Hanoi (VNA) - In response to International Day for Biological Diversity, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment coordinated with the People’s Committee of Bac Kan province to host a seminar on the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework on May 19.
The event aimed to share Vietnam’s efforts in the management, conservation, and effective use of natural resources and biodiversity.
Illustrative image (Photo: Hung Vo/Vietnam+) Enhancing public awareness of biodiversity conservation
During the seminar, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said that Vietnam holds a significant position as one of the 12 biodiversity hotspots and one of the 16 countries globally with the highest biodiversity. Vietnam possesses valuable and rare genetic resources.
However, Nhan also acknowledged the pressing issue of rapid biodiversity decline in Vietnam, which is accompanied by significant challenges such as environmental pollution, land degradation, marine plastic waste, and the severe impacts of climate change.
Dinh Quang Tuyen, Vice Chairman of Bac Kan Provincial People’s Committee speaks at the seminar (Photo: Huy The) Providing a local perspective, Dinh Quang Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Kan province, said that the province is blessed with abundant natural resources, including Ba Be National Park and conservation area that harbor precious and rare species.
Additionally, Bac Kan boasts the country's highest forest coverage rate, reaching nearly 74%.
However, despite these advantages, there are still shortcomings in the management and conservation of biodiversity due to the lack of mechanisms, policies, and regulations.
This poses challenges for Bac Kan in determining a balanced economic development plan that ensures the preservation of the ecological environment and biodiversity.
Therefore, Tuyen emphasised that the conference provides an opportunity for Bac Kan province to learn from the experience of other localities in addressing similar challenges and finding effective solutions.
Mobilising financial resources for conservation
The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15), organised by the United Nations in December 2022 in Montreal, Canada, adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
It sets targets and measures to reverse the rapid global biodiversity decline that has occurred over the past decades.
The framework, aimed at supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, presents an ambitious pathway towards realising the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050.
One significant objective of the Global Biodiversity Framework is the “30 x 30” initiative, which calls for the protection of 30% of the planet for nature by 2030 and the restoration of 30% of the planet’s degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan delivers speech at the event (Photo: Vietnam+) In order to accomplish these goals, Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan emphasised the importance of proposing specific initiatives and solutions to promote the implementation of the global biodiversity framework in Vietnam.
It is essential to identify opportunities for cooperation, mobilise resources, and engage relevant stakeholders to achieve national and global biodiversity objectives.
During the seminar, the representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam also shared recommendations for implementing the global biodiversity framework and the national biodiversity strategy.
Notably, Vietnam should mobilize additional financial resources from society and the private sector, while promptly enhancing the system of biodiversity conservation organisations and establishing a robust biodiversity database./.
