PART I. GENERAL
CONTEXT, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
General context:
•
In 2012, althought domestic economy
was difficult but VAFS has strengthened and developed in the right direction of
Resolution 20/NQ-TW of The Central Committee of
the Communist Party of Vietnam about science and technology development.
•
VAFS was awarded the Second
Independent Medal; held successfully Conference on Forestry Science and
Technology in North Central Coast Region of Vietnam and 30 year anniversary of
postgraduate training on the occassion of Vietnam Forest’s Day.
•
Minister of MARD has issued a numbers
of decisions to complete organizational structure of VAFS.
•
In 2012, the structure of VAFS was
rearranged that comprises Board of Presidents (including 1 President, 4 Deputy
Presidents from 25 May 2012); 3 functional divisions, 6 research divisions, 14
centers and 1 sub-institute were transfered 4 functional departments, 6
institutes, 7 centers; 13 organizations of VAFS were rearranged and start
operating well.
•
VAFS has 609 staff of which 471 are
permanent staff and 137 are contracted staff. Staff includes 5 Associate
Professors, 1 Doctor of Science, 37 Doctors of Philosophy, 157 Masters, 269
Engineers/Bachelors of Science, and 141 technicians and workers.
Advantages:
•
VAFS has received the attention and
direction of the Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, leaders of Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Ministry of Science and Technology,
and the active support of the Administration of Forestry, Departments of MARD
and other relevant agencies.
•
VAFS staff are highly qualified and
young staff are increasing significantly in comparision with 2011.
•
Under the direct leadership of the
Party Committee and VAFS leaders, the policies and implementation of tasks have
been disseminated quickly and efficiently.
•
As a consequence, VAFS has been
awarded a large number of projects and programs to ensure work for all staff.
Disadvantages:
•
Adverse and unexpected climates
conditions created difficulties for the establishment of some field
experiments.
•
Research activities of VAFS have
been implemented nationwide although the number of staff in the functional
divisions was reduced, causing difficulties in monitoring and supervision of
some research projects.
•
Due to restructuring of operation
units, it took time to build projects and handle involved procedures. Moreover,
the leader appointment of the units has not been finalized so the operation has
not been stable.
•
There are no adequate regulations to
transform science and technology units to operate under the self-financing
mechanism under Decree 115/ND-CP, so the units cannot identify the clear plan
for its unit conversions.
•
The projects are not distributed
evenly among research fields and units, which have bad effects on management
and direction of the Academy and units’ operation.
•
Project budgets were not added
together with higher labor and inputs costs and additional difficulties in
implementing programs. The Academy only received funding to implement three of
the four approved basic construction projects.
•
PART 2. TASKS
UNDERTAKEN IN 2012
In 2012, VAFS implemented 74
scientific, technological and environmental tasks at ministry and national
level and at the institute and provincial level; 8 forest tree breeding
projects; 4 agricultural encouragement and 7 forestry development projects; 2
equipment and tool procurement projects; 3 basic construction projects; 4 small
construction and big maintenance projects; 10 international projects/contracts;
and post-graduate training of 47 PhD candidates.
The total budget of VAFS for 2012
was 195,893 million VND, about 18.9% higher than that compared to its
2011 budget. Of the budget, budget for scientific, technological and
environmental tasks was 36,891 million VND; for forest tree breeding,
agricultural encouragement and forestry development projects was 9,045 million
VND; for international projects was 7,618 million VND; for small construction
and big maintenance projects was 24,305 million VND; for contracts value for
scientific services and commercial production was 89,021 million VND;
and budget for doctoral training was 218 million VND.
PART 3.
ACHIEVEMENTS
3.1. Scientific, technological and environmental tasks
As mentioned above, in 2012, VAFS
implemented 74 scientific, technological and environmental tasks, including 15
tasks at the national level, 41 topic and pilot production and environmental
projects at ministry level, 10 regulated standard at ministry level, 8 tasks at
the unit level.
Of the scientific, technological and
environment tasks, 38% were financed by 34% of the total budget implemented by
the relevant Hanoi units of VAFS and the rest was undertaken by Research
Centres and the Sub-Institutes under VAFS.
The scientific, technological and
environment tasks in 2012 reduced in comparsion with that in 2011 (90 tasks),
but the total budget increased. Because tasks at the unit level were not
financed by MARD. Eight tasks at the unit level in 2012 were implemented by
forest exploitation fund of units. The main achievments for 2012 were:
Forest tree
breeding and forest bio-technology:
•
MARD approved distribution of three
national and two advanced tree varieties of Macadamia
integrifolia; one national and 11 advanced tree varieties of Eucaliptus
hybrid and E. urophylla,
•
The science and technology tasks
evaluated the growth, physical and chemical properties of Acacia hybrid
(natural and artificial), A.
auriculiformis, A. cassicarpa, A. mangium, E. camaldulensis, E. pelita, Eucalyptus hybrid (in different breeding
populations), and then selecting over 1,000 plus trees, dẫn dòng, collecting seed and pollen for 800 plus trees;
Hybridizing within and between species for Acacia
and Eucalyptus,
•
Hybridizing E. camaldulensis, artificially infected E. hybrid, crossed several lines of E. camaldulensis and separating DNA to
run the SSR/RAPD reaction test for the development of tolerance to leaf dot
disease in E. camaldulensis using
molecule indicators,
•
Separating DNA from 200 parent trees
of A. mangium and A. auriculiformis (100 trees/species).
Selecting three directives separation chat with leaf dot disease resistance
locus and 30 SSR indicators are highly polymorphic for fast breeding research
gathered,
•
Procedure uses indicator
STS to identify E. camaldulensis
varieties to resist leaf dot disease was proposed,
•
Environment, bacterial
culture time, transgenic condition, selective culture medium for E. urophylla was determined,
•
Completion of technical procedures
to rapidly propagate 6 Acacia hybrid clones, BV10, BV16, BV32, BV71, BV73, and
BV75, using tissue culture,
•
Initially determining the bud
regeneration environment for 20 varieties of A. hybrid (AH1, AH7, TB1, TB11), A. auriculiformis (AA1, AA9, Clt26,
Clt7, Clt18, Clt57), E. camaldulensis (C55,
C159BV22), E. hybrid (UP35, UP58, UP59, UP72, UP99), E. urophylla (89.1,
89.2),
•
Propagated by cutting for Dipterocarpus alatus, Hopea odorata,
Coscinium fenestratum, Camellia lutescens,
•
Producing the hundreds of thousands
seedlings to establish trials and supply its with many domestic and foreign
enterprises,
•
Storing 200 varieties of Acacia, Eucalyptus and some native
species in the tissue culture room,
•
Developing, taking care of and protecting
a total area of approximately 1,000 ha existing seed forests, newly converted
seed forests, seed orchards, parent tree orchards and tree improvement trials.
Silviculture:
•
Establishing, collecting data and
assessing preliminary analysis of 74 permanent plots located in four main
forest types: Evergreen broad-leaved forest, Dry dipterocarp forest, Salt-swamp
forest and Melaleuca forest. Providing preliminary the data bases for
recommendations for the sustainable management and harvesting of these four
natural forest types in Vietnam,
•
Determining silvicultural
characteristics of Knema pierrei, Dipterocarpus jourainii, D. grandiflorus,
Ptrocarpus macrocarpus, Azadirachta
exselsa,
•
Selecting 340 parent trees at many
natural populations to collect seeds for gene conserving, seed selecting and
culturing,
•
Identifying 400 tree species as a
reference set for the Mui Ca Mau National Park, U Minh Ha National Park and the
Hon Khoai Island Group,
•
Developing a site classification
system to determine appropriate planting conditions and establishment
techniques for Dipterocarpus alatus, D. costatus, Hopea odorata, Brownlowia
tabularis, Cinnamomum obtusifolium,
Alnus nepalensis, Neolamarkia cadamba, Lithocarpus issus,
•
Determining techniques to maintain
and improve site productivity of Eucalyptus
and Acacia through a number of
rotations,
•
Developing statistical functions for
measuring carbon sequestration of evergreen and semi deciduous and deciduous
forests in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
•
Forest ecology and environment:
•
Developing technical procedures and
software for greenhouse gas inventory, quantified emissions from managed peat
lands and developing and propose mitigation options to reduce green house
gasses in forestry.
•
Developing criteria for
classification of dificult sites for
planting of mangrove forest in the northern coastal provinces,
•
Assessing the status, valuation of
direct use and environmental services values of coastal protection mangrove
forest and wind break and sand prevention forests in south central coast and
south east regions.
•
Identifying the silvical
characteristics and factors affecting the creation of intact mangrove forests
growing on sand, gravel and coral soil in Con Dao province for Rhizophora
mucronata, R. stylosa, R. apiculata,
R. hybrid, Ceriops tagal and Dioscorea pentaphylla.
Non-timber forest products:
•
Determining the establishment and
management protocols for the growing and harvesting of Michelia hypolampra for fruit purpose,
•
Determining the discription,
distribution, ecology and breeding technique of Sinocalamus flagellifera and
Aleurites molucana. Selecting 60 plus trees of Melanorrhoea laccifera, 60 plus trees of A. molucana,
•
Transfering establishment techniques
to Calamus tetradactylus of high
quality and productivity for commercial production in Hoa Binh province,
•
Determining foster technique to Castanopsis boisii for nut harvest and
establishment techniques to M. mediocris,
A. molucana, Aquilaria spp, Herba
jinqiancao, Coscinium fenestratum,
Amomum longiligulare,
•
Designing, constructuring a test
workshop to extract oil from Illicium
verum. Making the kiln with capacity 1,500 kg fruits/time, fruit processing
machine, chlorophyll liquidation tool for fruit and distilling pot for oil
extraction from Illicium verum.
Forest protection and management:
•
Determining the insect species,
diseases and damage level of 17 species: A. hybrid, A. mangium, A. auriculiformis, E. camaldulensis, E. urophylla, E. hybrid, P. merkusii, P. massoniana, P. caribaea, Styrax tonkinensis, Dendrocalamus
membranaceus, Hevea brasilensis, Cinnamomum cassia, Casuarina equisetifolia,
Dipterocarpus alatus, Hopea odorata,
•
Identifying the damage
level of pine caused by bark beetles and transmit of green fungus disease in Vinh Phuc and Quang
Ninh provinces. Identifying biological ecological properties of these
two harmful insects is transmittance of green fungus disease. Identifying the characteristics of green fungus, and the
relationship between green fungus and bark beetles. Analysing
chemicals to identify the oil component of 165 leaf samples of 150 resist trees
of P. merkusii and 15 trees sensitive
to pine caterpillar,
•
Documentation of the biological and
ecological characteristics of excrescence bee, the cause of damage to Eucalyptus in Quang Ninh and Binh Dinh
provinces,
•
Selecting 6 kinds of symbiotic
mycorrhizal AM for forest tree; developing and breeding 4 types of culture
medium, and successfully developed symbiotic with symbiotic mycorrhizal,
•
Developing 2 technological
procedures on breeding biomass and producing AM product in type of flour,
tablet and gel tablet; producting over 30 kg of AM flour product, 2 kg of
tablet and 2 kg of gel tablet using for experiments on AM infected fertilizing
in nursery and plantations,
•
Completing experiments on infected
fertilizing and assessment of AM product tested in nursery and plantations of A. mangium, A. auriculiformis, E. urophylla,
Pongamia pinnata, Jatropha curcus.
Forest Industry:
•
Protocols were also developed for
automatic shade control and water application under nursery conditions;
improvement cutting house at industrial production area at Ba Vi (Ha Noi) were
designed and made,
•
Research on the microscopic
structure, physical and chemical properties of C. equisetifolia, Tarrietia
javanica, A. auriculiformis, A. crassicarpa, Manglietia dandyi, Lagerstroemia
ovalifolia,
•
Improvements in the kiln drying of
bamboo for shutter production and other products using bamboo sawdust,
•
Determination of schedules for the
production of charcoal from sawdust,
•
Designing and manufacturing of
equipment for screening sawdust in the manufacture of pressed charcoal pellets,
•
Identification of potential species
to produce red, black, indigo, yellow and brown coloured dyes for dying of
cloth by ethnic minorities in Dac Lac
province,
•
Finishing report on industrial plan
of Vietnam wood processing until 2020 and prospect towrad 2030. Identifying the
demand for wood quality of A.
auriculiformis, A. mangium, E. urophylla to produce slim board. Identifying
parameter of production technique of slim board, technology for wood softening
and parametters for board processing. Having researched and identified dry
technique, soaking and heat treatment to slime board. Finishing technique
transformation of rattan preservation in Thai Binh province.
• Completion of technology to produce a
wood preservation using from chemicals extracted from the cashew nut shells. Collaborate with termite treatment and wood maintenance
Company to produce 110 tons of flour finished product, 70 tons of liquid
product. Registered and submitted the application to National office of Intellectual Property of
Vietnam for useful measures for 2 finished
products of forest product maintenance produced from oil of cashew.
•
Development of technologies and
prescriptions for the treatment of forest plantation timbers using a Silicon
and Boron based compounds. Outcome being the protection of Styrax tonkinensis and Acacia hybrid from termites and fungi.
Forestry-related Economics and
Policy:
•
Quantification of the potential wood
product market for plantation grown forest products and factors affecting
markets in main economic-ecological zones including the organization and
location wood processing infrastructure, their scale and technology, market
demand and trends,
•
Assessment of the costs and benefits
of plantation forestry at the family scale in Yen Bai and Quang Ninh provinces,
•
Development of new economic models
for the rejuvenation of forest enterprises in Vietnam, and
•
Comparing of the financial status of
state forest enterprises since 1999 and proposing models for the rejuvenation
of these enterprises in Quang Ninh province.
3.2.
International cooperation:
•
During
2012, VAFS implemented 10 international tasks with the value of
7.619 billion VND. Major funding was from ACIAR, AKECOP, FAO, IFS,
EU, APFNET. The main tasks included:
•
Development of optimal
silviculture management regimes for plantation forests, including their
management and the control of forest pests and diseases,
•
Selection and development
of tropical Acacia hybrids using diverse genes and biotechnology within forest
tree improvement breeding program,
•
Agriculture and
siviculture were combined for small size farmers in Northwestern Vietnam,
•
General research on
forest issues and forest restoration of Vietnam; reducing gas emission due to
deforestation and forest degradation.
•
Developing land use
systems to mitigate deforestation and further degradation of already degraded
forests,
•
Using soil collected
from rain forest,
•
Analysing the changes in
using soils and estimate the amount of carbon in soil in U Minh Thuong và U
Minh Ha,
•
Building the prediction
model of natural forest to serve for REDD’s activities in Central Highlands
Vietnam,
•
Researching the seeding
methods of 3 trees including Erythrophloeum
fordii, Peltophorum pterocarpum,
Senna siamea under the forest in Northwestern Vietnam.
•
During the year, VAFS hosted about
60 international experts/delegations come from Korea, China, Japan,
Australia… and 2 international volunteers commenced working within the
Academy.
•
VAFS also organized a large number
of scientific lectures, workshops and meetings across Vietnam and has arranged
for many staff to attend international meetings, workshops, conferences and
training courses.
•
International professional
development of staff is a key strength of VAFS
and currently there are 15 Doctoral candidates studying in Germany, China,
Australia and Sweden and 6 Master candidates studying in Australia, Germany and
Thailand.
3.3.
Postgraduate Training:
•
VAFS has gained the highest
achievement in 2012 for post-graduate
training. Total PhD candidates have sucessfully completed for 2012 is 47.
•
Nine new Doctoral candidates were
assessed by the VAFS Academic Examination Board (and MARD) and were approved as
meeting the standards for entry into the Doctor of Philosophy program.
•
The status of other Doctoral candidates
is that five have completed their research subjects, 12 have successfully
defended their research at local academic committees.
•
Seven Doctoral degrees were
conferred on VAFS staff during 2012.
•
Holding successfully 30 year
anniversary of post-graduate training. Publishing the book “Vietnamese Academy
of Forest Sciences – 30 years post-graduate training”, leaflet for
post-graduate training and 15 posters for result of post-graduate training of
VAFS.
•
VAFS also receiving representatives
of MARD to assess the post-graduate training activities. The MARD’s mission
highly assessed the management and quality of post-graduate training in
VAFS.
3.4.
Data and information
•
Publishing four editions of the
Vietnam Journal of Forest Science.
•
VAFS also published the summary
record of Conference proceeding for forestry science and technology in Central
Vietnam, 14 books and 69 scientific articles in special journals (including 7
scientific articles in international journals). In addition staff presented one
paper at an international conference and 68 papers at domestic conferences.
•
Another way VAFS promotes its
results is through the internet. VAFS maintains its own website (http://www.fsiv.org.vn/)
which contains a wide range of information on forestry and forestry related
issues in Vietnam.
3.5.
Summary of general assessment
•
Main
achievements:
•
74 scientific, technical and
environmental tasks were completed with a budget of
36,897 million VND.
•
17 advanced varieties of Acacia hybrid and Macadamia integrifolia were approved by MARD.
•
Awarded 10 scientific, technical and
environmental tasks commissioned by the Ministry,
•
Two forest tree varieties (BV10 and
AH7) and a wood preservative were given “Golden Rice Medal”. A group of author
was given VIFOTEC.
•
Implemented 124 contracts of
technical services and trade with the value of 86,141 million VND.
•
Administration management,
scientific plans and accounting finance have tried their best to ensure meeting
the requirements of units quickly, fulfilled its management fuction
successfully and provided advices to leaders in the Academy in term of
leadership, management of the Academy’s whole performance.
•
VAFS were awarded the Second
Independence Medal by the President of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam.
•
Holding successfully the Conference
on Forestry Science and Technology in Central of Vietnam with the participation
of 200 people from different fields.
•
Holding successfully 30 year
anniversary of post-graduate training on the occassion of Vietnam Forest’s Day.
•
12 Doctoral candidates defended
successfully their research in front of national/ institutional committees and
were recognized Doctoral degrees.
•
Minister of MARD passed decision
1149/QĐ-BNN-TCCB regulated the functions, duties and right, organization
structure and decision number 1656/QĐ-BNN-TCCB passed on 16/7/2012 regulated
the activities of the VAFS and establishment of 6 institutes and 5 centers, and
decision to oppoint President, 3 vice presidents, 6 directors and 4 center
directors. President has oppointed 4 directors for 4 functional departments.
In conclusion, the positive
achievements gained in 2012 is a good driving force providing good basic for
the next steps to implement innovation and restructure of VAFS and Decree 115.
Weaknesses:
•
There is lack of qualified staff to
hold leader position for units.
•
Four new units have not been
operated (Forest Science Center for North of Central Vietnam, Forest Science
Center of North Western Vietnam, Forest Science Center of Northeastern Vietnam,
Forest Science Institute of Central Highlands and South of Central Vietnam),
therefore, this has caused some spychological problems for staff in these
units.
•
The operation scope of the Academy
is wide, the scientific duties is large, therefore, the duties of the Academy
are not fulfilled completely.
•
Management of some units was not
good, job distribution was not equally, and they did not check and supervise
regularly its duties, topics and its collabolators.
•
The number of tasks need was huge
but distributed inequally among fields, areas, units; there were not many
research results that are public.
•
Periodic report, summary report,
topic summary were slow, some projects on basic construction, forest
development were not reported edequately, some researchers did not get much
improvement in their progress therefore, the schedule had to be sped up at the
end of the year.
I.
PART IV: MOVING FORWARD TO IMPLEMENT TASKS IN 2013
Management and operation:
•
Improving the managment and
operation capability for the Academy, enhancing the leadership of the party and
involved units.
•
Enhancing the cooperation among
units. Following the regualtions, supervision and making amendment and
supplement in line with the Academy’s new model.
•
Increasing revenues and reducing
costs to save supplement capital for other self-financed activities.
Administration structure:
•
Checking, amending, supplementing,
issuing regulations of staff management in line with the operation mechanism of
new units,
•
Fulfilling the project quickly so it
can be submitted and gain the approvement of the Ministry. As the result, it
can be come into operation,
•
Having good compensation for staff
complying with current regulations.
Planning for new scientific and technical projects:
•
Cooperating with provincial units,
discussing and coming to agreement for investigated issues,
•
Checking, amending, supplementing,
issuing management mechanism of Techonology and Science; technical service and
production in line with the operation mechanism of new units,
•
Continue implementing the current
projects in 2013,
•
Continue the organizing scientific
workshops, mid-term and final workshops for projects and organizing
consultation workshops to comment on new projects for 2013,
•
Implementing high quality science to
meet the various new scientific, technical and environment tasks set for 2013, especially attention be paid to the topics of the
projects, national major programs.
•
Strengthening the consultation,
monitoring and evaluation of VAFS, the centres and the research divisions to
continuously improve the quality of results for the many projects implemented
by VAFS for MARD and other clients.
International Co-operation:
•
Checking, building, and issuing
management regulations of international cooperation in line with the operation
mechanisms of new units
•
Strengthening the cooperation with
international institutions and research partners in research, development and
technology transfer, combining collaboration with international academic and
training agencies for professional development and language.
Post-graduate
training
•
Strengthening the collaboration
between VAFS and other research, education and training institutions,
•
Checking, building, and issuing
training regulations in line with the operation mechanisms of new units,
•
Develop training programs for
research staff, particularly for post-graduate training in the research
divisions and to strengthen the monitoring and promotion of Doctoral candidates
to implement projects and theses following the approved schedules, and improve
the quality of these theses.
Data and information:
VAFS will strengthen its promotion
of the institute, its activities and achievements by:
•
Improving the VAFS website with
updated information and research findings,
•
Checking, building, and issuing information
regulations in line with the operation mechanisms of new units
•
Collaborating with VTC16 to produce
further technical guidelines for plant breeding, plant production, product
processing and preservation of forest products for farmers,
•
Increasing the quality and quantity
of Vietnam Journal of Forest Science,
•
Publishing a book introducing new
and advanced techniques for technology transfer for commercial production.
Financing:
Continued improvement of the
knowledge and skills of staff including emphasis on upgrading of monitoring and
evaluation skills processes for all projects implemented at VAFS.
Latest news
- Project Potential Research at Ministerial level: “Research on improving light trap equipment to kill insects harmful to agricultural and forestry crops with high efficiency and using solar power.”
- Vietnam Journal of Forest Science Number 6-2023
- Project Potential Research at Ministerial level: "Research on production forest insurance and support policies proposals in some provinces "
- Project “Technology completion for the manufacture of bamboo scrimber as construction and interior materials”.
- Vietnam Journal of Forest Science Number 5-2023
