Son La is home to five nature reserves, one historical relic protection area, one species habitat conservation area and 11 landscapes. Determined to preserve biodiversity, the province has issued a plan for nature and biodiversity conservation integrated into the provincial planning and the State management system on biodiversity. At present, the province has 12 steering committees for forest protection, and fire prevention and fighting at the district level; 202 at the commune, ward and town levels; 2,789 relevant groups; 12 forest ranger units, two nature reserve management boards; three special-use forest management boards, with hundreds of officials, civil servants, and forest rangers participating in forest and biodiversity protection.

Improving the effectiveness of State management on biodiversity, on May 3, 2024, the provincial People's Committee issued a plan to implement the national biodiversity strategy, with five key groups of tasks, namely strengthening conservation and restoration of biodiversity; intensifying conservation of endangered and rare species; enhancing conservation of genetic resources, managing access to these resources, sharing benefits and protecting traditional knowledge on them; assessing and promoting the benefits of biodiversity for sustainable development, natural disaster prevention, and climate change adaptation; and controlling activities that have negative impacts on biodiversity.

The committee has directed departments and sectors to increase their capacity of law enforcement on biodiversity through organising training to raise people's awareness; integrate the implementation of biodiversity conservation requirements in policies and public investment projects; and boost scientific research, development, transfer and application of advanced technology in conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Attention has also been paid to mobilising and making the most of sources of cooperation and ODA funding for this work; piloting research and implementation of payments for natural ecosystem services; strengthening cooperation with Yen Bai province to build the corridor of Muong La and Mu Cang Chai Natural Reserves, ensuring unity for mutual development, especially in implementing a policy on payment for forest environmental services.

With a specific roadmap and solutions, Son La aims to expand and improve the management efficiency of the system of natural heritages, nature reserves and biodiversity corridors by 2030; effectively conserve wild species, especially endangered, precious, rare ones prioritised for protection, and migratory species, with no more wild species becoming extinct, and wild genetic resources and plant and animal varieties kept and preserved. The province's biodiversity monitoring system will be set up concertedly, in accordance with the planning; and 100% of strategies, planning schemes, plans, programmes and public investment projects will include biodiversity conservation requirements by 2030.