In response to the International Day for Biodiversity, people release 1,500 small fish at the Ba Bể Lake in Bắc Kạn Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Hoàng Giang

HÀ NỘI — While Việt Nam is ranked 16th among the countries possessing the highest biodiversity globally with rare and precious genetic resources, the country is facing a rapid degradation of biodiversity and other great challenges such as environmental pollution, land degradation, ocean plastic waste and other extreme impacts of climate change.

To call on countries to quickly turn commitments into actions to prevent and reverse biodiversity decline towards building a future of living in harmony with nature by 2050, the International Day for Biodiversity May 22 this year was launched by the United Nations (UN) with the theme "From Agreement to Action: Biodiversity Restoration".

At the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP-15) by the end of last year, Việt Nam and more than 190 member countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), aiming to guide the nature and biodiversity conservation globally by 2030, with a vision to 2050.

At the recent meeting discussing the National Biodiversity Conservation Planning for the 2021-30 period, with a vision to 2050, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà emphasised that the plan must harmonise two economic development goals and nature conservation.

Nature conservation should go one step before awakening the value of landscape and biodiversity resources to manage and exploit sustainably, bringing high economic efficiency.

Responding to the International Day for Biodiversity this year, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) issued Document 3290/BTNMT-TTTT on May 11 to instruct concerned organisations.

The MONRE asked agencies to strengthen communication and education to raise awareness about biodiversity and the role of biodiversity in sustainable development.

People should promote a lifestyle in harmony with nature, not hunting and using products derived from rare wild animals, fair and equitable sharing of benefits obtained from nature, reducing poverty and improving sustainable livelihoods for the community.

The National Strategy on Biodiversity to 2050 targets by 2030, the area of natural conservation zones on the mainland will reach nine per cent of the land area; the area of protected sea and coastal areas accounts for three to five per cent of the national natural sea area; 70 per cent of nature reserves and natural heritages are recognised for management effectiveness; the national forest coverage rate remains stable at 42-43 per cent; and at least 20 per cent of degraded natural ecosystems recover.

It also targets effectively conserving wild species, especially endangered, precious and rare species, preserving at least 100,000 genetic resources and minimising negative impacts on biodiversity.

In 2020, Việt Nam had 178 conservation zones, including national parks, nature reserves, species-habitat conservation areas and landscape protection areas with 2.66 million hectares, according to the MONRE. — VNS