Vietnam takes drastic measures in fighting desertification
In the combat against desertification, Vietnam has gradually obtained double results, successfully preventing land degradation and bringing economic benefits to farmers.
Action for a green future (Photo: VietnamPlus) (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) 🌠- In the combat against desertification, Vietnam has gradually obtained double results, successfully preventing land degradation and bringing economic benefits to farmers.
The theme for this year’s World Environment Day (June 5) is “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience”. It aimed to appeal to countries around the globe to join hands in restoring land, preventing desertification, and improving drought resilience to ease climate change and improve food security for billions of people worldwide.
Land degradation accelerates climate change and biodiversity loss, and also contributes to drought, forest fires, involuntary migration as well as the emergence of zoonotic diseases.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) Le Cong Thanh said according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), up to 40% of the planet's land area has been degraded, directly affecting half of the world's population and threatening about half of global GDP (44 trillion USD).
The Deputy Minister said that the frequency and duration of droughts have increased by 29% since 2000. Without urgent action, drought could affect more than three-quarters of the world's population by 2050. Therefore, soil restoration is one of the main goals of the decade of ecosystem restoration and sustainable development.
Like other countries in the world, Vietnam is considered a country affected by drought, soil degradation and mobile sand dunes.
Director of the Centre for Natural Resources and Environment Communication under the MONRE Nguyen Viet Dung said that Vietnam has nearly 12,000 hectares of land, accounting for 35.74% of the total natural land area of the country, which is affected by degradation and desertification, leading to desertification.
He said the current situation of land degradation, desertification and desertification in Vietnam is taking place at a rapid and widespread pace.
Illustrative image (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh suggested ministries, sectors and localities strengthen the implementation of measures to prevent and control heat, drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion. They should investigate and assess the current situation of desertification, build a database and drought maps for directly affected areas, and monitor developments in soil environmental quality.
Along with that, coordination should be strengthened among all-level administrations, sectors and localities and create conditions for local people to participate in accessing information and techniques to prevent drought and desertification. They need to increase the supplementation of central and local funding sources, human resources, weather forecasts, and hydro-meteorological means in combating desertification and drought.
In addition, the ministry also called on stakeholders to hang banners, panels, and posters at appropriate agencies, units and public places to promote World Environment Day 2024.
In response to World Environment Day and the launch of the Month of Action for the Environment in 2024, the cities of Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Thua Thien - Hue, Can Tho, Thanh Hoa, and Long An organised practical response activities. They include events like “Joining Hands to Act for a Green Hanoi”, tree planting, creating environmental landscapes, clean roads and residential areas, and a thematic exhibition on overcoming the consequences of post-war chemical poisoning under the theme, "Orders from the Heart"./.
Hit by drought and land degradation, Vietnam has been taking strong actions to enforce the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to join global efforts against these global phenomena.
In the combat against desertification, Vietnam has step by step obtained the dual results as it has successfully prevented land degradation and brought economic benefits to farmers.
A dialogue on and solutions to combat land degradation was held by the General Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on June 16 in Hanoi.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
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An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
