Son La urged to mobilise resources for biodiversity protection
The northern mountainous province of Son La should mobilise different resources and overcome its current difficulties to enhance biodiversity protection, said an environment official.
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Nguyen The Dong, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Environment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, made the suggestion at a meeting with local authorities on July 11 to review the province’s enforcement of the law on biodiversity and the national strategy on biodiversity to 2020, with a vision through 2030.
Relevant departments and sectors, particularly the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, need to thoroughly study the law on biodiversity and law on forest protection and development to advise the provincial People’s Committee in biodiversity issues, Dong said.
Meanwhile, the provincial authorities called on the ministry to help Son La improve capacity of state management agencies on biodiversity and biosafety and complete relevant legal policies and mechanisms.
The ministry needs to further study local biological resources, particularly special, rare species and sensitive ecosystems, they said, adding that communications should be promoted to raise public awareness of biodiversity.
Participants discussed biodiversity issues such as management, development of rare gene sources; preservation methods for plants and animals; development orientations for medicinal plants, functions and tasks of relevant bodies and local budget for the work.
In recent years, the province has issued legal documents and developed numerous strategies and plans on the environment while strengthening the environment management apparatus and inspecting the enforcement of environmental protection regulations.
Son La has nearly 1,800 of species of faunas, including 61 rare species listed in Vietnam’s Red Book in 2007. The province is home to five nature reserves, namely Copia, Sop Cop, Ta Xua, Xuan Nha, and Muong La.
