Vietnam: Efforts to protect biodiversity

2013 is the year that marked the highlight events of Natural Resources and Environment Sector in the protection of biological diversity (biodiversity). Taking it as motivation, 2014 will focus on the construction of the master plan on biodiversity of the country, with a view to concretizing some contents of Law on Biodiversity, the Law and guiding documents and implementing national biodiversity strategy.

In 2013, there are two important legal documents in the field of biodiversity conservation including: Decree No. 160/2013/ND-CP dated November 12^th, 2013 of the Government on the criteria for identifying species and species management regime according to the list of endangered and rare species, which are in priority protection; Decision No. 1250/QD-TTg dated July 31^st, 2013 of the Prime Minister approving the National Strategy on Biodiversity by 2020 and vision towards 2030. These documents have a decisive role in orienting and adjusting the conservation, towards sustainable use of biodiversity in the future of Vietnam.

Besides, the international cooperation programs also provide many lessons and valuable experience for Vietnam to improve capacity of management and policy enforcement in biodiversity conservation process. According to the experience of many countries, the system of centralized management is not effective in sustainably manage natural resources. It is necessary to encourage community participation in biodiversity conservation, ensuring the principle that those who use the resource must also be legal manager to such resources. Biodiversity management and conservation must be in harmony with the interests and livelihoods of communities.

In 2014, biodiversity conservation sets out the detailed objectives including: Ensuring important natural ecosystems, endangered or rare species and genetic resources which are preserved and sustainably developed; maintaining and developing ecosystem services to adapt to climate change with a view to promoting the country’s sustainable development; specifically planning and localizing conservation zonesin map and important natural ecosystems nationwide; completing the planning system of natural reserves in Vietnam.

P.Oanh

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