The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has proposed a VND178 billion (US$7.5 million) plan to move greenhouses out of the inner area of Da Lat tourist city.

The effort aims to restore the local natural environment by ridding Da Lat of poorly-regulated greenhouses through 2030.

Farmers and businessmen have built 4,476 hectares of greenhouses across Lam Dong, including more than 2,500 hectares, or 57 percent, in Da Lat, after nearly 30 years of relying on the improvised structures.

Although these facilities have helped make the Central Highlands province a leading flower supplier, most have been built by self-taught local tradespeople using iron and bamboo sticks, without much attention to eco-safety.

As a result, they fail to meet contemporary environmental protection standards.

They have also encroached on forestry land, high-voltage grid protection corridors, historical and cultural relic areas, scenic spots, corridors for protection of irrigation works and water sources, and areas of security and national defense works.

For solutions, local authorities are now offering greenhouse owners mortgage loans to disassemble their facilities and switch to eco-friendlier models.

The project will cost an estimated VND178 billion, of which nearly VND173 billion ($7.3 million) will be sourced from private funders.

Previously, both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Planning and Investment gave warnings about the negative impacts of greenhouses in Da Lat on the local environment, landscape, and sustainable economic development.

Greenhouses have resulted in a negative microclimate in the inner city of Da Lat, according to the environment ministry.

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