Nigeria.

[3] The use of herbicides like Agent Orange during the war not only defoliated vast tracts of forest but also left behind long-term environmental damage, including soil contamination and disruptions to the natural regeneration of ecosystems.

This shift from primary forest to monoculture plantations although beneficial for soil stabilization and carbon sequestration has not fully restored the environmental richness that existed before large-scale deforestation.

However, the success of REDD+ in Vietnam is hindered by challenges such as limited data on the extent of forest loss and degradation, unclear drivers of deforestation, and insufficient local governance.

These losses are often driven by a combination of economic and demographic factors, such as rising agricultural demand, population growth, poverty, and insufficient enforcement of land-use policies.