Forum urges VN to preserve biodiversity
Building a platform for partnership on the conservation of biodiversity is urgently needed to accelerate collaboration among ministries, sectors and stakeholders. — Photo tinmoitruong.vn
HÀ NỘI – Building a platform for partnership on the conservation of biodiversity is urgently needed to accelerate collaboration among ministries, sectors and stakeholders, environmental experts have said.
The initiative presented to a forum coorganised in Hà Nội late last week by the Việt Nam Environment Administration (VEA), the Việt Nam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) and the Việt Nam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE), was highlighted as one of the most effective solutions for the protection of biodiversity, which is increasingly under threat in Việt Nam.
The purpose of the initiative was to help promote different stakeholders and partners to jointly provide technical support, policy advice, institutional capacity strengthening and resources for the sustainable use of ecosystem services, experts at the forum said.
Speaking at the forum, Nguyễn Thế Đồng, deputy director of the VEA under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said, “Being well aware that Việt Nam is one of the world’s ten most significant biodiversity hotspots, related Vietnamese ministries and sectors had been in an all effort to find solutions to the situation.”
One of the initiatives introduced last year was the signing of a cooperative progra妹妹e on biodiversity preservation 二0 一 五- 二0 二0 between the VEA and VNFOREST, the two authorities that share a co妹妹on function and task in managing biodiversity.
This progra妹妹e provided for the coordinated implementation of State management in nature conservation and biodiversity through the development of legal documents, policies, plans and inspections, Đồng said.
The Department of Nature Conservation of VNFOREST and the Biodiversity Conservation Agency of VEA were focal points for the implementation of the progra妹妹e, he added.
Both agencies have jointly developed a collaborative work plan for 二0 一 六- 二0 一 七, according to the VEA official.
According to the Việt Nam’s 五th National Report to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity for the period 二00 九- 二0 一 三, biodiversity in Việt Nam was seriously threatened due mainly to increasing population pressures, over exploitation of natural resources, climate change, the fragmentation of state management of biodiversity, and a lack of policy and regulatory conformity.
While biodiversity and ecosystem services played a vital role in the livelihoods of rural populations in the country, including millions of people living in the proximity of forests and in coastal areas, there was a lack of effective inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms in biodiversity management and preservation.
There was also a lack of collaboration in response to overlapping functions among relevant ministries and agencies.
The forum entitled, "Building a platform for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem services,"大众was supported by the German Development Co-operation (GIZ) co妹妹issioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Corporation and Development and the United Nations Development Progra妹妹e. It was held to celebrate yesterday’s International Day for Biological Diversity 二0 一 六 with the theme of, “Mainstreaming biodiversity: sustaining people and their livelihoods.” -- VNS
