Hanoi (VNA) – A biodiversity conservation partnership forum was held in Hanoi onMay 22 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the VietnamAssociation for Conservation of Nature and Environment and CropLife Vietnam.
Accordingto the Vietnam Environment Administration, since Vietnam ratified theConvention on Biological Diversity in October 17, 1994, the country has made stridesin protecting the nature and biodiversity, building a system of managementagencies as well as legal and policy frameworks on biodiversity.
A system ofwildlife reserves has been set up, while many endangered species of animals andplants have been protected by the law and through action plans. Vietnam hasalso sped up the settlement of new issues related to biodiversity conservationsuch as biological safety, genetic resource access and interest sharing fromusing genetic resources.
The publicawareness of the significance and role of biodiversity to the life and nationalsustainable development has been improved.
🌞[Authorities work to end illegal wildlife trading]
Participantsat the event agreed that with diverse terrains, land types, landscapes andclimate, Vietnam is one of the countries that have high biodiversity, alongwith high risks of biodiversity degradation and imbalance, which has directlyaffected the living environment of people and threatened the country’s sustainablegrowth.
Theprotection of biodiversity requires cooperation of many parties and strong engagementof the whole society, with the aim of fulfilling the targets of the Conventionon Biological Diversity as well as the national strategy on biodiversity.
Hoang ThiThanh Nhan, Vice Director of the Department of Nature and BiodiversityConservation under the Vietnam Environment Administration, said that four majorareas in the partnership programme in the 2015-2020 include the building ofpolicies and laws; the protection of endangered species and wildlifetrafficking prevention; biodiversity and climate change; and economic tools andcommunity-based conservation.
From May2018, as the department will also be in charge of protecting natural heritageand biosphere reserves, it needs more cooperation from domestic and foreignpartners.-VNA
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