Elephants and giraffes inhabit Hwange National Park. Photo: Reuters According to the United Nations Commission on Biological Diversity, Earth’s ecosystems – the foundation of life – are being degraded at an unprecedented rate. Biodiversity provides 18 basic services globally to sustain human activities and development. However, these 14/18 contributions of nature are on a global downward trend. In addition, the rate of forest cover has decreased from 31.6% to 30.6% in the period 1990-2015. Coral reef ecosystems have the highest decline in survival index, between 1970 and 2015 it has decreased by 35% to 25% of the studied species are threatened with extinction. About 7 million other species of animals and plants are also at risk of “disappearing” due to human impacts. Meanwhile, the consumption of wild animals and habitat destruction have made infectious diseases more likely to spread to humans. The weaker the “health” of the ecosystem, the more fragile the immune “wall” between humans and pathogens. Without a change in the way people treat nature, future pandemics will occur frequently, cost many lives and severely impact the global economy. The severity is much greater than what the COVID-19 pandemic has caused to the world today. The loss of biodiversity and climate change have been threatening the progress of global sustainable development. According to the United Nations, the livelihoods of more than 3 billion people around the world depend on marine and coastal biodiversity, while 1.6 billion people make a living from forests. Therefore, the conservation of species on Earth is no longer in the framework of “altruism” but plays an important role in ensuring human life. In a statement kicking off the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the Earth was approaching a “point of no return” of deforestation, pollution of rivers and oceans. ocean, plowed lawns… seem to have fallen into oblivion. He stated: “We are destroying the very ecosystems that are the foundation of society. The degradation of the natural world is destroying the very food, water and resources needed for humans and other living things. animals exist, as well as the lives of 3.2 billion people – or 40% of the world’s population.” In 2010, in the city of Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture, Japan), about 190 countries participating in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity adopted an ambitious 2020 action strategy to reduce pressure from society. human society towards the natural world, conservation of biodiversity. Within the framework of this convention, countries have set 20 goals on biodiversity by 2020 to conserve biodiversity and restore ecosystems globally. The decisions of the 12th, 13th and 14th stakeholder meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity all called for the parties to the convention to develop and adopt ecosystem restoration plans. Some of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals are related to ecosystem restoration that require urgent global action if they are to be achieved. The Ramsar Convention’s Strategic Plan 2016-2024 also includes goals for wetland ecosystem restoration to conserve biodiversity and adapt to climate change. However, as ecosystems continue to degrade rapidly, marine ecosystems, from coastal to deep sea, are currently suffering the heaviest losses in history due to human activities. In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Forest and Global Change, scientists found that only 3% of the world’s land area (excluding Antarctica) is still ecologically intact, with populations of healthy primitive animal body and undisturbed habitat. Global natural biodiversity is severely reduced by modern farming techniques; deforestation; habitat destruction in marshlands and in the ocean… The report of the Intergovernmental Forum on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services also indicates that the global rate of species extinction has increased at least tens to hundreds of times higher than the average rate. over the past 10 million years and continues to grow rapidly. It is estimated that about 7 million species are at risk of extinction in the next 30 years; 3/4 of the world’s bird species are endangered; A quarter of mammals are likely to disappear from the Earth. Great Barrier Reef on Orpheus Island, Australia. Photo: AFP/VNA On the other hand, the Aichi goals by 2020 are almost all unattainable. Of the 20 Aichi goals, only 4 have a high probability of achieving, the remaining goals are rated as low or unattainable. This report, together with the Convention on Biological Diversity, highlights the need for the world to take urgent efforts now and take effective action to stop the serious ecological degradation that is taking place. The United Nations has designated 2021-2030 as the decade of ecosystem restoration based on proposals from more than 70 countries, with the goal of accelerating worldwide efforts to prevent and reverse the degradation of ecosystems. ecosystems and raise awareness of the importance of ecosystems to human life. The United Nations emphasized that the restoration and conservation of ecosystems make an important contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Multicultural Framework. global biodiversity. The UN recommends that countries strengthen political will, mobilize resources, improve capacity in scientific research, and cooperate internationally to create driving force for ecosystem restoration at national, regional and international levels. local; mainstreaming ecosystem restoration into national development policies and plans, thereby creating opportunities for ecosystems to increase their resilience and the opportunity to maintain and improve livelihoods for all. people. Countries develop and implement policies and plans to prevent ecosystem degradation, in accordance with national laws and priorities, and develop and strengthen initiatives to enhance recovery effectiveness. Ecosystem; create conditions for synergies and consensus on an overall view to achieve national commitments and priorities through ecosystem restoration; promote sharing of experiences and good practices in ecosystem conservation and restoration. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized: “Fortunately, the Earth is resilient and we still have time to reverse the damage we have caused. By restoring ecosystems with the With unprecedented efforts to heal the Earth, we can accelerate a transformation that contributes to the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals.” Achieving these goals will not only protect the planet’s resources, but will also help create millions of new jobs by 2030, generate more than $7 trillion in profits a year, and help erase the planet, Guterres said. poverty. Ru Cha primary mangrove forest in Huong Phong commune, Huong Tra town, Thua Thien – Hue province (Vietnam) has an area of ​​​​about 5 hectares, has the function of preventing salinity, protecting aquatic resources and the mainland. Photo: Ho Cau/VNA Vietnam is currently in the group of countries with the most important and diverse ecosystems in the world, both in terms of marine and terrestrial ecosystems (especially forest and mangrove ecosystems). Vietnam currently has 173 protected areas with a total area of ​​over 2.5 million hectares, including 33 national parks, 66 nature reserves, 18 species and habitat conservation areas and 56 landscape protection zones. In particular, 9 sites are recognized as “world biosphere reserves”, 3 are “world natural heritage sites” recognized by UNESCO, 9 ramsar sites (wetlands), 10 ASEAN heritage garden. As one of the active members of the international community, Vietnam always strives to protect and develop natural ecosystems, biological species, and rich, endemic, precious and rare genetic resources. and has achieved many remarkable achievements. In addition, Vietnam is also committed to joining hands with countries in the region and around the world, working together to reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2030 for sustainable development. In the words of UN Secretary-General Guterres, the next 10 years are “the last chance” for humans to heal their own “wounds” to the Earth, preventing climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Only with strong action can people end these 10 years with a bright vision: living in peace with nature and ensuring a better future for all.

Whenever I open the social network, I often define the sea as a place where beauties are in bikini, families gather at tables full of seafood. Big crabs with round red eyes. The grilled cow skin fish with its whole skin still smiled. Aromatic ocean in a plate of snails sautéed with garlic or a blister of white squid grilled on red charcoal. The endless sea means wealth that people can roll their hands down and turn into valuable bills and houses a few floors after a few years you return. In South America, the central coast of Chile is chilly the morning the fish come. The boats stopped in the midst of a giant wave of waves, waiting for the crane to lift off the broken wavehead (sometimes the waves could flip the boat when suddenly turned violently). On the wharf, a shark corpse is about the size of an adult calf or the size of a crippled child. Body is cut in half. Half scattered. Gray and white flesh in cold weather. Swarms of seagulls and pelicans swooped down, waved the area a few waves of fish to dissolve into sponge. The people of Central Chile see little or no benefit from shark meat. They were caught in the net during the late night fishing trip. Move. Torn. Broken double. The fish net lurked out of the water when the electric pulley started running. Tons of fish were moved into containers, needles, cars, trucks … A few dozen shark corpses were gradually thrown into the water, wiped away. Senseless. No one cares. Mexico and the Gulf Coast are on one of the most beautiful coasts towards the Pacific Ocean – a winter refuge for North Americans. In the midst of the graveyard of meaningless wastefulness, the existence of a small ocean. It is no longer a few-storey houses, your trip is well-off in the monsoon season, no longer is a ton of sparkling white seafood swimming amidst the cold rock flowing into the trunk of the car to the restaurant in the city. The ocean is just a few broken heartbeats because the sharp fish nets cut innocent beings in half (and have no meaning after that slaughter). That day, as I swam on the board out of the wave’s nose, the small shimmering fish, half gray, half blue, circled around me like a breath of color. I felt my hands feel cold – stained with the bloody blood and deadly body of the shark. I caught a dumbfounded look. I gradually convinced myself that the ocean containing the other dimensions of space was obscured by the world. I’m frivolous and ignorant. But not so that the sea is reduced to a shark making porridge and wealth counted by digital photo paper. In West Java, summer waves are as beautiful as the muscular muscle of a fisherman who stays in the sun during his youth. I dived into a small rock that protruded off the island, letting my mind wander by a passing silver-bodied fish. He used his beak to rustle the green sea grass anchors that latched onto the rock. The cycle of proliferation went on in the instant I could see. When I used my best to catch a wave, stood up from the board, I was shocked to realize that the tiny fish swimming with the snapper earlier waved to cling to the wave, accompanying the board in the euphoria of the wave. wave. Indonesians have a sea on the porch. The night the fish came back, the whole village came to welcome. The boats revolve up to the sand. On the boat, the fish net was heavy. The same tons of fish are loaded with frozen trucks, the needles are full of licking their mouths and transported to the morning market. But right on the beach, the fish do not sell or eat, the fisherman drops it on the sand. The children picked up each fish and threw them to the sea. The tail waved the swimming area quickly following the approaching waves. There are still unhappy zombies stuck on the beach. Follow the waves gradually lost. Just a few hours later, the beach was quiet as if there had never been a dissection to multiply the wealth for the islanders of thousands of generations. The Indo-people are the world’s leading fish dependent population. Most of the food, nutrition, and life they get comes from marine fish. This giant island country of more than 17,000 islands is also home to the richest and most diverse marine ecosystem in the world. Each fish that the children release to the edge of the water will become a large flock of fish for the night market. On the big islands, when a huge bunch of plastic rubbish washed up the coast, the Indonesians I met often said: they fear fish will be stuck, will die, will suffocate the wrong piece of plastic. Fear of fish is gone. Fear of hungry meals like water. The position of the people in the sea is tied to the current that gives birth to them. The sea antagonizes like a monster that sleeps in the wavy Punta de Lobos bay. Quiet like the edge of the blue Panama City inside the brackish muddy beach exposed between the two sides of the sea. Sky-blue and generous as the Indonesian ocean. But then, on long trips, I met a Mexican sea. From California (USA), going straight south to the headland of Baja California (Mexico), giant blocks of land block in front of the sea like a strong array of colors of a bold and generous creator. Sea in departure From Punta de Mita, in the afternoons on the waves, I met a green turtle with yellowish brown cavities. He walked slowly through each layer of water, nibbling on sea grass, moss, and up and down slowly catching the sun’s breath through the water. A few days later, beside him was another friend, a dark brown-shell turtle friend as thick as a submarine patrol the bay. One day when he fell from the wave, he swam right next to him, almost able to touch. Then when the water changed, the large fish bravely approached the shore. The villagers in the village spread fish nets all over the surface of the water. One time I dropped my diving board deep, the fish net was stuck like a maze, sharp and threatening, and wrapped tangerines into layers as far as people could not swim to. “Does the turtle know how to slip through the net?” Fishing in Indonesia. The answer came in that anxious afternoon. I was swimming near the reef and the end of the fish net. Suddenly, at that moment a local boy jumped off the board, dived in the net many times, as if struggling with something full of resistance below. He got up and took a gulp of water, then went down, then up, a few times like that. When we thought he was drowning in need of help, many people swam over. At that moment, he grabbed a piece of net and popped it up. “Turtle”, “Turtle”, he stroked his face full of water. Turns out, the turtle stuck one leg in the net, thrashed. Having to remove the net but cannot tear (the net is the property of the villager), he dives down, looks at the mesh wrapped around the turtle’s leg, then swims a few rounds, struggles with the panicked turtle, finds all the way. gradually loosen the nets that cling to the legs, until the turtle can escape swimming. The accident was over, I saw the shadow of the turtle sweeping the bottom of the water, then dissolving into the color of the light. Disappear. Then the sea also turned, the fish was no longer close to shore. The nets were removed, giving freedom to the sea. Occasionally summer noon floating in the water, I try to remember two shells like a drifting boat sweeping through every stone, corner of the moss. The turtle did not return to the beach. The sea of ​​Punta de Mita is as magical as in a magical story that makes people walk in the street and remember the beautiful day that you have not seen until it turns into a smiling skull at the festival of people. joyful death. I swim through the sparkling seasons, happily playing next to a thousand waves, but can’t shake off my deep nostalgia for the strange creature that used to hang around with me for months and days, now disappearing after one encounter. Fish nets, with extreme panic in exile across the high seas. One time, in my dream, I saw the sea leaving people – not the infinite body of water – but the inhabitants who form the spirit of the sea, refusing to live by the side to face an unforgiving scheme. of the human race. The hunger was real – a crab with its eyes open in a passionate steamer, a tortoise’s meat on the banquet table, a Japanese television proverb praising the whale-killing profession. Prosperity filled the citadel with the smell of the sea in the smell of necrosis. Suddenly I saw the sea devour me – in the loneliness of the plague-like spread. Posts and photos: Khai Don