Meeting marks first Int’l Day for Biosphere Reserves
A meeting was held on November 3 in Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve in the northern port city of Hai Phong in response to the first International Day for Biosphere Reserves.
The Kon Ha Nung biosphere reserve in Gia Lai (Photo: VNA)
Hai Phong (VNA) – A meeting was held on November 3 in Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve in the northern port city of Hai Phong in response to the first International Day for Biosphere Reserves.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said that the day is being celebrated for the first time in Vietnam and many other countries, affirming the significance of sustainable lifestyle in harmony with the environment.
He said that in order to create the legal foundations for the management and protection of the world biosphere reserves, for the first time, regulations on the establishment of the spaces, the nomination for the title and the management and environment protection in the areas have been included in the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and guiding documents.
In Vietnam, the world biosphere reserves have become sustainable socio-economic development models of the host localities, he said.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)
However, the official also pointed out a number of difficulties in the management and development of the areas, and highlighted the need for central agencies and localities with biosphere reserves to join hands in promoting the values and important role of the spaces, and calling for community engagement.
To date, Vietnam has 11 UNESCO-recognised world biosphere reserves covering about 14.69% of the country’s total natural area.
According to UNESCO, biosphere reserves have shown that it is possible to live in this world while also establishing a sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature.
The International Day for Biosphere Reserves is an invitation to take inspiration from the solutions already implemented in these spaces to build genuinely sustainable development everywhere, with full respect for nature and for the living world. It was proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference in its 41st session./.
The UNESCO designated the Nui Chua National Park in the central province of Ninh Thuan and the Kon Ha Nung Plateau in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai as global biosphere reserves.
Two Vietnamese sites were recognised as new biosphere reserves by UNESCO at the 33rd session of its International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB-ICC) last week.
UNESCO has recognised Kon Ha Nung Plateau in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai as a world biosphere reserve at the 33rd session of its International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB-ICC) in Nigeria.
Two Vietnamese sites – Kon Ha Nung Plateau in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai and Nui Chua Biosphere Reserve in the central province of Ninh Thuan – were recognised as new world biosphere reserves by UNESCO at the 33rd session of its International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB-ICC) in Nigeria from September 13-17.
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Vietnam has demonstrated its strong commitments by participating in global sustainable development forums, signing multiple free trade agreements, and attracting support from international partners for the implementation of the SDGs.
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Renowned artists including Ha Anh Tuan, Den Vau, and Phan Manh Quynh, along with many directors and attendees, took part in planting hundreds of rare tree species such as mun (Diospyros mun) and cho chi (Parashorea chinensis) in the Thung Bong area of the Cuc Phuong National Park, contributing to forest ecosystem restoration.
The Kon Ha Nung biosphere reserve in Gia Lai (Photo: VNA) 
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) 
