Webinar discusses solutions to ecosystem restoration in Vietnam

Illustrative image (Photo: thiennhien.net)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam needs to encourage and improve capacity and responsibility for the environment and nature and implement preventive actions in management agencies and businesses to minimize nature degradation, an expert has said.

Dr. Nguyen Dinh Dap from the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS)’s Institute of Human Geography made the suggestion at a webinar on November 16, which focused on solutions to contribute to developing specific programmes to promote rapid and sustainable development in Vietnam.

Assessing environmental degradation, global ecosystems and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Dap said countries are working together to build a global strategic framework on biodiversity with the goal that by 2050 people will live in harmony with nature, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used.

While proposing solutions to restore Vietnam's ecosystem and biodiversity in the context of the 4th industrial revolution, Prof. Dr. Dang Huy Huynh, Vice President of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE) said to effectively implement restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity, it is necessary to promote nature-based socio-economic development in the principle of being in harmony with nature.

Attention should be paid to living in harmony with nature in the process of developing national, regional and provincial plans; establishing more nature reserves, green corridors and biodiversity corridors; increasing investment of resources in finance, policy, science and technology, including attracting the participation of indigenous communities on the principle of happiness and peace for people, he said.

In the coming time, Vietnam needs to train scientists, managers, and technicians with specialized skills in restoring poor terrestrial and marine ecosystems, Huynh said, noting that this is a crucial solution in restoring and enriching the ecosystem.

According to Dr. Nguyen Song Tung, Director of the Institute of Human Geography, Vietnam is currently facing the loss and rapid degradation of biodiversity.

In addition to natural causes, human activities have had a great impact on the destruction of nature. In the process of socio-economic development, a series of forests and natural covers have been invaded, causing the environment to be damaged and lose its protection function against natural disasters and extreme weather, the expert said.

Participants proposed measures to restore the ecosystem, protect ancient trees and minimise harms caused by climate change, including disease prevention. They also focused discussions on issues related to the National Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation in Vietnam./.