CONSERVATION THREATS
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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