Experts discuss report on ecosystem degradation

Vietnam’s ecosystems are in a strong decline and are threatened with losing their basic functions, experts said at a two-day conference that ended on Hanoi on November 7.
Experts discuss report on ecosystem degradation ảnh 1Teals, scientific name is Anas crecca, are in the Trang An tourism site in the northern province of Ninh Binh.(Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam’s ecosystems are in a strong decline andare threatened with losing their basic functions, experts said at a two-dayconference that ended on Hanoi on November 7.

The 'Tentative agenda for national dialogue and consultation workshop on draftnational ecosystem assessment report' event was held by the Institute ofStrategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) under theMinistry of Natural Resources and Environment and its partners.

The report is a part of the 'Support to developing capacities to addressscience-policy-practice interface project' which has been conducted in eightcountries including Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cameroon,Colombia, Ethiopia, Grenada and Vietnam with financial support from theInternational Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for theEnvironment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

The project runs from April 2017 to December next year.

The report aims to supply a database for policymakers by connectingscience-policy-reality. It urges inserting biological diversity into policycompiling.

At the conference, nearly 100 experts exchanged data, information andapproaches to complete the report.

Associate professor Nguyen The Chinh, director of the ISPONRE, said researchingthe ecosystem was important work.

It helped supervise impacts on the environment during the process ofagricultural, industrial, tourism and services development, he said.

Vietnam has joined many international commitments about biological diversity.

The country wants to learn from other nations about setting policies related tobiological diversity maintenance, so it needs more research and to use newapproaches to reach targets in the national strategy on biological diversity in2011-20, according to Chinh.

“Biological diversity and ecosystem services should be inserted into nationalplans and strategies,” said Chinh.

Huynh Thi Mai, national ecosystem assessment project co-ordinator, said one ofthe main discoveries of the project’s researchers was that national forest areadecreased from 12 million hectares in 1945 to 2.8 million hectares in 2017.

The amount of coral also gradually decreased, with more than 63 per cent in badcondition.

This was caused by uncontrollable fishing, with illegal fishing harming thecoral system.

Coral exploitation for tourism also threatens the system.

Experts at the conference said it was necessary to have a management system onbiological diversity with detailed duties for each organisations at each level./.
VNA

See more

Quang Tri recently received two endangered pangolins from local resident. (Photo published by VNA)

Two pangolins handed over to authorities in Quang Tri

At around 8:30 pm on April 12, Le Thanh Tung, a resident of Thuong Nghia hamlet in Cam Lo commune, and his friend spotted the two pangolins, weighing over 4 kg, while working near the Cam Lo–La Son Expressway.

A view of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Da Nang city (Photo: VNA)

Phong Nha – Ke Bang: untapped biological treasure in Truong Son mountains

Unlike ecosystems where species inventories are largely complete, Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park remains scientifically “open,” with each survey revealing new findings. Recent studies - from local research projects to international collaborations - have recorded additional bird species and identified the rare parasitic plant Sapria himalayana, which only survives in intact primary forests.

The interface of Vietnam Weather KTTV mobile application (Photo: baochinhphu,vn)

Application of dangerous weather warning introduced

All unusual weather events, from widespread thunderstorms, lightning strikes, landslides, flash floods, tropical depressions to strong winds at sea, are continuously updated from official data sources of the NCMHF and meteorological stations and prominently displayed on the main interface.

An overview of the kick-off meeting for the “Sustainable Management of Substances Controlled by the Montreal Protocol” project (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam launches 13 mln USD project to phase out ozone-depleting substances

Funded by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol and implemented through the World Bank (WB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the project aims to help Vietnam meet its international commitments in managing and phasing out controlled substances. It will run from 2026 to 2031 with a total budget of over 13 million USD.

Tram Chim National Park and the Mekong Conservancy Foundation (MCF) organise the workshop on sustainable restoration of wetland ecosystems in the Mekong Delta on March 24. (Photo: VNA)

Solutions sought to restore Mekong Delta wetland ecosystems

Experts at the workshop described wetlands as the “ecological heart” of the Mekong Delta, playing a vital role in water storage and regulation, climate moderation, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and livelihoods for millions of people through aquaculture, agriculture, and ecotourism. These ecosystems also help reduce disaster risks and enhance climate resilience.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh speaks at the ceremony to launch major environmental campaign. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam calls for collective action on water, air, climate and sustainable future

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh underscored that water, climate, and energy are fundamental pillars of sustainable development. In Vietnam, water resources and weather patterns influence every aspect of life, from food and water security to livelihoods, ecosystem stability, and economic growth.