Forest-boundary data released
Vietnam's Forestry and Forest Protection Department held an October 20 technical meeting to release version 1.0 of its 2020 forest-boundary map, VFM2020.v1. The map is intended to help authorities and businesses compare production areas with forest conditions at the 2020 reference point when preparing evidence related to the EU deforestation regulation.
Timber, coffee and rubber are highlighted because of their export exposure. Officials said the data can help identify overlaps and reduce confusion involving shaded agricultural production. The map is a checking resource, not an automatic ruling on a particular shipment.
It combines local forest data, remote-sensing imagery, international reference maps and field reviews. The process includes standardisation, planning checks, reliability assessment, change analysis, local verification and integration into a web-based geographic information system.
Reliability levels and additional evidence
Areas are classified as high-confidence, medium-confidence or requiring further review, depending on agreement between sources. Clear differences are referred to local authorities for documentary and field checks.
A presentation cited overall agreement of 78.5% across forest land with data and 92% for natural forest. Regional rates differ, reinforcing the need for location-specific review.
Officials stressed that the map is not the sole legal basis for concluding EUDR compliance. Businesses still need traceability records, production-area coordinates and relevant field evidence. Version 1.0 is the beginning of an open database that will be updated, rather than a fixed compliance certificate or a substitute for due diligence.