Residents in the buffer zone of the UNESCO-recognised Western Nghệ An Biosphere Reserve. VNA/VNS Photo

KHÁNH HÒA — Việt Nam's World Biosphere Reserves have truly become a rendezvous for integration, cooperation, and the exchange of information and experiences among countries and international organisations in the field of conservation and sustainable development, as well as an ideal destination for domestic and international tourists, heard a conference in the central province of Khánh Hoà on Monday.

At the conference, held by the National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme and Khánh Hoà province, delegates reviewed the network of World Biosphere Reserves of Việt Nam in 2025, and outlined the activities of the network for the 2026-2035 period, in line with the Hangzhou (China) Strategic Action Plan, which was recently approved by UNESCO at the 5th World Conference on Biosphere Reserves.

Việt Nam owns 11 recognised World Biosphere Reserves, ranking second after Indonesia, which has 19 such reserves. These reserves cover an area of 4,652,193 hectares, spanning across 12 provinces and cities nationwide. This network also includes areas that are internationally recognised under multiple designations, such as the Ramsar Convention, the World Heritage Convention, and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme.

In addition to international designations, some core areas of Việt Nam's World Biosphere Reserves have also been recognised as ASEAN Heritage Parks by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). These parks are acknowledged for their exceptional ecological and biodiversity value in the region. Furthermore, they have earned the IUCN Green List designation, awarded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), to promote high management and conservation effectiveness in protected areas.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Hiền, Chairman of the National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme, stated that the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan for 2026-2035 identifies the role of Biosphere Reserves as centres for implementing the global vision of sustainable development, especially in the context of increasingly complex environmental and social challenges.

The plan outlines 34 specific action goals, including the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, responding to climate change, sustainably managing resources, promoting gender equality, and enhancing the roles of youth, local communities, and indigenous people. Biosphere Reserves are seen as "living laboratories" and "learning platforms" for sustainable development, as they combine indigenous knowledge with modern science in a harmonious manner.

Therefore, in the upcoming period, Việt Nam's Biosphere Reserves need to actively and appropriately integrate and incorporate the goals of the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan, Hiền stated.

He stressed that with the unity and effort of all 11 Biosphere Reserves, Việt Nam will successfully implement the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan, thereby contributing to strengthening the country's position in the Biosphere Reserves Network and to the goal of "Living in harmony with Nature."

Trần Thị Kim Tính, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, pointed out that to preserve and promote the value of the Biosphere Reserves, localities with biosphere reserves need to implement comprehensive programmes to assess the environmental quality and resources of these reserves. Based on this work, management solutions for the sustainable exploitation and use of the Biosphere Reserves should be proposed, she added. — VNA/VNS