HANOI: Restoring forests and ecosystems on land ravaged by mining could help rehabilitate degraded landscapes while creating opportunities to develop forest carbon credits, experts say.
At a workshop in Hanoi on Tuesday, organised by the Vietnam Academy of Forest Sciences and Forest Trends, nature-based solutions (NbS) for restoring forests were examined, as were their potential role in future carbon markets.
Experts said mining can cause significant damage to forests and ecosystems through vegetation loss, soil disturbance, habitat fragmentation, erosion and water pollution.
Still, mining supply chains have generally faced less stringent forest-risk requirements than commodities such as timber, coffee, rubber, soy and palm oil.
Mineral commodities are rarely viewed as commodities with deforestation risks, which creates a policy gap with mineral supply chains not yet subject to equivalent requirements on forest protection and restoration, said To Xuan Phuc, an expert at Forest Trend.
Phuc said the energy transition is increasing demand for minerals used in batteries, solar and wind power, electric vehicles and energy storage systems, which makes it increasingly important to balance resource extraction with forest and ecosystem protection.
Vietnam has regulations covering the conversion of forest land and environmental restoration obligations for mining projects, but implementation remains uneven, experts said.
Tran Lam Dong, deputy director of the Vietnam Academy of Forest Sciences, said it’s time the impact of mining on forests be considered as an integral part of national forest protection and climate-change strategies.
Experts proposed treating minerals as a forest-risk commodity and incorporating forest impact assessments and due-diligence requirements into mining projects.
They also called for stronger coordination with forestry authorities throughout the life cycle of mining projects, from planning and licensing to mine closure and restoration.
Vu Tan Phuong, director of the Vietnam Forest Certification Office, said NbS could help restore native vegetation and damaged ecosystems while potentially generating new economic value through participation in the carbon market.
“Post-mining areas, if restored properly using nature-based approaches, can gradually regenerate native vegetation, stabilise soils and form forest ecosystems,” Phuong said.
Carbon absorbed during the restoration process could, if properly measuured, reported and verified under appropriate standards, provide a basis for developing forest carbon credits, Phuong said.
The Certification Office director added that the long-term goal of post-mining restoration should be to restore ecological functions and establish stable forest ecosystems suited to local conditions.
NbS should be tailored to local soil and terrain conditions, as well as tree species and planting density, rather than applying a single model to all mining sites, experts said. — Viet Nam News/ANN
