The Vietnamese government has adopted a national environmental protection plan with the aim of preventing ecosystem degradation and enhancing biodiversity in the country by 2030.
The 2021-30 plan focuses on halting and controlling environmental pollution while restoring and improving natural ecosystems, the government announced.
One of the key goals of the strategy is to establish new protected areas nationwide, aiming to conserve about 6.7 million hectares of land by 2030.
“[The plan] aims to restore and maintain natural ecosystems, prevent the trend of biodiversity decline by consolidating, expanding, and effectively managing nature reserves, biodiversity corridors, and high biodiversity areas, as well as important natural landscapes and wetlands,” the government said in a press release on Monday.
Under the project, the Southeast Asian country seeks to foster nature monitoring and assessment initiatives in the areas most at risk of pollution due to socio-economic activities.
As well, the government committed to setting up at least 10 waste treatment zones across different regions and provinces.
Overall, the strategy aims to boost the circular and low-carbon economy in a bid to reach a net zero target within the next 26 years.
Vietnam is one of the most biodiversity rich countries in the world, as it is home to over 50,000 species of flora and fauna and hosts 21 out of 25 of the world’s biomes.
However, national biodiversity is under multiple threats, with aquaculture and forestry identified as the two sectors with the highest impact. Between 2000 and 2018, the country lost almost 2.8 mln ha of forests due to land conversion to other product areas.
Earlier this month, the country signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with South Korea to promote collaboration in the fight against the climate crisis, as the countries move to deepen their relationship on issues such as compliance carbon markets and projects generating credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
The MoUs included initiatives on biodiversity conservation as well as the promotion of international emissions reduction projects and extended producer responsibility (EPR).
By Giada Ferraglioni – giada@carbon-pulse.com
** Click here to sign up to our twice-weekly biodiversity newsletter **
