This frightening statistic is contained in the “Pulse of the Forest” report released recently by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). While the report attempts to strike a hopeful note by highlighting a few attempts by individuals and communities to stem the rot, the figures it cites are sobering in the extreme. The report says that the region, once one of the world’s most densely forested areas, has lost a third of its forests already and could lose another third in the next ten years. It also says the region, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, is one of the top 11 deforestation hotspots in the world. In the next few decades, 80 percent of the world's forests will be lost mostly in these 11 hotspots. “These five countries could account for 17 percent - or 30 million hectares – of global deforestation by 2030 unless serious action is taken,” a WWF press release on the report warned. It notes that forest degradation is being caused by … [Read more...] about Greater Mekong, including Vietnam, losing forests at alarming rate
World wildlife fund vietnam
Short-film making contest on illegal wildlife trade launched
Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The UK Government, in conjunction with the Luang Prabang Film Festival, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), has launched a short-film making contest on illegal wildlife trade, said the UK Embassy in Vietnam on June 12. The contest aims to raise awareness of the public and policy makers of the importance of protecting endangered species, thus increasing specific actions to protect wild animals as well as of devising relevant sustainable and long-term measures for countries along the Mekong River. It is available for all filmmakers in the region, with each entry will not be over 6 minutes. The best filmmaker will be awarded a prize worth 5,000 USD, and be invited to attend the International Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in London in October and the Luang Prabang Film Festival in December. Apart from professional filmmakers, students are also encouraged to participate … [Read more...] about Short-film making contest on illegal wildlife trade launched
Five dead tiger cubs found trafficked by car in central Vietnam
Five dead tiger cubs found in a car's trunk in Nghe An Province on Tuesday. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Hai The cubs' dried bodies were planned to be sold to wine brewers for $3,080. Vietnamese police discovered the corpses of five tiger cubs upon inspecting the trunk of a car in the central province of Nghe An on Tuesday afternoon. The four-seater car's occupants Bui Van Hieu, 26, and Hoang Van Thien, 27, said they were transporting the tiger corpses to a local buyer who would have used them to brew wine. The dried cubs weighed a total of over 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and would've been sold for about VND70 million ($3,080), the men said. Police have detained Hieu and Thien, along with Nguyen Van Chinh, 33, who had been escorting the haul along National Highway 7A in a different car. Investigation is continuing. Tigers are facing extinction in Vietnam, where the animals are trafficked for their meat, decorative skin and claws. Their bones are also illegally traded to make a … [Read more...] about Five dead tiger cubs found trafficked by car in central Vietnam
Global Policy Journal: Vietnam may become model of anti-IUU fishing
Illustrative image (Source: VNA) New York (VNA) – The US’s Global Policy Journal website has said Vietnam may become a model for ASEAN countries in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. An article published by the website on May 9 said the threat of a bad report card from the European Union (EU) has alarmed more than 30,000 Vietnamese commercial trawlers. It quoted Tony Long, former Director of the World Wildlife Fund’s European Policy Office and senior fellow of the Global Government Institute, as saying that the EU carding system to drive out illegal fishing is showing it has teeth, adding that countries are terrified that the ultimate sanction, the red card, imposes potentially enormous financial sanctions and significant risks. The article said, citing source as the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP), that fishing is a cornerstone of Vietnam’s economy and since 2006, the nation has been globally … [Read more...] about Global Policy Journal: Vietnam may become model of anti-IUU fishing
Vietnam goes dark in response to Earth Hour
Localities across Vietnam switched off their lights for one hour on the evening of March 24 in response to the global Earth Hour campaign. Responding to the Earth Hour campaign in Hanoi on March 24 Starting at 8.30 pm on Saturday evening, the main ceremony for the worldwide movement themed “Go More Green” took place at the August Revolution Square in Hanoi, with the participation of leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the Hanoi authorities and thousands of local people and youngsters. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung said that responding to climate change and natural disaster prevention is one of the vital issues in the development of each country. Vietnam has promulgated and implemented a number of policies and law provisions for the economical and efficient use of energy in order to protect the environment, reflecting its efforts to respond to climate change towards sustainable development. Delegates perform the … [Read more...] about Vietnam goes dark in response to Earth Hour