VIETNAMESE CONSERVATION

[Guest guest]

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*http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01ENV251105*

*Dedicated agency needed to protect, promote biodiversity*

 

(25-11-2005)

A view of Cat Ba Island, a recognised biosphere of Viet Nam. — VNA/VNS

Photo Pham Do

 

HA NOI — Viet Nam needs a single authority supported by the ministry to

manage and co-ordinate preservation of the country's biodiversity, a seminar

in Ha Noi has decided. And

biodiversity should be added to the country's socio-economic development

plan, participants agreed at the seminar in the Ha Noi last Wednesday.

 

They also emphasised the role the mass media had to play in raising the

awareness of the people, the community and senior administrators about the

need for environmental protection.

 

The participants reached their conclusion after they were told by Deputy

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Pham Khoi Nguyen that the

diversity of Viet Nam's plants and animals – once among the richest on earth

– had seriously deteriorated in the past ten years.

 

Degradation of the country's biodiversity stemmed from the overuse of

natural resources for economic development, inconsistent State management

and ignorance, even among public servants responsible for environmental

protection, he said.

 

The seminar last Wednesday focused on assessing the way in which the

Biodiversity Convention signed for 150 governments at the 1992 Rio Earth

Summit is working in Viet Nam.

 

The convention reco-gnises that biodiversity goes beyond plants, animals and

ecosystems to people and the need for food security, medicine, fresh air and

water, shelter and a clean and healthy environment.

 

The seminar's purpose was to pool the thoughts of managers, scientists and

policy makers to decide how to best implement it in Viet Nam.

 

*Legislation planned*

 

The Government is taking steps to preserve Viet Nam's biological diversity

with planned legislation that would protect rare plants and animals.

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has set up a board to work

on the Law on Biological Diversity with Minister Mai Ai Truc as its head.

 

According to the ministry, biodiversity in Viet Nam has been seriously

destroyed due to pollution and uncontrolled exploitation of natural

resources.

 

The proposed law would ensure that Viet Nam follows the path of sustainable

development and biodiversity preservation, with a focus on protecting the

gene pools of rare and endangered plants and animals.

 

The establishment of nature reserves will also be covered by the law.

 

With plans to implement international conventions related to biodiversity,

the Government has identified a need to seek international co-operation in

efforts to preserve the nation's plants and animals.

 

So far, the ministry has received funding commitments from the Asian

Development Bank, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and

Natural Resources and the World Wildlife Fund.

 

The draft Law on Biological Diversity is expected to be submitted to the

Government for approval in early 2007.

 

Viet Nam has 28 national parks and 59 natural reserves.

 

The Xuan Thuy national park in northern Nam Dinh Province and the Bau Sau

Cat Tien national park, southern Dong Nai Province, are internationally

listed in accordance with the 1975 Ramsar Wetlands Convention.

 

The convention, adopted at Ramsar, Iran, in 1972, provides for increased

protection of wetlands, including shallow coast.

 

In addition, 26 marine and coastal reserves have been proposed. Viet Nam has

11,373 known species of higher plants; about 1,030 species of moss; 2,500 of

seaweed and 826 of mushroom.

 

Animals include 310 species of mammal; 840 of bird; 286 of reptile; 162

amphibians; 3,170 species of fish and 7,500 species of insects and

invertebrates.

The fauna has characteristics specific to Southeast Asia.

 

But Viet Nam is also home to the highest number of bird and animal species

facing extinction. — VNS