The National Assembly passed a law on bio-diversity on Nov. 13, 2008 encouraging different approaches to investment and the application of scientific advances and local knowledge to ensure bio-diversity sustainability.
The newly-approved law offers numerous stimuli, including preferential tax and investment policies and mandates to collect tourism fees as well as a range of benefits for any individuals or institutions who take part in bio-diversity conservation.
Legislators said the new law runs in accordance with international conventions which Vietnam subscribes to and brings it up-to-date with both national and global environmental developments.
The law gives top priorities to the conservation of specific natural eco-systems and endangered species whilst strictly controlling access to genetic sources in order to ensure biological security.
The new law imposes a full ban on the poaching of wildlife as well as any other action that poses a threat to the eco-system in areas designated for natural conservation.
“The cultivation and culture of hybrid species that cause harm to natural conservation parks are strictly banned,” said the law.
Numerous articles are dedicated to international cooperation in the field with the Greater Mekong Sub-Region and East Sea region prioritised for signing and implementation of programmes of cooperation in bio-diversity conservation.
Schemes to protect migratory species and the bio-diversity corridor in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as other countries sharing a common interest in biology also take priority for the country’s international cooperation programmes.
Recent surveys conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment revealed that national bio-diversity is concentrated in original forests, wetlands and mountainous areas, particularly limestone hills, and sea and island ecologies.
Vietnam ranks among the top 15 countries in the world for its number of animal species, and makes the global top 20 for bird species and is included in the top 30 for the number of plant and amphibian species that are threatened with extinction.
Efforts are being made to implement the Governmental strategy on natural reserves until 2010 to cope with a degradation of bio-diversity as a result of climate change.
The country now boasts 126 natural reserves covering a total of 2.5 million ha of land, making up 7.6 percent of the national landmass area.
The 9 chapter-85 article law regarding bio-diversity will come into force on July 1, 2009.