Hanoi (VNA) - A workshop on the development and management ofbiosphere reserves in Vietnam was held in Hanoi on November 17 to evaluate theresults after 20 years of the country’s joining the World Biosphere Reservenetwork and propose solutions for the development and sustainable management ofVietnam’s biosphere reserves in the future.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment incoordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Vietnam, and the Japan InternationalCooperation Agency (JICA).

Worldwide, there are 714 biosphere reserves in 129 countries recognised byUNESCO. In Vietnam, the first one recognised was the Can Gio Mangrove BiosphereReserve in 2000. So far, a total of nine biosphere reserves have beenrecognized in Vietnam, covering an area of over four million hectares,accounting for about 12.1 percent of the country's area, and home to about 1.78million people. The development and expansion of the country’s biospherereserve system is a great effort on the part of the Foreign Ministry, thePeople's Committees of provinces with Biosphere Reserves, the Vietnam Human andBiosphere Programme (MAB Vietnam), and other stakeholders.

However,most of the protected areas and biosphere reserves are located in areas withhigh poverty rates, so achieving the goal of both conservation and economicdevelopment faces many difficulties. In addition, other barriers include thelack of a common framework to implement integrated solutions in sustainable development,ineffective organisation and coordination of stakeholder participation in thebiosphere reserves, and ineffective planning capacity on the basis of the landscape approach.

“This workshop is an opportunity for all stakeholders to recognise and evaluatethe results achieved after 20 years of joining the UNESCO biosphere reservenetwork, while also discussing solutions for the sustainable management ofbiosphere reserves and development orientations for the network of biospherereserves in the coming time,” said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources andEnvironment Vo Tuan Nhan at the workshop.

“It is essential to raise awareness about the crucial role of biospherereserves in protecting the rich biodiversity of Vietnam. We need strongerpublic partnerships and effective strategies for active local stakeholderengagement that will strengthen Vietnam’s biosphere reserves for a betterfuture for the country and achievement of the SDGs,” said Sitara Syed, UNDPDeputy Resident Representative in Vietnam.

“Biosphere Reserve” is a title awarded by the United Nations Educational,Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to “coastal or terrestrialecosystems that help promote solutions to harmonize protection and preservebiodiversity with sustainable use of that area.”

The goal of the biosphere reserves is to ensure harmony between humans andnature through the implementation of the three main functions of conservation,development, and support. Approaches to managing the biosphere reserves areopen, interdisciplinary, and multi-disciplinary./.