Dong Nai’s “green gold” fuels sustainable development

Forest landscape within the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve. Photo by Hoang Loc.

This resource is emerging as a key advantage that enhances Dong Nai’s competitiveness amid the growing global shift toward green development.

Preserving vast forest resources

Dong Nai is one of Vietnam’s largest industrial centers. The city aims to become a major national growth pole and an important gateway for international integration in the near future.

This goal is well-founded, given Dong Nai’s strong industrial base. Going forward, infrastructure will become a strategic launchpad, as the city will have the country’s largest airport, a deep-water seaport, an international border gate, and a strategic location in an economic growth region.

By the end of 2025, Dong Nai’s total forest area exceeded 370,000 hectares. The area includes more than 135,000 hectares of special-use forests, over 132,000 hectares of production forests, and more than 81,000 hectares of protection forests, with the remainder classified as forestry land yet to be forested.

Despite being one of the country’s major industrial and urban centers, Dong Nai has succeeded in preserving a vast natural forest area and one of the most diverse ecosystems in Southern Vietnam. As climate change becomes increasingly complex and environmental standards and emissions-reduction requirements grow more stringent, these forest resources are becoming a distinctive advantage in Dong Nai’s pursuit of green growth.

According to Nguyen Tuan Anh, Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee, Dong Nai currently has more than 370,000 hectares of forests and forestry land, the largest area in the Southeast region. The city’s forest coverage rate stands at more than 25%, among the highest in Vietnam. Beyond its size, Dong Nai’s forests encompass a wide range of important ecosystems, including natural forests, wetlands, Tri An Lake, and an interconnected river network. Areas such as biosphere reserves, national parks, and nature-culture reserves are recognized for their exceptionally rich biodiversity.

Cat Tien National Park became part of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO in 2011.

The value of Dong Nai’s forests extends far beyond their vast area. They preserve valuable genetic resources and provide habitats for thousands of plant and animal species. For industrial and urban development, these forests act as a “green shield,” regulating the climate and maintaining ecological balance across the city and surrounding areas.

According to Nguyen Van Minh, Deputy Director of Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai’s forests play a crucial role in retaining water for downstream areas, protecting water resources for Tri An Lake, which supplies both domestic use and hydropower generation, and providing habitats for numerous rare and endangered wildlife species.

In addition to the extensive contiguous forests in the northeastern and northern parts of the city, southern Dong Nai is home to thousands of hectares of mangrove forests. These forests not only preserve ecosystems but also support aquaculture beneath the forest canopy, create opportunities for ecotourism and nature-based experiences, protect port infrastructure and industrial zones, and mitigate the impacts of saltwater intrusion and tidal flooding.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thao, Environmental Manager at C.P. Vietnam Livestock Corporation, noted that the company has participated in tree-planting activities for many years to help restore and enhance biodiversity in mangrove forests. In addition, the company is implementing a long-tailed macaque conservation project to protect more than 100 individuals over the 2025–2030 period.

A foundation for green development

Today, competitive advantages in attracting investment, particularly foreign investment, extend beyond land availability and transport infrastructure. Increasingly, investors are placing greater emphasis on sustainability standards, living environments, and emissions-reduction capacity. Viewed from this perspective, Dong Nai’s forest resources represent a significant development opportunity.

Afforestation activities at the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve (DNCR). Photo by Hoang Loc.

One of the most stable revenue streams comes from payments for forest environmental services. These are payments made by organizations and individuals that benefit from forest ecosystems to support forest protection and development. Accordingly, businesses that use surface water resources, hydropower plant operators, water supply companies, and ecotourism enterprises are required to pay forest environmental service fees. The revenue generated is reinvested in forest management and development activities. In 2025 alone, Dong Nai collected approximately VND83 billion from forest environmental services.

Another highly promising sector is ecotourism. With its rich ecosystems and diverse landscapes, including forests, lakes, mountains, wetlands, waterfalls, and indigenous cultural values, Dong Nai is well-positioned to develop tourism products such as nature retreats, environmental education, ecotourism, wildlife watching, cycling tours, trail running, and mountain trekking.

Currently, most forest owners in the city have had their sustainable forest management plans for the 2021-2030 period approved by the municipal government. Each plan sets out orientations for the sustainable use of forest values to serve socio-economic development.

According to Nguyen Hoang Hao, Director of the DNCR, the reserve’s sustainable forest management plan aims to attract around 120,000 visitors annually by 2030 and generate approximately VND100 billion in revenue. To achieve this goal, the reserve plans to gradually increase income from forest environmental services, attract investment in ecotourism projects, and develop forest carbon sequestration and storage services. Hao added that generating economic value from forests not only provides additional resources for forest management and protection but also creates livelihoods and improves incomes for local communities. Beyond these benefits, Dong Nai is expected to enjoy a significant advantage once Vietnam’s carbon credit market becomes operational. Its extensive forest area and diverse ecosystems provide a strong foundation for participating in carbon trading schemes and trading carbon credits with domestic and international enterprises. In addition, this form of “natural capital” could help attract businesses and financial institutions to invest in emissions-reduction initiatives. Revenue generated from such activities would support socio-economic development while providing additional resources for forest protection, restoration, and sustainable management.

For many years, Dong Nai has consistently maintained the principle of not sacrificing the environment for economic growth. Both the Resolution of the Dong Nai City Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term and the city’s master plan for 2021–2030, with a vision toward 2050, emphasize the need to preserve forest areas and biodiversity while maintaining a high forest coverage rate.

Each year, the city carries out new afforestation and supplementary tree-planting programs. For socio-economic development projects that require forest land, compensatory afforestation must be carried out in accordance with the regulations. Meanwhile, any economic activities associated with forests, particularly ecotourism development, must strictly comply with regulations on land use, construction, and environmental protection.