This method is more cost-effective, time-saving, and easily used than the traditional one, said deputy head of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Quoc Tri.

It has been carried out in 40 out of the 60 cities and provinces, and is scheduled to be applied across the country upon its completion by the end of March 2017, he added.

Rangers could detect deforestation activities, forest fires, and encroachment of forest land by using supporting equipment, including tablets.

Illegal wood seized by Ea Sup forest managemen post of Dak Lak 
Suzuki Kei, a consultant of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s Project for Sustainable Natural Resource Management (SNRM), said the tablet-used system could measure exactly the area of forest variability with the Global Positioning System (GPS) function, collect field evidence and minimize data losses and errors. The Forest Resource Monitoring System (FRMS) mobile software allows users to transfer the data such as satellite photos and maps into the tablets for usage. 

A Record of Discussions on SNRM was signed in Hanoi in 2015 by the JICA, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the five provincial People’s Committees of Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Son La, Hoa Binh, and Lam Dong.

It aims to develop, manage, and protect forests in a sustainable manner, thus reducing poverty, improving local livelihoods, and protecting the environment.