Enhancing biodiversity conservation and reducing climate vulnerability in central Vietnam for sustainable development utilizing a landscape approach

Vietnam is the 16th most biodiverse country in the world. Vietnam’s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems support nearly 50,000 species, including nearly 7,500 micro-organisms, 20,000 terrestrial and aquatic plants, 10,500 terrestrial animals, 2,000 invertebrates and freshwater fish, and over 11,000 marine species. Wetlands and forests are considered of highest global importance for biodiversity conservation and the mitigation of climate change hosting the highest level of biodiversity, playing a crucial role in provisioning and regulating ecosystem services and in carbon sequestration. Forest covers 42% of Vietnam’s land area with a total of 14.7 million ha, while the country has a diverse array of wetlands totaling 12 million ha or one third of the natural area. Despite best efforts, Vietnam has been coping with increasing levels fragmentation and disconnected islands of biodiversity from high rates of deforestation and biodiversity decline and high levels of Illegal wildlife trade are giving rise to empty forests.

The WWF GEF Project ‘Enhancing biodiversity conservation and reducing climate vulnerability in Central Vietnam for sustainable development utilizing a landscape approach’ aims to enhance biodiversity conservation and mitigate climate vulnerability through a comprehensive landscape approach in Central Vietnam. The project will support development of a multi-stakeholder, long-term vision for the landscape, and bring in public and private sector funding for improved management across the landscape to deliver this vision and generate triple wins for nature, climate, and people.