At a seminar Restoration of U Minh Thuong national park after the fire of March - April, 2002, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in conjunction with Kien giang People's Committee and CARE on June 13 and 14, several scientific reports were made on the present conditions of U Minh Thuong after the fire. According to the Institute of Forest Planning II, although the proportion devastated by the fire is not big compared the forest area, the typical area of U Minh Thuong ecology (forest on lignite) has almost vanished. The main area of U Minh Thuong forest was 8,038 hectares, 3,212 hectares burned down (39.69%) including 2,300 hectares out of 2,901 hectares of forest on lignite. The fire caused a "disaster" to the mammals living in the forest on lignite. According to the initial report of the Institute of Ecology and Mammal Resources, although most the species remain, they are in much smaller number such as big bat Pteropus vampirus, boar Sus scrofa, etc. Three species have not been identified namely musk fox Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, rhinoceros Manis javanica, and Tupaia belangeri. 

According to Dr. Le Xuan Canh, the remaining mammals will move to the edges of forest (forest on clay and near populated area) to get food. They will face the danger of hunting. Certain measures must be taken to protect them. The situation is more serious for reptiles and insects, many species of which have completely disappeared.
Vital elements of U Minh Thuong forest namely land, water level and water environment are also seriously affected. According to a survey of Institute of Tropical Ecology and South Vietnam Water Conservancy Institute, the water environment of U Minh Thuong is unfavorable for animal life as it has high density of alum and salt.

As the layer of lignite reduced by fire from 3-6 metres to 0.3-1 metre, with 194 hectares completed burnt out, large area of lignite remains, scientists believe that U Minh Thuong forest can be restored. The problem now is to improve the quality and level of water and increase the humidity to restore the forest, first of all the cajeput. The problem may be solved by the coming rainy season. Mr Gavin, CARE representative, emphasised on the fact that U Minh Thuong is the area with the heaviest rainfall in Vietnam. 

How to restore? Nguyen Van So, deputy head of Forestry Department, Ho Chi Minh City College of Agriculture and Forestry said: "The best restoration is by the natural way, but it can be by man. We must study carefully before taking a decision". Even the seed sowing (to be approved by the government) is controversial. Some scientists believe that cajeput in Vietnam is of only one species (single gene), therefore any kind of seed is possible. Meanwhile others think that it must be from the same existing kind in the area. 

Dr. Tran Triet, Ho Chi Minh City University, in his study "Restoration of U Minh Thuong National Park suggested that the restoration would take several decades, therefore it would be best to rely on the remaining area to restore the forest. He said that the water level must be regulated to help the restoration, and some rare species must be planted. The monitoring network must be re-established. Several scientists emphasised the study of land and water before implementing the restoration project of U Minh Thuong forest.