Coral reefs in the sea area of ​​Phan Rang-Thap Cham city. (Photo: Nguyen Thanh/VNA) Ninh Thuan waters have high biodiversity with hundreds of marine species of economic and conservation value. For sustainable development, the preservation of biodiversity and rational exploitation of resources from the sea has been identified by Ninh Thuan province as one of the priority tasks in the socio-economic development strategy. Rich in biodiversity potential Ninh Thuan has a coastline of more than 105km and a territorial sea of ​​over 18,000km2. According to the latest studies on biodiversity by the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, in the waters of Ninh Thuan, coral reefs and the diversity of coral reef organisms are one of the most important components of the environment. Biodiversity most prominent. Scientists have recorded 6 coral reefs with an average coverage of about 42.6%. The coral reef has been identified with over 334 species belonging to 15 families, 59 varieties of reef-forming corals, of which 46 species have been newly recorded and added to the list of coral species in Vietnam. Coral reefs are home to many species of creatures, including coral reef fish with 147 species belonging to 81 genera, 32 families. Seagrass beds were also identified with 5 species distributed on the coastal bottom with an area of ​​about 341ha. Biodiversity of Ninh Thuan sea area is also shown in the record of 538 fish species, including 146 pelagic fish species, 392 benthic fish species, of which 68 fish species have high economic value. In addition, marine species include 45 species of mollusks, 24 species of crustaceans, 13 species of echinoderms, and 22 species of polychaetes. Notably, the waters of Nui Chua National Park – Ninh Thuan are currently one of the few rare areas on the mainland in Vietnam with a population of sea turtles spawning every year, including: green turtles, tortoiseshell turtles. Regeneration of aquatic resources With the potential of valuable ecosystems and biodiversity, the conservation of marine biodiversity has always been of special interest to Ninh Thuan province. Over the past time, functional branches of the province have cooperated with research institutes, universities, domestic and foreign organizations to implement many topics, projects and research programs on biodiversity. such as: upgrade database – GIS about Coral reef and coastal ecosystems; develop a program for periodic monitoring of coral reefs in Ninh Thuan; survey typical marine ecosystems in Ninh Hai and Thuan Nam districts; restore mangrove ecosystems in Nui Chua and Dam Nai sea areas to protect and create a development environment for marine species. In particular, Ninh Thuan province established a marine protected area in Nui Chua National Park with a total area of ​​7,352 hectares. Nui Chua marine conservation area includes strict protection zones, ecological restoration areas and development zones with the function of protecting endemic and rare marine species in order to regenerate aquatic resources, protect and enhance the biodiversity of local marine protected areas. Mr. Tran Van Tiep, Deputy Director of Nui Chua National Park Management Board, said that over the years, the park has coordinated with domestic and foreign scientific research units and organizations to investigate and evaluate the potential, develop data on marine resources and environment within the conservation area to serve as a basis for implementing projects on environmental protection and restoration of marine ecosystems. Currently, the Park is implementing synchronously many plans and solutions to effectively and sustainably protect sea turtle populations and their habitats and other endangered and rare aquatic species. Specifically, the Park builds and maintains strict protection zones for sea turtles at spawning grounds in the area; building a turtle conservation station, establishing volunteer groups to participate in protecting sea turtles; at the same time, build a marine life rescue area to receive, rescue, treat, raise and train turtles in captivity, catch, and ensure sufficient conditions for turtles to live on their own before being released into the environment. nature. Simultaneously, the Nui Chua National Park Management Board has promoted propaganda measures to raise awareness and knowledge of the community about the importance and value of marine biological resources. From there, creating consensus, support and active participation of local people in protecting the marine ecosystem and environment, Mr. Tran Van Tiep added. In order to protect, regenerate and develop aquatic resources, Ninh Thuan province has been implementing many measures to manage, propagate and organize fishing in the right season, using the correct net size as prescribed. exploit the right route, do not use toxic chemicals, explosives, electric pulses to exploit. At the same time, the province deducts a part of the local budget and mobilizes businesses to release millions of tiger shrimp and fingerlings into the sea to regenerate and supplement seafood resources. Particularly in 2021, Ninh Thuan has organized to release 700,000 tiger shrimp seed into the sea to regenerate aquatic resources for local waters. Improve efficiency of management and conservation Through the assessment, the conservation of marine biodiversity has been better protected by all levels and sectors, but like coastal localities in the country, Ninh Thuan’s marine biodiversity is currently under pressure. face many challenges. It is the decline of biodiversity and fishery resources, aquaculture activities, and waste that make some marine areas at risk of pollution, climate change is causing pressures. significant contribution to the conservation and development of local marine biodiversity. Seaweed covers a large coral reef in Phuoc Dinh commune (Thuan Nam district). (Photo: Nguyen Thanh/VNA) According to Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ninh Thuan province, Tran Quoc Nam, identifying biodiversity resources in general, especially marine biodiversity resources, is of great significance to socio-economic development. Every year, Ninh Thuan integrates the task of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation into the province’s general socio-economic development plan. In order to improve the efficiency of biodiversity management and conservation, the Provincial People’s Committee assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate with agencies and units to periodically observe, analyze and evaluate the current state of the environment. annually and once every 5 years to create initiative for the development of orientations on environmental protection policies in the whole province. Regarding biodiversity conservation in general, marine biodiversity conservation in particular, in the coming time, Ninh Thuan will continue to develop mechanisms and policies to attract resources from the central and local governments. implementation of investment programs and projects in order to improve the operational efficiency of marine protected areas. The province promotes scientific research, basic investigation of marine resources and environment; focus on biodiversity conservation, restoration of Ecosystem , especially coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, coastal protection forests. At the same time, Ninh Thuan improves its capacity to respond to marine environmental incidents, actively propagates people living in coastal areas not to discharge domestic waste and plastic waste into the sea, actively collect clean the marine environment to prevent and minimize risk factors that may affect the development of marine organisms.

The information and images collected by him are valuable documents to help scientists and experts of FFI discover the world’s second largest population of langurs in Kim Bang forest. After that, Mr. Hien volunteered to join the Community Conservation Team and was appointed as team leader. Thanks to this Community Conservation Team, from 2016-2018, the number of langurs recorded grew from 40 individuals to more than 100 individuals. Stories like Mr. Hien became the inspiration in the Program “Honoring organizations and individuals who have made great contributions to wildlife conservation in the period 2010-2020” in response to the International Day of Biodiversity. (22.5). The period 2010-2020 was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the “United Nations Decade for Biodiversity”. Photo: vuonquocgiavuquang.vn. The period 2010-2020 has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the “United Nations Decade for Biodiversity” in order to achieve a shared commitment of countries to protect more than 8 million species of flora and fauna in the world. threatened to balance life on the planet. “Humanity may never know the precious opportunities of incurable diseases or other beneficial discoveries from nature because many ecosystems are permanently destroyed or soils are polluted. unusable,” said Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, calling on all humanity to protect the biodiversity on Earth. The call comes as biodiversity on Earth is declining at an increasingly faster rate. More than 1 million species are in danger of extinction. Human activities have changed 75% of the land surface and 66% of the ocean area. Vietnam is in the Top 16 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world, but biodiversity is under increasing pressure due to human activities and climate change. It is noteworthy that human activities are increasingly seriously harming the balance of nature. To counter this trend, over the past decade, many individuals, scientists and conservation organizations have worked to protect wildlife with a series of research, new species discovery and initiatives, jointly provide many effective conservation solutions in Vietnam. Some newly discovered species include Euscorpiopsis Cavernicola scorpion (in Ba Be district, Bac Kan province) and Vietbocap thienduongensis scorpion (Phong Nha – Ke Bang national park, Quang Binh province). The new findings not only have scientific significance but also have high practical value because scorpion venom is a potential natural raw material for the current and future pharmaceutical industry. In addition, precious tree species such as Moc Huong (Aristolochia), genus Arachniodes,… are also studied for their phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships to serve practical applications. Through research, many plant species with medicinal and production value are identified and have a reasonable conservation plan. Many organizations and individuals that have made great contributions to wildlife conservation in the period 2010-2020 also recognized many initiatives and solutions, contributing to improving the effectiveness of efforts of all levels, sectors and the whole society. association in species conservation. For example, the breeding solution has successfully preserved the white-crested pheasant – a rare endemic bird of Vietnam. The distribution area of ​​this rare chicken is in Quang Tri province, previously there were almost no birds and animals due to hunting, trapping and illegal wildlife trade. As a result, the population of the wild Lam pheasant decreased sharply, the last individuals were in danger of extinction. In addition, the breeding pairing of white-bellied Cao Cat (located in Section II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – CITES) has also been successful, serving environmental education. and preserved in the future. Besides breeding solutions to conserve endangered species, other initiatives also focus on saving wildlife. In which, there are volunteer groups that have rescued 100 sea turtles, of which 94 individuals have been released into the sea; or the bear rescue process, bear farming in a semi-wild environment… These efforts contribute to changing people’s awareness of the importance of wildlife in the ecosystem associated with human life. In a recent report, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said that 90% of Vietnamese people support closing the wildlife trade market; 91% support the closure of restaurants that sell illegal and unregulated wildlife.

Over the past 10 years, many conservation initiatives and solutions have contributed to effectively protecting the biodiversity common home. (Photo: Hung Vo / Vietnam +) After more than 6 months of launching, the program “Honoring organizations and individuals with many contributions to the conservation of wild species in the period 2010-2020” by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment The launch is coming to the last stage. It is expected that the ceremony to honor individuals and organizations participating in the program will be held on May 21, 2021, in response to the Day Biodiversity international (May 22). Thousands of species are named According to the representative of Department of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (Vietnam Environment Administration, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), in the past decade, Vietnam has witnessed many changes in economic, social and conservation life. biodiversity is no exception. Although operating in silence, scientists and conservation organizations have contributed to creating a brilliant decade of biodiversity with a series of research, new species discovery and initiatives and solutions. effective conservation. Especially, right after launching the above honoring program in October 2020, the program has received many records from individuals and organizations working in the field of species conservation. Many animal and plant species have been studied and discovered for the first time for science and published in prestigious international journals. Among thousands of species of animals and plants recognized and recognized internationally, many species of insects, reptiles, amphibians … are classified as critically endangered, and should be prioritized for conservation; Many studies have found endemic species only in Vietnam. Some newly discovered species include scorpion Euscorpiopsis cavernicola (in Ba Be district, Bac Kan province) and scorpion Vietbocap thienduongensis (Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh province). In addition, precious tree species such as Moc Huong (Aristolochia), genus Arachniodes, … have also been studied on phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships for practical application. Through research, many valuable plant species in medicine and production are identified and have reasonable conservation plans. Many outstanding landmarks in conservation Along with species discovery research, the program honors organizations and individuals with many contributions to the work wildlife conservation the 2010-2020 period also recognizes many initiatives and solutions, contributing to improving the efficiency of efforts of all levels, sectors and the society in species conservation. The precious otter who was illegally confined and sold at the farm product disguised as Thanh Hoa, Long An province, was rescued by the competent forces after receiving a report from the reporter of VietnamPlus. (Photo: Hung Vo / Vietnam +) The first solution mentioned by the Department of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity is the successful breeding and conservation of white-crowned Lei Lamas – a rare and endemic bird of Vietnam. In addition, the pairing and spawning of the White-bellied Cao Sand Bird has also been successful, serving environmental education and conservation in the future. Besides breeding solutions for endangered species, other initiatives also focus on wildlife rescue. Among them, there are groups of volunteers who have rescued 100 sea turtles, of which 94 are still alive and have been returned to the sea; or process of rescuing bears, raising bears in semi-wild environments … In particular, the program received a story from someone who used to be a hunter but now leads a voluntary group to conserve white-nosed langurs in Quang Binh. Thereby, it contributes to preventing the impact of the quarrying program, protecting the habitat for langurs. As a result, in 2018, the People’s Committee of Quang Binh province has partially planned the forest into a special-use forest to balance conservation and exploitation needs. In addition, some units also made a mark with the initiative of using camera traps to investigate wild species in some key areas or the application of technologies in monitoring and re-release. wild animals and preserve the gifts given to Vietnam by the Creator. Assessing the significance of the program, professor-doctor of science Dang Huy Huynh, ASEAN Biodiversity Hero, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Nature and the Environment said that this is a conservation initiative. of great significance, helping to motivate and encourage the development of the scientific research movement on biodiversity. During the working process, the review board found that the submitted documents were in compliance with the rules, some documents were carefully prepared, showing the enthusiasm for the program. The dossiers are evaluated on the basis of selection criteria in the issued rules./.

Bamboo is planted on both sides of the road to Gao Giong Melaleuca forest. (Photo: Nguyen Van Tri / VNA) Gao Giong cajuput forest in hamlet 6, Gao Giong commune, Cao Lanh district (Dong Thap) is planned as a Vietnamese bamboo conservation area with more than 66ha. From 2014 up to now, this Melaleuca Forest Management Board has collected and propagated 68 varieties of existing bamboo in Vietnam to plant in Gao Giong such as thorns, bamboo, yellow stripes, beauty bamboo, Cladding bamboo, stone bamboo, bamboo, golden bamboo, ornamental bamboo, bitter bamboo, black bamboo … Mr. Huynh Thanh Hien, Head of Gao Giong Melaleuca Forest Management Board, said the bamboo collection here is one of the works under the project “Bamboo conservation area with Gao Giong Ecotourism Area And develop the nature reserve into evergreen forest of Gao Giong. In Gao Giong cajuput forest, there are thorns, bamboo shoots, yellow striped bamboos … scattered everywhere, because this is the kind of bamboo that attracts birds and storks to come here to live and make nests. Tre gai is also a species of tree for house construction, bed, chopsticks for rice, means of catching fish, trapping rats …; Especially, when dry trees will be taken to ponds, lakes for fish and shrimp to shelter. Up to now, Gao Giong has initially planted two parallel rows of bamboo, more than 2km long on the road leading to Gao Giong Ecotourism Area. These bamboo varieties collected by Phu An Tre Village for nursery in Gao Giong, are now green and selected for planting according to the plan. These bamboo varieties are very adapted to the soil here and develop well, creating a new place, attracting tourists to Gao Giong. Each type of bamboo has its own characteristics and beauty, but all have in common: bringing a simple, close to village life. Yellow striped bamboo creates luxury, very beautiful; Miss bamboo with tall dark green body, straight leaves soaring up to the sky, creating majesty … This collection also has the meaning of preserving Vietnamese bamboo varieties, serving domestic and foreign scientists to research on Vietnamese bamboo species, helping visitors to understand more about bamboo varieties in Vietnam. Vietnam Bamboo Reserve at Gao Giong to develop into a tourist destination for Gao Giong ecological visitors, and at the same time create unique values ​​for Gao Giong evergreen forest such as Bamboo collection of Vietnam. In addition to the project, there is also a center for research, development and nursery cultivation of all kinds of bamboo to preserve, develop and conserve existing types of bamboo. The Gao Giong Melaleuca Forest Management Board continues to collect more varieties of bamboo in Southeast Asian countries, to do the Vietnamese mapping project and other works./.