VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) and Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Co-oporation and Development have launched the "Programme on Conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity and ecosystems services in Viet Nam".

The budget for project implementation is 4.950.000 euros (US$5.6 million) and the project will be jointly implemented by the Department of Nature Conservation under VNFOREST and the German Society for International Co-operation (GIZ) from 2015 to 2018.

This is a technical co-operation support project with the overall objective of improving the legal framework, strengthening state management and implementing of forestry related international initiatives.

Deputy director of VNFOREST Cao Chi Cong, said that the project played an important role in the field of conservation and sustainable use of the country's forest biodiversity and eco-systems.

Christian Henchkes from the GIZ said that Viet Nam had pledged to join international initiatives about conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity and ecosystems.

The country has also introduced policies that met international standards.

Viet Nam has more than 13,000 species of flora, about 10,000 species of fauna and more than 3,000 aquatic plant species, according to VNFOREST.

Forest biodiversity faces great pressure from the 25 million people living near forests, 20 per cent of who depend on the forests to make a living.

VNS