CONSERVATION THREATS



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verpopulation and rapid population growth have been singled out as major conservation threats to Vietnam's rich natural heritage. Vietnam is the sixth most densely populated of the agricultural countries in the Asia/Pacific region. This has put immense pressure on the country's natural resources, most of which were already severely damaged during 30 years of war.


During the Vietnam War, for instance, 72 million litres of herbicides known as Agent Orange, Agent White, and Agent Blue were sprayed on 16 per cent of southern Vietnam's land area, including 10 per cent of the inland forests and 36 per cent of the mangrove forests. Many people and much wildlife were lost. Forests dried and either died or were subsequently burned. More than two million hectares of forest and farmland were lost to defoliation and bombing. Direct attacks were also made on wildlife, such as the bombing and napalming of elephants.


The degradation of the country's natural resources continued during the post­war recovery period, as Vietnam sought to rebuild its impoverished economy and production system. Many of the country's wildlife species are declining rapidly today, primarily as a result of deforestation and over­utilization, which includes hunting, collecting of medicinal and other useful plants, and, in the case of some marine species, overfishing.


The growing demand for firewood and agricultural land has led to the loss of forest cover. Vietnam's forest cover has dropped from 43 per cent in 1943 to 19 per cent today. Remote­sensing data indicates that only two million hectares of natural primary forests remain. These are being reduced at the rate of 100,000ha to 200,000ha yearly.


In addition, as the doors to economic opportunity open in Vietnam, increased trade threatens wildlife. This is despite domestic and international legislation. Vietnam became a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in early 1994, but is having difficulty enforcing the Convention.




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Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature