Initial outcomes from a Japanese-supported project on developing a national biodiversity database system in Vietnam were introduced at a workshop in Hanoi on January 27.
The project, running from 2011 to March 2015, is implemented by the Vietnam Environmental Administration (VEA)’s Biodiversity Conservation Agency in coordination with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
It has been piloted in the Xuan Thuy National Park in the northern province of Nam Dinh and is scheduled to be expanded to all natural reserves nationwide.
The project has been working on a development plan for the national biodiversity database, designing indicators monitoring biodiversity in Vietnam and in the Xuan Thuy Park. It is also building coordination mechanisms for relevant agencies in managing, sharing and using the database.
VEA Deputy General Director Nguyen The Dong said a complete national biodiversity database system will greatly assist State agency management of biodiversity and implementation of legal regulations on biodiversity conservation.
It will also be a reliable source of information for domestic and foreign individuals and organisations to refer to, he added.
Experts have noted Vietnam’s rich biodiversity, which makes up about 10 percent of global organisms. Nam Dinh province has prominent high-biodiversity areas such as the Xuan Thuy National Park, the first Ramsar site in the country as well as in Southeast Asia.