Ha Noi, 25 November 2020 - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and the United Nations Development Programme in Viet Nam (UNDP) organized the closing workshop of the project titled "Conservation of Critical Wetland Protected Areas and Linked Landscapes" in order to disseminate and replicate the results achieved by the project.

The project, which was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UNDP, was implemented from 2015 to 2020 with the two objectives of establishing new wetland protected areas and minimizing the existing and emerging threats from linked landscapes by strengthening capacity to effectively manage protected areas. It was implemented by the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) in coordination with the Biodiversity Conservation Agency (BCA) under the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) and the DONREs of Thai Binh and Thua Thien Hue. Over its 5 years of implementation, the project has achieved major outcomes according to its set objectives, including: (i) the establishment of two new wetland protected areas (WPA), Thai Thuy WPA in Thai Binh and Tam Giang - Cau Hai WPA in Thua Thien Hue; (ii) policy development and promulgation on wetland management and conservation (Decree No. 66/2019/ND-CP on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, which was issued to replace Decree No. 109/2003/ND-CP); Circular No. 07/2020/TT-BTNMT; and Decision No. 1093/QD-TCMT dated August 22, 2016 of the Director General of VEA on regulating the wetland classification system); (iii) support to integrate wetland conservation and management into main plans of the two provinces; (iv) implementation of livelihood interventions for communities in Thai Binh and Thua Thien Hue; and (v) awareness and capacity building in conservation, management, and sustainable use of wetlands at the national and provincial levels.

“Although the process of establishing two protected areas has faced many difficulties, with the fierce participation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the strong commitment of the leaders of Thai Binh and Thua Thien Hue provinces, and the consensus of the local people, two wetland protected areas have been established in the two provinces, demonstrating the harmony between socioeconomic development goals and nature conservation, biodiversity, and environmental protection,” said Dr. Vo Tuan Nhan, Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment said.

The two WPAs in Thai Thuy, Thai Binh province, and Tam Giang - Cau Hai, Thua Thien Hue province, are the first WPAs to be established under the provisions of the 2008 Law on Biodiversity. The promulgation of the Government's Decree No. 66/2019/ND-CP dated July 29, 2019 on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and its guiding documents have contributed to fulfill Viet Nam's legal framework for wetland management and enhance the efficient management of WPAs in the face of development pressures and the increasingly severe global impacts of climate change.

“As this project closes, the momentum for the protection and sustainable use of wetlands must continue and collaboration among all stakeholders must be enhanced. We count on the leadership of MONRE to mobilize financial resources from both the public and private sector to ensure adequate resources for the efficient protection and management of wetlands,” highlighted Ms. Sitara Syed, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Viet Nam.

More than 70 delegates attended the workshop, including representatives from MONRE, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, UNDP, line agencies in Thai Binh and Thua Thien Hue provinces (Departments of Natural Resources and Environment [DONRE]), Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Management Board of Wetland Protected Areas in Thai Binh, and the Management Coordination Board of Integrated Coastal Areas in Thua Thien Hue, as well as international organizations, experts, universities, and research institutes.

All information and materials relating to the final workshop of the project titled "Conservation of Critical Wetland Protected Areas and Linked Landscapes” have been uploaded to the official website of MONRE at http://www.monre.gov.vn/ and UNDP Viet Nam website: /sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/vn/www.vn.undp.org

The project’s products have been uploaded to the project website at http://wetland.org.vn/ and the official website of ISPONRE at http://isponre.gov.vn/.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Ms. Phan Huong Giang
Media & Communications Analyst, Climate Change and Environment
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Phone: 0948466688
Email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org

Ms. Dang Thi Phuong Ha
Project “Conservation of Critical Wetland Protected Areas
and Linked Landscapes”
Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources
and Environment (ISPONRE)
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)
Phone: 024. 37931627 (Ext: 113)
E-mail: dtpha@isponre.gov.vn