Multilayered, multispecies forest structure
Statistics show that the total forest area in the province currently exceeds 1,112,836 hectares, achieving a forest cover rate of nearly 46%; of which natural forests account for nearly 930,156 hectares, planted forests that have become mature forests account for nearly 182,679 hectares, and unforested areas account for over 205,419 hectares. According to surveys by scientists, experts, and bamboo processing and export businesses, Lam Dong province has the potential to establish a long-term economic forest zone of over 200,000 hectares without converting from natural forests. Specifically, this includes new forest planting on forest land; restoration of degraded and degraded forests towards upgrading the quality of multi-layered forests; and redesigning a portion of production forests according to a multi-purpose ecological forestry model linked to sustainable development standards and traceability.
Expert Tran Ngoc Toan - a member of the Scientific Council of Me Linh Ecotourism Cooperative, Nam Ban commune, Lam Ha district - presented his argument regarding the approach to the multi-value economic forest development structure of Lam Dong: “The Lam Dong economic forest area, with its scientifically appropriate structure, is a multi-layered, multi-species forest. Newly planted bamboo, used as raw material, belongs to the intermediate layer, combined with native timber trees in the upper layer and medicinal plants under the canopy. This is combined with cover crops and appropriate silvicultural measures to create a “biological infrastructure,” reinforce the soil of the protection zone, prevent and control landslides, and increase the sustainability of biodiversity.”
Thus, the new ecosystem structure of Lam Dong's forests simultaneously addresses the goals of soil and water conservation, erosion control, and landslide prevention on sloping terrain along river and stream corridors; forms short-term and medium-term livelihood models from harvesting bamboo shoots, medicinal herbs, and non-timber forest products; builds long-term value chains from bamboo stalks, wood, and ecological materials, creating carbon sequestration and forest ecosystem services...
Multiple revenue streams from bamboo
Based on the aforementioned survey and assessment, in early March 2026, the Me Linh Ecotourism Cooperative in Nam Ban commune, Lam Ha district, approved a cooperation mechanism with a Thanh Hoa province enterprise to develop a project for the development of contiguous bamboo raw material areas in Lam Dong province, organized into clusters and lots, linked to deep processing using industrial processes, ensuring traceability, and stabilizing domestic and export markets. This enterprise is currently building an export-oriented bamboo processing plant in Thanh Hoa, expected to be inaugurated and operational in May 2026, with a processing capacity of approximately 225,000 m³ / year.
According to the company representative, the unit is cooperating with the Me Linh Ecotourism Cooperative in Nam Ban commune, Lam Ha district, as the main partner for the consumption of bamboo raw materials, ensuring transparency, traceability, and standardized product supply along the value-added chain. They will also provide technical consultation on bamboo cultivation, seed sources, care methods, harvesting, standardized collection points for preliminary processing, and regional logistics, ensuring suitability to local conditions and implementation roadmap. In the immediate phase, 2026-2027, the project prioritizes the implementation of the model in clusters and lots, with periodic evaluations to expand it to pilot areas.
When the supply chain is operational, bamboo becomes a multi-source product, generating revenue from bamboo shoots, green materials, energy by-products, craft village tourism, increasing emission reduction efficiency through carbon sequestration, promoting a circular economy by utilizing by-products, reducing waste, and increasing resource efficiency... |