The latest draft of Viet Nam’s first Biodiversity Law was discussed at a meeting jointly organised by the National Assembly’s Committee of Science, Technology and Environment and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
A key feature of the bill is that it integrates pro-poor principles which recognise that biodiversity conservation and development cannot be successful without the support and participation of local communities.
"Biodiversity and natural resources have been critically important for the majority of the Vietnamese population as they provide basic needs and livelihoods for people, particularly the rural poor," said Christophe Bahuet, UNDP Deputy Country Director in Viet Nam.
The 2008 edition of the Viet Nam Red Book reveals that the number of endangered species of fauna and flora has increased to 880 from 700 in 2000. Key causes include over-exploitation of forests, shifting agricultural cultivation, loss of arable land, water pollution and degradation of coastal areas.
"The Biodiversity Law is an effective legal instrument to prevent biodiversity declination, to conserve precious plants and animals, and to serve the sustainable social and economic development of the country" said Dang Vu Minh, Chairman of the committee.