The Statistics Office of Vietnam estimates that in the first seven months of the year, about 2,290 hectares of forest cover was destroyed either by fires or indiscriminate logging.
Accurately speaking, 1,666 hectares has been totally devastated by forest fires and 624 hectares of vital tree cover has been chopped down.
The prolonged heat and continuous dry weather placed many forest areas vulnerable to fires in Central Vietnam, especially in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen Provinces.
Within the month of July alone, 79 hectares of forest cover was destroyed, of which 48 hectares was devastated in fires and 31 hectares was cut down.
