Updating Vietnam’s Red List and Red Book – A step forward in biodiversity conservation

14/03/2025

Biodiversity in Vietnam is facing significant challenges due to the shrinking of ecological areas and the degradation of ecosystem quality. Climate change and negative human impacts are driving many species of wildlife and plants toward extinction. Given this situation, updating the Red List database and revising the Vietnam Red Book has become an urgent task to provide a scientific basis for formulating conservation policies and ensuring the sustainable development of the nation's biodiversity.

Introduction to Vietnam’s Red List and Red Book
Vietnam’s Red List and Red Book are crucial references for the protection of biological resources and the enforcement of international conventions that Vietnam is a part of, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The information in these documents serves as a foundation for drafting legal documents and policies, including government decrees and national strategies related to the protection and sustainable development of endangered, rare, and precious species.

At the global level, the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is regularly updated, whereas Vietnam’s Red Book has been based on the 2007 edition. After 17 years, the conservation status of many rare species has changed significantly. Moreover, the rapid advancement of information technology and the increasing demand for accurate and timely data to support biological resource management have necessitated the urgent update and enhancement of this database.

As part of the independent research project under Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), titled “Updating the Red List Database and Compiling the Vietnam Red Book,” the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, in collaboration with the Center for Informatics and Computing and the Natural Science and Technology Publishing House, has undertaken this initiative for the 2020–2024 period. The project has mobilized the expertise of numerous scientists to develop and compile the Vietnam Red List and Red Book.

Research and Database Updates

Scientists have inherited and applied domestic and international experience to establish a set of evaluation standards and conservation ranking criteria based on IUCN guidelines. These standards were applied to assess the conservation status of over 1,500 species at risk of extinction, forming the core data for developing the Vietnam Red List and Red Book.

Endangered species listed in Vietnam’s Red Book

Over more than three years of implementation and through multiple expert consultation workshops, conservation assessments have been conducted for 1,398 species threatened with extinction in Vietnam, following IUCN criteria at the national level. Each species entry includes updated information on taxonomy, distribution, population status, and threats to wildlife. A key highlight of this project is the development of Vietnam’s Red List on an online platform, allowing users to access detailed information on the 1,398 endangered species found in Vietnam. This system mirrors the IUCN Red List structure, organizing species according to scientific classification and providing online access at http://vnredlist.vast.vn/. The database, developed by the Center for Informatics and Computing under Component 2 of the project, features a Red List logo incorporating images of Vietnamese Paphiopedilum and Pseudoryx nghetinhensis, two iconic species of Vietnam’s tropical forest ecosystem.

Vietnam’s Red List online database

The Vietnam Red Book has also been revised and published in two volumes: Volume 1 on animals (742 species) and Volume 2 on plants and Fungi (656 species). Expert groups updated, supplemented, and adjusted the conservation status of 1,398 species, providing details on nomenclature, identification characteristics, distribution, population status, biological traits, threats, and conservation measures.

Covers of the two volumes of the Vietnam Red Book: Volume 1. Animals and Volume 2. Plants and Fungi

Compared to the 2007 Vietnam Red Book, the number of endangered species in the 2024 edition has increased significantly, from 836 to 1,398 species. Specifically, the number of endangered animal species increased by 354, plant species by 196, and fungi by 6. Additionally, new biological groups such as mosses, arachnids, and dragonflies were assessed for the first time. However, the research also confirmed the extinction (EX - Extinct) or extinction in the wild (EW - Extinct in the Wild) of five animal species in Vietnam: Cervus Nippon, Rhinoceros sondaicus, Lophura edwardsi, Crocodylus porosus and Batagur affinis.

According to Professor Nguyen Quang Truong, the project’s lead researcher, the updated information in Vietnam’s Red List and Red Book plays a vital role in assessing and revising the list of endangered, rare, and precious species regulated by government decrees. These resources serve as essential references not only for authorities managing biological resources but also for research and education.

Moreover, the project has produced five research papers published in renowned international journals such as Nature Conservation, ZooKeys, and Frontiers of Biogeography. Notably, in 2023, researchers discovered and described a new species, the Ngoc Linh newt, in Kon Tum Province, which was published in ZooKeys. To maximize the impact of Vietnam’s Red List, the research team seeks continued support for timely database updates, ensuring its effectiveness in resource management, conservation, research, and education. Looking ahead, with the support from Government agencies and the scientific community, Vietnam’s Red List will continue to be refined and serve as a symbol of the country’s commitment to biodiversity conservation.

Translated by Phuong Huyen
Link to Vietnamese version

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