Improving the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation

According to the national biodiversity report, our country is one of the 16 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world today. However, the negative impacts of climate change, human and economic development demands pose an urgent need for biodiversity conservation.

Vietnam has three basic ecosystem groups: marine, terrestrial and wetland ecosystems with about 62,600 identified species. Of these, 106 are endemic species that do not exist anywhere else in the world . In addition, our country is also one of the centers of plant and animal genetic resources with more than 6,000 rice varieties, 800 plant species, 887 animal breeds...

Important capital for development

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, 50% of global GDP depends directly or indirectly on nature and ecosystem-derived services. This shows that biodiversity plays a very important role not only for the living environment but also for the economy of each country. In our country, a country with rich and valuable biodiversity can be considered an important "capital" for development.

Vietnam has three basic ecosystem groups: marine, terrestrial and wetland ecosystems with about 62,600 identified species. Of these, 106 are endemic species that do not exist anywhere else in the world.

Many studies by environmental scientists show that natural ecosystems are the basis for sustainable development of many economic sectors, such as agriculture , forestry, medicinal plants and ecotourism. Biodiversity contributes to ensuring food security, creating jobs, maintaining genetic resources of crops and livestock, providing medicinal materials for oriental medicine, materials for the construction industry and fuel.

Biodiversity creates natural landscapes and is the origin of many good customs and practices of the nation. Biodiversity conservation is also one of the solutions to enhance social resilience and adapt to global climate change.

Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, Mr. Patrick Haverman, said that the international community's determination in nature and biodiversity conservation has been demonstrated through many specific and practical actions.

Faced with the risk of biodiversity loss worldwide, the COP16 conference taking place in Colombia in 2024 once again urged countries to act faster and more strongly to achieve key goals such as: Protecting at least 30% of land and sea areas; restoring at least 30% of degraded ecosystems; halving unsustainable consumption of biological resources; increasing sustainable financing for biodiversity and ensuring fair sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources.

In our country, fully aware of the importance of biodiversity for development, the Party and State pay special attention to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.

However, not outside the general situation of most developing countries in the world, the issue of nature conservation and biodiversity in Vietnam is also under great pressure from economic development, environmental pollution, forest degradation, destruction by nature and humans, invasion of alien species and the increasingly extreme climate change process.

This requires us to quickly take specific actions to protect and utilize important "capital" from nature for the goal of economic growth.

Determination and action

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri, the issue of biodiversity conservation in our country has been mentioned in many documents and policies. To support the content of global biodiversity conservation, the Vietnamese Government passed Resolution No. 05/NQ-CP dated January 15, 2021 supporting the commitments of world leaders on nature; through the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework, promulgating the National Strategy on Biodiversity to 2030, with a vision to 2050...

According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, up to now, the whole country has about 42% of forest area, equivalent to nearly 14 million hectares; established 178 nature reserves; 11 world biosphere reserves; four global geoparks; nine internationally important wetlands; recognized three world natural heritages, 12 ASEAN heritage gardens.

Research, species conservation, and genetic resource conservation have achieved many successes, and the values ​​of biodiversity for life and sustainable development of economic sectors have been proven in practice.

For many years, in many localities, economic development goals have often been given top priority, while environmental protection and biodiversity conservation have not received due attention. As a result, many natural ecosystems have been degraded, seriously threatening ecological balance and long-term resources.

According to Vice Chairman of the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Cao Son, the locality is facing significant challenges in biodiversity conservation. These include a decline in the number of species and individuals; environmental pollution; overuse of fertilizers and pesticides; and plastic waste.

This reality poses an urgent need to improve the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation work, not only stopping at handling violations, but also integrating conservation goals into socio-economic development strategies, especially in areas rich in biological resources such as Ninh Binh.

Like other countries, biodiversity conservation in Vietnam is also seriously affected by social pressure and climate change. Many forest areas and many endemic species have disappeared and are at risk of disappearing; the serious decline in the number of species; the clustering, degradation and imbalance of the ecosystem... further demonstrate the urgent need to implement more specific and drastic measures. “We need to act more quickly, more determinedly and more effectively.

The goals of GBF and sustainable development can only be achieved with close coordination between the government, businesses, scientists, the community and international cooperation...", Mr. Hoang Van Thuc, Director of the Department of Environment (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) affirmed.

In the coming time, to successfully implement the National Strategy on Biodiversity to 2030, with a vision to 2050, Vietnam needs to quickly and resolutely implement many synchronous solutions. Among them, it is necessary to perfect legal institutions, management mechanisms, strengthen the capacity to enforce laws on biodiversity; integrate biodiversity conservation into strategies, planning, and plans of economic sectors.

At the same time, it is necessary to continue promoting propaganda to raise public awareness; strictly control negative impacts on biodiversity, especially projects that affect the environment.

In addition, it is necessary to expand international cooperation, transfer technology, promote scientific research to improve the efficiency of conservation and promote the value of biodiversity; establish and strengthen information systems, digital transformation in database management and biodiversity management... raise awareness.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nang-cao-hieu-qua-bao-ton-da-dang-sinh-hoc-post883334.html