Project News

Trainings on forest monitoring were held in the four target provinces: Tuyen Quang, Hoa Binh, Son La, and Lao Cai. The trainings were on the use of a forest monitoring application (FRMS Mobile App) that utilizes tablet PCs and smartphones. JICA has supported them since the previous phase of the project to improve the accuracy and quality of forest monitoring in Viet Nam^[1]. The trainings were conducted with the aim of expanding the outcome of the previous phase to a wider area and establishing the technology.

A total of 5 training sessions were held during the period from July 20 to August 26, 2022, as follows:

• Lao Cai Province: 20-22 July 2022
• Tuyen Quang Province: 27-29 July 2022 (1st session), 24-26 August 2022 (2nd session)
• Son La Province: 3-5 August 2022
• Hoa Binh Province: 10-12 August 2022

These trainings targeted the forest officers of the provincial level Forest Protection Department (Sub-FPD), who were in charge of forest monitoring. The three-day training consisted of two days of indoor training and one day in the field. The indoor training consisted of lectures to deepen their knowledge and understanding of FRMS and related tools, and the participants tested the Mobile App in the field.

It was the first time for Tuyen Quang Province to implement the FRMS Mobile App, so the focus was on skill and knowledge acquisition. The other three provinces had already introduced it in the previous phase through JICA and UN-REDD cooperation. Thus, the training focused on reviewing monitoring skills and knowledge, establishing knowledge and skills of the Mobile App, and learning the updated functions. A total of 147 participants, 25-30 from each province, took part in the training.

These forest officers will be the core staff to promote FRMS Mobile App-based forest monitoring in their respective provinces, teaching forest officers in their districts how to use the FRMS Mobile App.

Continuing from the previous phase, the FRMS Mobile App has been extended to 19 of the 60 provinces with forests in Viet Nam. The project will continue to provide the necessary support to improve the accuracy and quality of forest monitoring in Viet Nam.

Indoor training in Son La Province

Indoor training in Hoa Binh Province

Field training in Lao Cai Province

Field training in Tuyen Quang Province