The level of biodiversity in Viet Nam, one of the richest in the world, is being threatened despite several conservation measures taken by the Government, a government official has said.
Hoang Thanh Nhan, deputy head of the enrivonmental conservation bureau of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, spoke during a seminar on the national action plan on biodiversity in HCM City on Wednesday.
Viet Nam, which is known for its abundant number of species of plants and animals, is encountering "enormous challenges" in preserving its biodiversity, according to Nhan.
The rich biodiversity of the country, which contains an invaluable number of animal and plant genes, contributes greatly to the growth of agriculture and forestry and fisheries industries and ensures national food security.
Ministry figures show that around 25 million Vietnamese are living within or near the forest and some 20 per cent of their income is derived from non-timber products.
Roughly 8 million people are earning their main income from the fisheries sector, of which 12 million also partly benefit.
Nhan said the coverage of natural forests had gradually dwindled and coral reefs had dramatically decreased while submerged saline forests were quickly shrinking.
The number of rare animals and plants was dropping at an alarming level, Nhan added.
Contributing to the problem were unplanned transfer of land-use as well as over-exploitation of natural resources, worsening pollution, a population boom and unpredictable global climate change, she said.
Nhan said that a State agency with full authority on biodiversity management had yet to be created and that regulations on biodiversity conservation remained inconsistent.
Planning on conservation and biodiversity development remained poor as well.
Nhan said the Government issued two major decisions in May 2007 that formulated solutions to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use and the protection of human health, the environment and biodiversity.
The first decision, commonly referred to as Decision 79, called for a national action plan on biodiversity until 2010 with a vision towards 2020.
Another decision, otherwise known as Decision 102, approved a master plan on strengthening management capacity of biological safety for genetically modified creatures as well as goods and products derived from genetically modified creatures until 2010.
Under the action plan, special-use forests would be reviewed and planned, models of sustainable forest management would be undertaken, and afforestation of five million ha would take place.
The plan also calls for nominating natural reserves eligible to be recognised as world heritage sites, biosphere reserves or Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) heritage.
Indigenous stocks on farms would be preserved in line with Vietnamese conventional breeding methods and endangered species that possess native gene stock will be clearly defined for conservation purposes.
The plan also calls for preservation of submerged and coastal areas, as well as coral reefs and seaweeds.
Saline submerged forests essential to defence will also be surveyed and restored, and advanced bio-technology will be used to develop biodiversity in the agricultural sector. Technology transfer will also be enhanced to help create new scientific models.
Viet Nam became a member of the Convention on Biodiversity on November 17, 1994 and the Cartagena Protocol on Biological Safety on January 19, 2004.
The Convention on Biodiversity in 1992 was held to promote biodiversity preservation and sustainable use of natural resources.