Rampant and illegal forest exploitation has been identified as one cause deforestation, according to the Vietnam Administration of Forestry.
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Authorised agencies found around 350 cases of illegal forest exploitation in the north region alone since early this year.
In the same region, nearly 2,400 timber trafficking and trading cases were discovered in the first nine months of the year.
Poachers use chain saws to cut timber so the speed of deforestation is increasing, according to the Agriculture and Rural Development\'s Forest Management Department.
The illegal exploitation of forests is most common in natural forests, nature reserves and national parks in northern Dien Bien, Bac Kan, Yen Bai and Lang Son provinces, said Do Thanh Hai, head of the department\'s Forest Protection and Management Division.
"The quantity of illegally trafficked timber was not great, but the value was high because almost all are rare kinds of timber", Hai said.
To earn a living, some local residents work with poachers to illegally trade precious timber, which complicates the situation, he said.
The living conditions are difficult for ethnic minority people who are committed to protecting the forest, said Nguyen Quang Vinh, head of the Yen Bai Province\'s Forest Management Department.
Each local person receives only VND100,000 ($4.8) to protect one ha of forest, he said.
To reduce the situation of deforestation, local authorities are advised to help local people improve living conditions, said deputy head of the Forest Management Department Do Trong Kim.
In a related a move, the Government approved an increase in the number of forest rangers to ensure forest protection activities.
Nguyen Huu Dung, head of the Forest Management Department said the department is awaiting approval from the ministry for a skills training project for forest rangers and forest owners.
