The call was made by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh, at a ceremony held in Hoi An City, of the central province of Quang Nam, on May 22, to celebrate the 2024 International Day for Biological Diversity.
According to the MoNRE, May 22 was chosen by the United Nations as International Day for Biological Diversity, aiming to raise public awareness and responsibility for biodiversity.
This year’s International Day for Biological Diversity was launched by the UN, with the theme of "Be part of the Biodiversity Plan".
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh, said Vietnam was assessed as one of 12 biodiversity centres and one of 16 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world.
With efforts to protect the country's invaluable natural values, to date, Vietnam has established a system of 178 nature reserves, with a total area of more than 2.6 million hectares, including areas on land and sea; nine wetlands recognised as wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites); 11 world biosphere reserves; six world natural heritage sites; and 12 ASEAN heritage gardens.
However, currently, Vietnam is facing biodiversity degradation along with other great challenges, such as environmental and water pollution, land degradation, ocean plastic waste and the negative impacts of climate change.
Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh stressed that responding to the International Day of Biodiversity 2024 is an opportunity for Vietnam to affirm determination, change awareness and unify actions, to proactively overcome difficulties and challenges, prevent the increase in biodiversity loss, and ensure ecological balance.
Quang Nam possesses many unique forest and marine ecosystems, with many values related to landscape and economy. The province was classified as a locality with high biodiversity in the country, located in the central Truong Son landscape area, and is one of 200 "hotspots" of biodiversity in the world.
Quang Nam is also one of the pioneers in taking action on biodiversity, and one of the localities early promulgating a conservation strategy and action plan. In particular, the province has taken advantage of funding from international organisations, to carry out many tasks of preserving and restoring ecosystems, promoting the establishment of provincial conservation areas and biodiversity corridors.
On the occasion, the MoNRE held a workshop themed “Implementing Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the National Strategy on Biodiversity to 2030, with a Vision to 2050 in Vietnam”.
