Huynh, President of the Heritage Tree Council and Vice President of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE), is the first Vietnamese citizen and one of the 10 outstanding individuals from ASEAN member states to receive such a noble title on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of ASEAN.
The ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes are individuals with significant contributions to the ASEAN biodiversity, through their activities and initiatives, contributing actively to the socio-economic development in their respective countries and in the region.
During his over 60 years of research in biology, Prof. Huynh has made many contributions to the preservation of biodiversity in Vietnam and in the surrounding region. He possesses the ability to inspire the community in biodiversity conservation and development, and is recognised as one of Vietnam’s leading scientists.
Prof. Huynh has been presented with nearly 20 orders and medals of different types, including the Ho Chi Minh Award (twice) – Vietnam’s most noble award in science and technology, the Vietnam Environmental Award in 2009, and a certificate of merit from the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in recognition of his devotions to biodiversity conservation activities in 2015, among others.
Holding a myriad of positions, both appointed by the State and entrusted by the society, concerning the environment, Prof. Huynh has implemented specific and practical activities with regards to biodiversity preservation, especially the protection of endemic and endangered species.
The VACNE’s initiatives to organise an annual workshop on preserving biodiversity along the Truong Son Range (the border region between three Indochinese countries) and to conserve heritage trees, with significant contributions by Prof. Dang Huy Huynh, have received support from the community and environmental protection activists both at home and abroad, contributing to minimising degradation in the ecological environment and restoring many rare species.
During his career, Prof. Huynh has contributed a plethora of valuable scientific works, including 154 research works published on domestically and internationally prestigious science journals, in addition to 14 books specialising in animals, ecology, biodiversity preservation and environmental protection.
According to the VACNE, around 3,000 trees across 52 cities and provinces nationwide have been recognised as Heritage Trees, a very consequential number in preserving natural resources, thanks to Prof. Huynh’s mobilisation efforts over the past years.
