On the morning of October 23, the Viet Nam Institute of Educational Sciences, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held a consultation workshop to review the progress of ocean conservation education.
Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Viet Nam Institute of Educational Sciences, highlighted that the “Ocean Conservation Education” project, an initiative by UNESCO, was introduced during Global Environment Week in September 2024. The project provides educational tools and materials to help educators and students better understand the importance of marine environmental protection. Recent surveys have been conducted in two key areas, Cham Island and Can Gio, both recognized by UNESCO as world biosphere reserves. "Equipping young generations with ocean conservation knowledge and skills will help them understand the importance of environmental protection and contribute to sustainable conservation efforts in the future,” Professor Le Anh Vinh shared.
According to Miki Nozawa, Head of Education at UNESCO's Hanoi Office, the new initiative "Our Ocean Conservation: Building a Healthy Relationship with the Ocean" is part of UNESCO's commitment to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). A distinctive aspect of the project is its emphasis on partnerships across various social sectors, involving educators, biodiversity conservation experts, and sustainable ecosystem managers to foster international exchange and collaboration. The project focuses on experiential and reality-based education programs, ensuring that learners gain knowledge and develop the capacity to make actionable, informed decisions—aligned with the new approaches in the 2018 General Education Program.
Associate Professor Nguyen Dinh Tho, Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, noted that the project’s positive outcomes would significantly contribute to implementing Article 153 of the Environmental Protection Law (No. 72/2020/QH14, dated November 17, 2020). This article clearly outlines the responsibilities of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in establishing educational content and programs for environmental protection and developing a workforce dedicated to this cause. He hopes the project will expand further, linking individual responsibility to global efforts and addressing urgent issues such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.