Hanoi (VNA) – Lying in the north-eastern mountainousregion, Dien Bien province boasts rich natural resources with more than 760,000ha of forest, making up nearly 80 percent of the local total natural area of956,290 hectares.

According to the provincial Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, 41 local floral species are listed inVietnam’s Red Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Dien Bien is home to 55 species of mammals, 188species of birds, 38 species of reptiles, 14 species of amphibians, and 175species of fish.

However, rapid population growth and unplanned migration areposing serious threat to biodiversity, as more and more forests are being cutdown for rice fields or for reservoirs and hydropower plants.

❀[Invasive alien species become problem for managerial agencies]
 
Recognising the significance of naturalresources protection, local authorities have integrated biodiversityconservation into socio-economic development programmes.

The province has approved a number of forestprotection and development projects in nine districts, towns and cities, alongwith many policies and legal documents on biodiversity conservation such as thedetailed planning scheme for the Muong Nhe nature reserve, an action plan onbiodiversity conservation through 2015 with a vision towards 2020, and DecisionNo/837 QD-UBND on establishing the management board of Muong Phang historicalrelic site. 

Dieu Mong Hai from the provincial office for environmentalprotection said Dien Bien is taking measures to improve the legal system andmanagement institutions under the biodiversity conservation plan in the period2015-2020. 

The locality is also mobilising capital fromcentral and local budgets to carry out sub-projects in the plan, while conductingsurveys and studies to evaluate the level of biodiversity.

It will apply science-technology in forestprotection and raise public awareness of the need to preserve forest andbiodiversity, he said, adding that the forest ranger force will closelycoordinate with local authorities to promptly discover and prevent lawviolations in the field.-VNA