LEX-FAOC038115

This Decision approves the master plan on biodiversity conservation in the whole country through 2020, with orientations toward 2030, with the following guiding viewpoints: a) To combine in-situ conservation with ex-situ conservation and other forms of conservation to ensure effective conservation, consistency and conformity with conditions of each region in the whole country without affecting national defense and security; b) To harmoniously combine conservation and rational exploitation and use of biological resources, attaching importance to maintaining and developing ecosystem services, environment and landscape of biodiversity; c) To consistently comply with the criteria set out in the Law on Biodiversity on the basis of inheriting to the utmost the achievements and maintaining the stability of the existing special-use forest, marine and inland water conservation zones; d) To ensure safety of biodiversity, mitigate the degradation and depletion of natural resources, mitigate and adapt to climate change; dd) To mobilize all resources and experiences of organizations, individuals and communities in the biodiversity conservation; to ensure the principles of equitable and harmonious sharing of interests of the stakeholders; e) To enhance cooperation with other countries and international organizations on biodiversity conservation, especially with bordering countries. Overall objectives: To ensure that important natural ecosystems and endangered, precious and rare species and genetic resources are conserved and sustainably developed; to maintain and develop the ecosystem services to adapt to climate change in order to promote sustainable development of the country. b/ Specific objectives: - To identify and zone off important natural ecosystems for protection. To improve the quality and increase the acreage of natural ecosystems that are protected across the country; to increase the forest coverage to 45%; to conserve and have plans for effectively protecting 0.57 million ha of primary forests in the Central Highlands, southeast and north central regions; to protect and sustainably develop about 60,000 ha of natural mangrove forests; to protect the ecosystems of coral reefs and seagrass beds in the south central and southeast regions; to protect the ecosystems of coastal lagoons in the north central, south central and southeast regions; and to restore 2,000 ha of forests on limestone mountains in the northeast region; to complete the planning of the system of conservation zones; to propose the adjustment of the land use plan for the period 2016 - 2020, ensuring land areas for the establishment and putting into operation of 46 new conservation zones with a total area of about 567,000 ha, raising the total area of the system of conservation zones in the whole country to about 2.94 million ha; to develop and upgrade the system of 26 biodiversity conservation facilities and formulate a development plan with the following types: 4 botanical gardens in the geographic regions: northeast, Red River delta and southeast; 5 national medicinal plant gardens in the geographic regions: northeast, northwest, Red River delta, north central Vietnam and southeast; 2 national zoological gardens in the geographic regions: Red River delta and southeast; 12 animal rescue stations/centers nationwide and 3 gene banks in the Red River delta. - To establish and put into operation 4 biodiversity corridors in 2 northeast and south central regions with a total area of about 120,000 ha to connect the habitats and enhance the capacity of the ecosystems and species to respond to climate change.