Mapping and addressing soil erosion in Son La Province

Son La province, situated in Vietnam’s Northwest Highland, is a region where the economy and local livelihoods are deeply intertwined with agricultural production. However, Son La’s steep terrain, high-intensity rainfall, and fragile soil structures create a landscape highly vulnerable to soil loss. This vulnerability is significantly worsened by human activity, including deforestation and the rapid expansion of agriculture onto steep slopes. Consequently, soil erosion rates frequently reach 50 to 200 tons/ha/year in many areas.