The event, held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was attended by guests from Vietnamese and foreign agencies and organisations, experts in biodiversity conservation and students.
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Red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus) in Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong forest in Quang Binh province. (Photo for illustration) |
Since Vietnam ratified the CBD on October 17, 1994, it has made great strides in nature and biodiversity conservation, including building a system of managerial agencies and a policy and legal framework on biodiversity, setting up nature reserves and implementing action plans to protect endangered fauna and flora species.
The country has stepped up efforts in new biodiversity conservation issues like biological safety, access to genetic resources and sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources. Meanwhile, awareness of the importance of biodiversity to life and sustainable development has been improved.
Vietnam boasts high biodiversity with various types of forests, swamps, rivers, streams and coral reefs, making it home to about 10 percent of the world’s animal species.
However, the country is facing risks of biodiversity degradation and ecological imbalance, which will affect the human living environment and the Earth’s development. Therefore, biodiversity conservation needs multilateral cooperation and engagement from the entire society to reach the targets in the CBD and the National Biodiversity Strategy.
Addressing the ceremony, UNDP Deputy Country Director in Vietnam Akiko Fujii said biodiversity in Vietnam has brought benefits to the people and contributed to the economy.
She noted it is a fact that biodiversity in the country is being degraded, and the number of endangered species is increasing. Hence, it is critically important to improve public awareness of biodiversity and reasonably use biodiversity resources.
At the ceremony, participants also joined a discussion on conservation with representatives of the Vietnam Environment Administration, the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, the UNDP and ASEAN Biodiversity Hero Dang Huy Huynh.
Source: VNA