National target 19 corresponds to Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It aims to ensure financial resources for biodiversity conservation from all sources - domestic and international, public and private - and to apply new and innovative financial mechanisms to mobilize resources for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in line with the international treaties to which Vietnam is a Party and with international good practice.

The target derives from the National Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, vision to 2050 (Decision No. 149/QD-TTg, 2022), the National Forestry Master Plan 2021-2030, vision 2050 (Decision No. 895/QD-TTg, 2024), the Project "Planting one billion trees in the 2021-2025 period" (Decision No. 524/QD-TTg, 2021), Investment policies in forestry (Decree No. 58/2024/ND-CP, 2024), Management of parks, green trees and water surfaces (Decree No. 258/2025/ND-CP, 2025), the Law on Biodiversity (Law No. 20/2008/QH12), the Law on Environmental Protection (Law No. 72/2020/QH14), the Law on Forestry (Law No. 16/2017/QH14), the Law on Fishery (Law No. 18/2017/QH14), and the Law on the State Budget (Law No. 83/2015/QH13).

 Statutory sources of finance for biodiversity:

• Law on Biodiversity: funds for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development come from the state budget, investments and contributions from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals, and environmental/ecosystem services. Funds from the state budget are used for basic surveys, restoration of natural ecosystems, conservation of prioritized endangered species, construction and upgrading of state-owned conservation facilities, and control of invasive alien species. Recurrent funds are used for monitoring, inventory, databases, reporting, listing, management of conservation zones, conservation models, and public awareness (Article 73).
• Law on the State Budget: environmental protection is an obligatory expenditure task of both the central and local government budgets, and the environmental protection tax is a budget revenue source (Articles 36 and 38).
• Law on Environmental Protection: payments for ecosystem services cover forest, wetland, marine, rocky mountain, cave and geopark ecosystems and, separately, carbon sequestration and storage services (Article 138); green credit is defined to expressly include projects for nature and biodiversity conservation and for natural ecosystem restoration (Article 149); green bonds may be issued by the Government, local authorities and enterprises (Article 150); the Vietnam Environment Protection Fund and provincial environment protection funds grant concessional loans and receive deposits, donations, assistance and contributions, and enterprises and entities are encouraged to establish their own environment protection funds (Article 151).
• Law on Forestry: financial resources in forestry derive from the state budget; investment, contribution, assistance or sponsorship by domestic and international entities; profit from use of forest products and from forest or forestland leases; payment for replacement afforestation when forests are repurposed; provision and lease of forest environmental services; credit capital from domestic and international credit institutions; and other lawful sources (Article 92). The State applies investment policies to protect forests in protected areas, and rescue threatened species (Article 94).
• Law on Fishery: funding for the protection and development of aquatic resources comes from the state budget. The Funds are non-profit, off-budget funds at the central and provincial levels that raise social resources and support programs and activities not funded by the state budget; their sources include voluntary contributions from organizations and individuals affecting aquatic resources, habitats, breeding grounds and migration routes, and sponsorship and charitable contributions from domestic and foreign entities. Community funds are also encouraged (Articles 20-22).

Domestic public funding and private and other sources for forestry:

• The estimated capital demand for the National Forestry Master Plan 2021-2030 is VND 217,305 billion, of which around VND 106,960 billion falls in 2021-2025 - approximately VND 27,517 billion from the state budget (26%) and around VND 79,443 billion from other lawful capital sources (74%), illustrating the intended balance between public and non-public finance (Decision 895).
• The State ensures resources for the management, protection and development of forests in line with the medium-term and annual state budget balancing capability. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to invest and lawfully mobilize capital (Decree 58).
• Investment rates: an average of VND 150,000/ha/year for management boards of protected areas and protection forests, based on areas assigned to them; and VND 500,000/ha/year for residential communities and other assigned entities (Decree 58).
• Further funding under Decree 58 includes VND 50 million per community per year for livelihood development in buffer zones of protected areas (Article 8), up to VND 400,000/ha for sustainable forest management solutions and certification (Article 16).

Mobilizing social, private and international resources:

• The Project "Planting one billion trees in the 2021-2025 period" is expressly built on strengthening social mobilization and attracting all resources from economic sectors: one billion trees by the end of 2025, comprising 690 million scattered trees in urban and rural areas and 310 million trees planted in concentrated areas in protection forests, special-use forests and newly planted production forests (Decision 524).
• Organizations and individuals are encouraged and enabled to participate in the investment and development of parks, green spaces, and water bodies, and may manage, use, and operate the infrastructure assets they invest in until handover to the State (Decree 258).

New and innovative financial mechanisms:

• Balance and allocate state budget capital for priority tasks, solutions, schemes, and projects in accordance with the laws on the state budget and public investment; prioritize mobilizing ODA to implement the National Biodiversity Strategy; and improve the efficiency of investment capital for biodiversity conservation (Decision 149).
• Encourage and mobilize the participation of communities and businesses in financial investment for biodiversity conservation; implement public-private partnership models in the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem services and biodiversity; research and promulgate financial policies to support the livelihoods of communities living in buffer zones; and encourage the development of lawful financial forms for community conservation (Decision 149).
• Research and apply new and groundbreaking financial mechanisms to mobilize resources for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in accordance with the international treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory and with international practice, including biodiversity credit mechanisms, debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds and green credit, and increase support from organizations and individuals for biodiversity conservation (Decision 149).

References

Decision No. 149/QD-TTg approving the National Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, vision to 2050 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=205263

Decision No. 524/QD-TTg approving the Scheme on planting one billion trees for 2021-2025 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=202994

Decision No. 895/QD-TTg approving the National Forestry Master Plan for 2021-2030, vision to 2050 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=211000

Decree No. 58/2024/ND-CP on a number of investment policies in forestry (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=210315.

Decree No. 258/2025/ND-CP dated 9 October 2025 on management of parks, green trees and water surfaces (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=215566

Law on Biodiversity No. 20/2008/QH12 dated 13 November 2008 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=81137.

Law on Environmental Protection No. 72/2020/QH14 dated 17 November 2020 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=202613

Law on Forestry No. 16/2017/QH14 dated 17 November 2017 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=192329

Law on Fisheries No. 18/2017/QH14 dated 21 November 2017 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=192336.

Law on the State Budget No. 83/2015/QH13 dated 25 June 2015 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=180627.

• Secure and improve domestic public funding: balance and allocate state budget capital to the priority tasks and projects of the National Biodiversity Strategy under the laws on the state budget and public investment; maintain environmental protection as an obligatory expenditure task of central and local budgets; and improve the efficiency of investment capital for biodiversity conservation (Decision 149; Laws 16, 18, 20 and 83).
• Apply and expand investment policies in forestry: fund protected areas and protection forests at the prescribed per-hectare rates, with higher rates for zone II and III communes and coastal areas; fund buffer-zone community livelihoods, sustainable forest management certification, natural regeneration, forestation, firefighting and forestry roads (Decree 58; Decision 895; Law 16).
• Mobilise international public funding and ODA: prioritise the mobilisation of ODA for the National Biodiversity Strategy; call on donors and international partners to implement ODA projects investing in the protection and development of protection forests and tree planting; and receive investment, contribution, assistance and sponsorship from international entities under the Law on Forestry and the Law on Biodiversity (Decisions 149 and 524; Laws 16 and 20).
• Mobilise private and social resources: mobilise capital and lawful contributions from businesses, sponsorship from organisations, households and individuals, businesses, associations and economic groups; encourage organisations and individuals to invest in parks, green spaces and water surfaces; encourage enterprises and entities to establish their own environment protection funds; raise social resources through the Funds for protection and development of aquatic resources and community funds; and mobilise voluntary labour and community participation (Decisions 149 and 524; Decree 258; Laws 18 and 72).
• Operate and expand payment for ecosystem services: implement payment for forest environmental services and extend payments to wetland, marine, rocky mountain, cave and geopark ecosystem services and to carbon sequestration and storage services (Laws 72 and 16; Decrees 58 and 156).
• Scale up green credit and green bonds for biodiversity: apply the statutory definition of green credit, which expressly includes nature and biodiversity conservation and natural ecosystem restoration; implement the Government roadmap and encouragement mechanisms for green credit; and develop green bond issuance by the Government, local authorities and enterprises for biodiversity-related projects (Law 72; Decision 149).
• Operate environmental and sectoral funds: use the Vietnam Environment Protection Fund and provincial environment protection funds to grant concessional loans and receive deposits, donations, assistance and contributions; and establish and operate central and provincial Funds for protection and development of aquatic resources and community funds to support activities not covered by the state budget (Laws 18 and 72).
• Develop innovative financial mechanisms: research and apply biodiversity credit mechanisms and debt-for-nature swaps consistent with international treaties and practice; implement public-private partnership models in the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem services and biodiversity; and develop lawful financial forms for community conservation and financial policies supporting buffer-zone livelihoods (Decision 149).
• Integrate biodiversity financing across programs: integrate and combine public investment programs and projects - including the Sustainable Forestry Development Program, national target programs, and urban infrastructure, industrial park and road projects with green components - so that biodiversity and greening objectives are financed through mainstream investment channels (Decision 524; Decree 58).

References

Decision No. 149/QD-TTg approving the National Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, vision to 2050 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=205263

Decision No. 524/QD-TTg approving the Scheme on planting one billion trees for 2021-2025 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=202994

Decision No. 895/QD-TTg approving the National Forestry Master Plan for 2021-2030, vision to 2050 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=211000

Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP detailing the implementation of several articles of the Law on Forestry (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=195435

Decree No. 58/2024/ND-CP on a number of investment policies in forestry (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=210315.

Decree No. 258/2025/ND-CP dated 9 October 2025 on management of parks, green trees and water surfaces (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=215566

Law on Biodiversity No. 20/2008/QH12 dated 13 November 2008 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=81137.

Law on Environmental Protection No. 72/2020/QH14 dated 17 November 2020 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=202613

Law on Forestry No. 16/2017/QH14 dated 17 November 2017 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=192329

Law on Fisheries No. 18/2017/QH14 dated 21 November 2017 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=192336.

Law on the State Budget No. 83/2015/QH13 dated 25 June 2015 (in Vietnamese). https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=180627.

• Access to financial resources: the target exists to secure biodiversity finance from the state budget, ODA and international assistance, domestic and foreign private investment and contributions, credit capital, environment protection funds, aquatic resource and community funds, payment for ecosystem services, green credit, green bonds and prospective biodiversity credits and debt-for-nature swaps (Decision 149; Laws 16, 18, 20, 72 and 83; Decrees 58, 258; Decisions 524 and 895).
• A Whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach: financing runs from the central and local government budgets through the ministries responsible for agriculture and environment, finance and planning, the State Bank and provincial People’s Committees and People’s Councils, and reaches enterprises, associations, economic groups, households, individuals and communities (Decision 524).
• Cooperation and synergies: biodiversity financing is integrated with public investment programs, national target programs and urban infrastructure, industrial park and road projects with green components, and is delivered jointly by the environment, forestry, fisheries, finance and banking sectors (Decision 524; Decree 58; Laws 16, 18, and 72).
• Consistency with international agreements or instruments: new and innovative financial mechanisms are to be applied in accordance with the international treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory and with international practice, and ODA and international partnerships are mobilized for biodiversity and forest protection (Decisions 149 and 524).
• Contribution and rights of local communities: financial policies support the livelihoods of communities legally living in buffer zones and lawful financial forms for community conservation are encouraged (Decision 149); funds buffer-zone communities at VND 50 million per community per year and pays communities for forest protection at higher per-hectare rates than management boards (Decree 58); and mobilizes voluntary community participation (Decision 524).
• Collective effort towards the targets: the target is delivered through a coordinated set of biodiversity, environmental, forestry, fisheries, budgetary and sectoral instruments spanning statute, decree and program levels.
• Ecosystem approach: financing is organized around the services and needs of forest, wetland, marine, rocky mountain, cave, and geopark ecosystems, and around the restoration of natural ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity (Laws 20 and 72).
• National circumstances, priorities, and capabilities: funding levels are set in line with the medium-term and annual state budget-balancing capability, and provincial People’s Councils determine specific investment rates according to local socio-economic conditions, with higher rates in zone II and III communes and coastal areas (Decree 58). 
• Science and innovation: the target relies on researching and applying new and groundbreaking financial mechanisms, including biodiversity credits and debt-for-nature swaps, and on basic surveys, observation, inventory and biodiversity databases funded from the state budget (Decision 149; Law 20).

GBF Target 19 has several elements that the National Target 19 covers them as follows:

• Financial resources from domestic and international, public and private: covered - the statutory framework establishes each channel: the state budget and environmental protection tax (Laws 20 and 83); domestic and foreign investments, contributions, assistance and sponsorship (Laws 16 and 20); proceeds from environmental services related to biodiversity (Laws 16, 20 and 72); credit capital from domestic and international credit institutions (Law 16); off-budget and community funds (Law 18); and environment protection funds (Law 72). These correspond to headline indicators D.1, D.2 and D.3.
• Substantially and progressively increasing the level of financial resources: partially covered - Vietnam does not set a national figure for total biodiversity finance or an annual growth target, and no national baseline exists for headline indicators D.1, D.2 and D.3. Sectoral capital demand is nonetheless quantified, for example VND 217,305 billion for the National Forestry Master Plan (Decision 895), and per-hectare investment rates are set for special-use forests (Decree 58), which underpin national indicator VNI.19.1.
• Domestic resource mobilization, including through national biodiversity finance plans: covered - biodiversity financing is provided for in the Law on Biodiversity, the state budget framework and sectoral instruments to balance and allocate budget capital and improve its efficiency.
• International finance, including official development assistance: covered - Decision 524 calls on donors and international partners for ODA projects investing in protection forests and tree planting (headline indicator D.1).
• Private finance and leveraging private investment: covered - social capital, business contributions, sponsorship and tree-planting funds (Decision 524); private participation in parks, green trees and water surfaces (Decree 258); private environment protection funds (Law 72); voluntary contributions to aquatic resource funds (Law 18); and public-private partnership models (Decision 149) - corresponding to headline indicator D.3.
• Innovative schemes such as payment for ecosystem services, green bonds, offsets and credits, and benefit-sharing mechanisms: strongly covered - payment for ecosystem services is statutory and extends beyond forests to wetland, marine, rocky mountain, cave and geopark ecosystems and to carbon sequestration and storage (Law 72, Article 138); green credit expressly covers nature and biodiversity conservation and natural ecosystem restoration (Law 72, Article 149); green bonds are provided for (Article 150); payment for replacement afforestation operates as an offset-type mechanism (Law 16, Article 92); and biodiversity credits and debt-for-nature swaps are to be researched and applied (Decision 149).
• In line with international treaties and international good practice: covered - Decision 149 requires innovative financial mechanisms to be applied in accordance with the international treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory and with international practice.
• Enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of resource provision and use: partially covered - the Strategy commits to improving the efficiency of investment capital for biodiversity conservation, but systematic tracking and reporting of biodiversity expenditure is not yet established.

Aspects requiring further development include baselines and tracking systems for headline indicators D.1, D.2 and D.3, and operationalization of the biodiversity credit and debt-for-nature swap mechanisms foreseen in Decision 149.

• UNDP supports the development of a Biodiversity Finance Plan, the review of expenditures, financial needs assessment, and the implementation of financial solutions under the NBSAP (UNDP, 2019; UNDP, 2023). Some projects, such as “Mainstreaming Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation Objectives into Socio-Economic Development Planning and Management of Biosphere Reserves in Vietnam,” run by UNDP, support Vietnam in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030 (UNDP, 2025).
• The private sector and enterprises, such as the Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Fund, commit to investing in biodiversity projects (Conservation Vietnam, n.d.) through green finance, PES, and public-private partnerships. 
• Non-governmental organizations and community funds commit to raising and managing resources for local conservation initiatives. For example, WWF Vietnam commits to supporting Vietnam in implementing the GBF, especially OECMs (WWF, n.d.; WWF, 2026)

References:

Conservation Vietnam (n.d.). Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Fund. https://conservationvietnam.org/about-us/who-am-i/

UNDP. (2019). Viet Nam: The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) - Finance for nature. United Nations Development Programme. https://www.biofin.org/sites/default/files/content/knowledge_products/BFP%20Viet%20Nam.pdf

UNDP. (2023). Assessing the financial needs for implementing the national biodiversity strategy up to 2030, with a vision to 2050. United Nations Development Programme. Unpublished report.

UNDP. (2025, January 17). Enhancing mainstreamed natural resources management efforts in Vietnam’s world biosphere reserves [Press release]. United Nations Development Programme. https://www.undp.org/vietnam/press-releases/enhancing-mainstreamed-natural-resources-management-efforts-vietnams-world-biosphere-reserves

WWF. (n.d.). WWF-Viet Nam. https://vietnam.panda.org/en/

WWF. (2026, June 29). OECMs: a strategic approach to implementing biodiversity conservation commitments and the 30x30 target. World Wide Fund for Nature Vietnam. https://vietnam.panda.org/en/?396977

Additional means of implementation are needed, in particular: establishing baselines and tracking systems for headline indicators D.1 (international public funding and ODA), D.2 (domestic public funding) and D.3 (private funding), which cannot currently be populated because biodiversity expenditure is not separately tagged within the state budget or reported across sectors; predictable budget allocation depend on state-budget balancing capability and that provincial People’s Councils set final rates (Decree 58); operationalisation of the innovative mechanisms foreseen in Decision 149 - biodiversity credits, debt-for-nature swaps, and public-private partnership models - together with the regulations and guidelines on biodiversity offsets; completion of the legal and methodological framework for payment for wetland and marine ecosystem services and for carbon sequestration and storage services, which remain at pilot stage; capacity of credit institutions to appraise and extend green credit to nature and biodiversity conservation projects under Article 149 of the Law on Environmental Protection; strengthening of the Vietnam Environment Protection Fund, provincial environment protection funds and the Funds for protection and development of aquatic resources; and continued ODA, concessional finance, technology transfer and international support.

Green credit, green bonds, payment for ecosystem services and biodiversity credits appear in both and should be reported consistently, with care taken to avoid double counting. Reporting note on headline indicators D.1, D.2 and D.3 requires biodiversity finance to be identified across international public, domestic public and private sources.