National biodiversity database system launched

The national biodiversity database system (NBDS) became operational in Hanoi on January 27th.

The database system was jointly developed by the Biodiversity Conservation Agency (BCA), the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), through the “Development of the NBDS” project cooperated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) since November 2011.

NBDS is designed correspondingly to international standards to store nation-wide biodiversity data including lists of species of fauna and flora in taxonomy. Thanks to this, BCA will effectively implement management on biodiversity by gathering necessary data for assessing, monitoring and reporting the status of biodiversity. It is also expected to provide a base of biodiversity information for decision makers, government officers, researchers and the public as well.

During more than 3 years of implementation, the technical cooperation project has developed a master scheme of NBDS which is an official proposal to the Vietnamese Government for the entire scope of NBDS development and utilization; a roadmap to the future generations of NBDS; prioritized list of required activities and budget.

Besides, it provides official guideline for developing biodiversity monitoring indications in Vietnam both at national and local levels; and the system architecture of NBDS that describes every details of structure and design of NBDS.

The technical guideline for basic survey and monitoring of coastal wetland based on the basic survey on biodiversity at Xuan Thuy national park in Nam Dinh province, a draft circular for collaboration mechanism on data sharing with other agencies, are also included.

In order to ensure further NBDS utilization and development, it is essential that MONRE will soon approve the master scheme of NBDS to determine necessary activities and budget to operate and upgrade the database’s function.

As a country with one of the world’s richest biodiversity, Vietnam has become a member country of the Convention on biological diversity. In response to the requirement, Vietnam enacted the biodiversity law in 2008, which is followed by the national biodiversity strategy to 2020, vision to 2030 (approved in 2013) and the master plan on biodiversity conservation (approved in 2014), as well as showed a strong commitment to achieve biodiversity conservation as well as sustainable development.

(Source: CPV)