Hanoi to raise tree coverage in urban areas

Hanoi's authorities are striving to plant more trees, remove old and rotten ones in the city, especially in urban areas, in an effort to ensure the cityscape, traffic safety, and environmental protection.

The move is a part of the city’s actions to respond to the Government's program on growing one billion trees in Vietnam during the 2021-2025 period.

Accordingly, Hanoi has established a plan to plant 200,000-250,000 new shade and timber trees along urban traffic routes; 200,000 fruit trees; and some 50-80 ha of forests this year.

Statistics from the Hanoi Department of Construction showed that there are about 1.7 million trees in the city, which provide green space, help to balance the ecology, and bring a fresh environment to local residents.

Trees and water surfaces in urban areas can help reduce air temperature by 3.3 degrees Celsius if tree coverage accounts for 20-50% of the urban area. Urban trees can also help reduce 40-50% of solar radiation and absorb 70-75% of solar energy, according to the department.

New trees are growing on Xa Dan Street in Hanoi. Photo: Nguyen Linh/ The Hanoi Times

It has asked the relevant units to outline an annual plan to grow more trees in urban areas, industrial parks and along streets and roads on the outskirts of the city to increase tree coverage.

Besides planting trees, the department has also paid attention to removing all old, rotten, decaying and out-of-shape trees to give the capital a facelift.

“Hanoi has strengthened the management of trees and ensured the safety of trees, especially in the rainy and stormy season to ensure safety and urban beauty," said Tran Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Urban Technical Infrastructure Management Center under the Hanoi Construction Department.

Le Van Du, Deputy Head of the Technical Infrastructure Department of Hanoi's Department of Construction, said Hanoi will draw up a plan to replace old, stunted and leaning trees that do not meet aesthetic requirements; cut down and replace dead trees that pose an unsafe risk.

"Replacing old and rotten trees to avoid possible accidents is necessary, but the trees should be carefully examined before felling. The big old trees are the iconic symbol of Hanoi, the city has to take care of the trees and examine them regularly for preservation," Du said.

To ensure safety, urban sanitation companies should conduct regular checks of the physical conditions and pay attention to the age of the trees, he added. "The older the tree is, the weaker its body and roots are, and the riskier it is for people. Therefore, we need a proper plan to take care of trees," Du stressed.

Besides, the city will study a plan to develop the urban tree system and select a dominant tree species to replace the old ones.

"In order to prevent accidents caused by falling trees in the rainy season, it is necessary to replace too old trees in a scientific way. It is not difficult to assess the condition of trees with existing technologies such as ultrasound, observation, and assessment," Du said.

He noted that when planting urban trees, priority must be given to long-lived tree species.