>> Expert: Vietnam’s bio-diversity suffering from pollution
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will help Vietnam to build a national biodiversity database system.
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| The signing ceremony |
JICA and the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signed a technical cooperation agreement for building the National Biodiversity Database System in Hanoi on April 22.
The project, scheduled to begin in July this year and be completed by late 2014. With a total cost of USD3 million, it will be funded by the Japanese government. The aim is to set up a system for collection, storage and sharing of information related to the conservation of biodiversity.
Currently this information is scattered among different agencies and localities, which makes access and use difficult for policy makers.
Mr. Tsuno Motonori, Chief Representative of JICA’s Vietnam Office, said the system will reinforce a consistent management of data on biodiversity and foster the effectiveness of information sharing among agencies and localities.
The northern province of Nam Dinh, which has an abundance of areas rich in biodiversity, such as Xuan Thuy National Park and the surrounding wetlands, has been selected for the place for the project to be piloted.
JICA has assisted Vietnam in some major activities related to biodiversity preservation, including programmes for sustainable livelihood in rural areas and those living near preservation areas. The agency has also sponsored Vietnamese officials to attend international events on biodiversity.
Vietnam’s biodiversity is considered to be at extremely high risk as a result of pollution, which is threatening the ecosystem. Currently, Vietnam’s forest coverage has increased, but most of these are artificial. Meanwhile, the depletion of aquatic resources has become a pressing issue in many coastal locations around the country, particularly the destructive methods such as the use of dynamite. All of this has led to more animal and plant species being pushed to the brink of extinction.
