SPONSORED BY THE
SPONSORED BY THE
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation
on Water and Sustainability
PRESS REVIEW - FEBRUARY 2014
Prepared by Address: Room 409, 34T Hoang Dao Thuy Building,
Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam
Tel/Fax: (+84) (4) 626 888 08
Email:
info@vd-office.net
Website: www.vd-office.net Hanoi, February 2014
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability Imprint
Publisher
Supervised by
Prof. Dr. mult. Karl-Ulrich Rudolph (IEEM gGmbH),
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Van (MOST – Vietnam)
Mr. Nguyen Van Long
Chief Editor
Dr. Ngo Tho Hung
Secretary
MSc. Dang Thi Thu Giang
Print
--
Contact
MoST/BMBF Office for Research Cooperation on
Water and Sustainability
Room 409, 4th Floor, 34T Building,
Hoang Dao Thuy Street,
Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone/Fax: +84 4 626 888 08
Email: info@vd-office.net
Homepage: www.vd-office.net
This sole responsibility on the content of this publication lies with the authors of the different contributions.
The brochure is not intended for commercial distribution.
2|Page
SPONSORED BY
Contents
1. Vietnamese - German Cooperation for Development of Sustainable Karst Water Technologies (KaWaTech) ..................... 5 3. Opportunity to carry out their research at AIT, Bangkok, under project “SEA EU NET II Science and Technology
Cooperation to jointly tackle the societal challenges”. .................................................................................................... 5 4. International master programmes in integrated water resources management, coastal engineering and management, and
disaster management. ................................................................................................................................................. 6 5. Wastewater treatment brings enormous benefits........................................................................................................... 6 6. Activities respond to World Water Day 2014 ................................................................................................................. 7 7. Developing renewable energy a top priority: report ....................................................................................................... 7 8. Ho Chi Minh City seeks more money for canal project .................................................................................................... 7 9. Mekong Delta to suffer fresh water shortage next month ............................................................................................... 8 10. EU backs Vietnam’s sustainable forest management ...................................................................................................... 9 11. PM Dung visits waste management facility .................................................................................................................... 9 12. PM takes control of mine licences ................................................................................................................................ 10 13. Kien Giang tackles pollution at major fishing port ......................................................................................................... 10 14. Hoi An to pedal towards eco-city status ....................................................................................................................... 10 15. Well water causing cancer in central commune ............................................................................................................ 11 16. Eight firms get waste water treatment certificates ........................................................................................................ 11 17. Company fined for illegal dredging .............................................................................................................................. 12 18. Unlawful gold mining still rife in northern province ....................................................................................................... 12 19. NGO role in climate change fight strengthened ............................................................................................................ 12 20. City seeks additional funding for Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal project................................................................................ 13 21. Tay Ninh shuts polluting rubber processors .................................................................................................................. 13 22. Locals outraged by polluting shrimp firm...................................................................................................................... 14 23. Expert says Hong River flow vital for Delta region ........................................................................................................ 14 24. Air pollution from Asia affecting world's weather .......................................................................................................... 15 25. Household appliance refused rate rising, e-waste question remains unsolved ................................................................. 15 26. Vietnam may allow importing waste for recycling ......................................................................................................... 16 27. Vietnam active at environment workshop in Thailand ................................................................................................... 17 28. Vietnam calls for private investment for waste water treatment .................................................................................... 17 29. Dong Nai works to reduce pollution in IPs ....................................................................................................................17 30. HCMC to have largest wastewater treatment plant in SE Asia ........................................................................................18 31. Local authorities “cache” chemicals underground, people give up farming ..................................................................... 18 32. Vietnam warned of severe air pollution ........................................................................................................................ 19 33. Vietnam province to further destroy its beautiful bay .................................................................................................... 19 34. Vietnam may set barriers to prevent waste imports ...................................................................................................... 20 35. World Water Day to be held in mountainous province...................................................................................................21 36. Delta water project demonstrates green power ............................................................................................................ 21 37. Youngsters act for climate change adaptation .............................................................................................................. 21 38. Community-based disaster management promoted ...................................................................................................... 21 39. Erosion threatens homes in Mekong Delta ................................................................................................................... 21 40. HCM City stops licensing ozone-destroying equipment production ................................................................................. 22 3|Page
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability 41. Hanoi prioritises advanced technology application in waste treatment ........................................................................... 22 42. Solutions proposed for waste water treatment ............................................................................................................. 23 43. Hong River flow vital for northern region: expert ..........................................................................................................23 44. Wastewater treatment brings large benefits: survey ..................................................................................................... 24 45. HCM City seeks low-emission city status ...................................................................................................................... 24 46. Work begins on waste plant ........................................................................................................................................ 24 47. Vietnam shares experience on disaster preparedness ................................................................................................... 25 48. Da Nang raises water price on water shortage caused by hydropower plants ................................................................. 26 49. Sponsorship of 20 million VND for each idea on protecting river environment ................................................................ 26 50.
APPENDIX: MOST/BMBF PROJECT INFORMATION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………27
Upcoming event
19th March 2014: In the framework of research cooperation between the
Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and the Ministry of
Education and Research of Germany in the field of water and
sustainability, the MoST/BMBF Office for Research Cooperation on Water
and Sustainability, will hold a Status Workshop "VD-Water and
Sustainability Research 2014" to disseminate Scientific Experiences and
Outcomes among Researchers and Stakeholders and raise Synergies
between the joint research projects under BMBF, MOST. The workshop will
be an opportunity for German and Vietnamese partners to present their
research results at present and implementation plans in the near future.
The workshop is scheduled to take place in Hanoi in 19th March, 2014.
Please send any inquiry for the workshop to Email: info@vd-office.net or
Tel/Fax: 84-4 626 888 08
28th March 2014: SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN pre-cluster meeting in Brussels: The
SUSTAIN project is to hold a similar meeting with interested projects and
project partners in Europe. This meeting will take place on Friday, 28th
March, in Brussels (Rue du Trône 98) from 10-18h. The ultimate goal is to
better coordinate environment research of relevance to ASEAN and the EU,
to support research projects in achieving impact with their results, and to
facilitate future cooperation. For further information on SUSTAIN EUASEAN: www.sustain-eu-asean.net
4|Page
SPONSORED BY
1. Vietnamese
German
Cooperation for
Development of
Sustainable
Karst
Water
Technologies (KaWaTech)
By Thu Giang VD Office
The Kick-off workshop on "VietnameseGerman
Cooperation
for
the
Development of Sustainable Karst Water
Technologies" was held in Hanoi on
18/02/2014.
Figure 1 Panorama of the workshop
(Photos by VD Office Staff)
The workshop is an activitiy of the
project of cooperation in science technology
between
Vietnam
and
Germany based on scientific principles
and reliable technology which have been
successfully tested and implemented in
the karst area of Yogyakarta in Indonesia
- one of the Karst water regions in
Southeast Asian countries having similar
conditions as Vietnam. The project is
expected to help improve the supply of
clean water supply to local communities
and social and economic sustainability in
the limestone area of the Dong Van
Karst Plateau Global Geo-park, Ha Giang
Province, Vietnam.
The project consists of five components:
Exploration, Surveying and Monitoring of
water
resources
to
meet
the
requirements of using PAT (Pumps As
Turbines)
technology;
Capabilities
assessment and research of testing of
PAT technology; Implementing water
storage and supply buildings - system
optimization;
Solutions
for
nonengineering constructions for water
resources protection; Environmental –
economic - social impacts assessment
achieved through the project. In
addition, the project also includes some
5|Page
important items such as improvement
and upgrading of infrastructure...
perspective, and was mainly sponsored
by AUDI Vietnam.
PAT technology is considered an optimal
and sustainable technological solution
which minimizes the use of external
energy sources and brings about high
economic efficiency. This technology is
suitable to the natural features and
difficult economic conditions of the Dong
Van Karst Plateau Global Geo-park, Ha
Giang Province.
Excerpt from greeting of the Director of
Goethe Institute Vietnam, Dr. Almuth
Meyer-Zollitsch:
Besides PAT technology, other nonstructural measures proposed in the
project to protect water resources
include improving the organizational
structure
for
water
resource
management, planning and exploitation
of sustainable water resources, renewal
of vegetation cover, building the river
basins, rainwater harvesting, community
education in the protection, mitigation of
pollution and the rational use of water
resources which are also the social
solutions, making the sustainable and
environmentally friendly efficiencies.
Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Minister
of Science and Technology Dr. Tran Viet
Thanh emphasized: If the project is
successful, it will exert an aggregrate
positive impact on all fields of socioeconomy and the environment. The
project will help meet the needs for lowcost supply of water for daily life and
production of local residents, increase
the yields and quality of agricultural
products and tourism services, alleviate
poverty towards the goals of sustainable
socio-economic
development.
A
successful implementation of the project
will also help protect the environment by
directly and indirectly reducing the
pathogens to climate change.
2. Photo Book TP. HCM MEGA City
By Michael A. Waibel
This short-movie has been produced by
Maximilian Bauerdorf in 2014 in the
context of the launch of the photo book
„TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City" which
illustrates recent urban development of
Ho Chi Minh City from a comprehensive
Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, the vibrant
economic metropolis and biggest city of
Vietnam, which recently emerged as the
country's first mega city. Now, Ho Chi
Minh City stands head to head with other
mega cities such as New Dehli, São
Paulo or Mexico City. Ho Chi Minh City is
rapidly changing against the backdrop of
globalization, but has preserved an
almost rural character in many of its
small alleys. For many people, the mega
city is a place of hope for a better future,
a small share of new welfare. Can these
dreams be fulfilled if the number of
inhabitants continues to rise by millions
and climate change is flooding entire city
districts?
This book invites the reader on a journey
through the familiar and lesser-known
aspects of this fascinating city to witness
its vibrancy and dynamism. Allow
yourself to be taken by endless stream of
traffic, which while chaotic, barrels
forward, just like the city of Ho Chi Minh
itself.
More information about the book can be
found at the web-site of Saigoneer:
http://saigoneer.com/saigondevelopment/1576-behind-the-cover-tph-chi-minh-mega-city-part-1
http://saigoneer.com/saigondevelopment/1585-behind-the-cover-tph-chi-minh-mega-city-part-2
3. Opportunity to carry out their
research at AIT, Bangkok, under
project “SEA EU NET II Science and
Technology Cooperation to jointly
tackle the societal challenges”.
By Kshitij Parajuli – AIT – BKK - Thailand
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
(www.ait.ac.th) is pleased to announce
the fellowship and invite applications
from researchers for the opportunity to
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability carry out their research at AIT, Bangkok,
under project “SEA EU NET II Science
and Technology Cooperation to jointly
tackle the societal challenges”. The
strategic objective of this project is to
strengthen bi-regional EU-ASEAN Science
and Technology Cooperation through
coordination
and
support
actions
targeted towards the three major
societal challenges, namely; Water
management; Health; Food security and
safety. AIT is leading a component of
‘Water Management’ with an objective to
create network of different stakeholders
in order to strengthen the research
capacity and to build a platform towards
the better system in managing water
resources and to respond specifically
towards different stakeholder.
hoach-tuyen-sinh-dao-tao-cao-hoc-quocte-nam-2014.aspx
For further information please find the
attached file. If you have any queries
regarding this opportunity please feel
free to contact Dr. Sangam Shrestha
(sangam@ait.ac.th ).
Figure 2 File Photo
4. International
master
programmes in integrated water
resources management, coastal
engineering and management, and
disaster management.
By Pham Thanh Hai - WRU
The programme is designed for young
and mid-career professionals from both
government institutions as well as the
private
sector
(engineering,
management, consultancy, …) who are
related in water and environmental
science, engineering, planning, and who
are dealing with water resources
management. Applicants should have a
Bachelor degree in a relevant discipline,
such as: Water Resources Engineering,
Coastal Engineering, Marine Engineering,
Oceanography, Disaster Management,
Hydrology
and
Water
Resources,
Environmental
Engineering,
Infrastructure Engineering, Water Supply
and
Sewerage,
Natural
and
Environmental
Economics
and
Construction Economics, Natural Disaster
Engineering,
Civil
Engineering,
Construction Technology Engineering,
Hydropower and Renewable Energy
Engineering, Agriculture, and Forestry.
The International Master Programmes in
Integrated
Water
Resources
Management
(IWRM),
Coastal
Engineering and Management (CEM) and
Disaster
Management
(DM)
were
established under the framework of the
project
“Improvement
of
Higher
Education in Water Management in view
of Climate Change in Vietnam” funded by
the Netherlands Government (through
NUFFIC).
It shows the cumulative benefits of
investing in wastewater and drainage
infrastructure exceed economic costs by
at least 15%.
The study assessed the economic
performance of upgraded wastewater
management (WWM) in nine provincial
towns and cities, weighed their costs and
benefits,
and
formulated
recommendations
for
the
future
development of WWM.
With the aim of exposing the students to
advanced
teaching
and
research
methodologies in the world as well as
familiarizing
them
with
the
communication
and
professional
practices
in
an
international
environment, all courses are conducted
completely in English. All of the lecturers
and instructors have been trained
abroad. In addition, with the involvement
and support from distinguished academic
institutions all over the world, especially
from the Netherlands, the lectures and
practical activities are designed to give
students
the
best
international
experience without leaving the country.
Please visit: NICHE.wru.edu.vn for more
information.
5. Wastewater treatment
enormous benefits
Figure 3 Wastewater treatment in Can
Tho
brings
14/02/2014, 12:43:24 PM (GMT+7)
(VOV)-A recent study has revealed the
economic
benefits
of
wastewater
collection and treatment systems far
surpass their investment costs.
The German-Vietnamese Development
Cooperation’s Wastewater Management
Programme (WMP) conducted the study
in collaboration with partners in Can Tho,
Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Nghe An, Bac Ninh,
Hai Duong, Lang Son, Hoa Binh, and Son
La.
A detailed report was prepared for each
province considered and the main results
summarised. It provides national and
provincial leaders with the data-based
evidence and analysis they need to set
the levels of investment in urban
wastewater infrastructure given specific
socio-economic conditions.
The study included WWM’s positive
impacts on tourism, public health, land
prices, and the environment. Programme
Manager
Hanns-Bernd
Kuchta,
Programme Manager said: “Our research
clearly indicates that investments in
wastewater and drainage infrastructure
promote tourism, boost land values, and
protect the environment.”
“Improved hygiene dramatically reduces
water-borne disease infection and
mortality rates. Every three dollars of
investment in wastewater and drainage
infrastructure returns at least four dollars
in benefits, so national and provincial
leaders can rest assured increasing the
wastewater sector’s annual budget
allocation will enhance socio-economic
development,” he added.
The Germany Government funds the
WMP through the Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ). GIZ conducts the programme. Its
long-term objective is to promote
sustainable wastewater and solid waste
management in Vietnam.
Detail information is on the link:
http://tuyensinh.wru.edu.vn/tabid/167/c
atid/622/item/5186/thong-bao-ve-ke-
6|Page
SPONSORED BY
7. Developing renewable energy a
top priority: report
like bio-gas, solar power production, and
gasoline-saving technology.
24/02/2014 | 19:53:00
17/02/2014 | 10:55:50
The Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment is focusing on completing
the draft of a national action plan on
enhancing management, protection and
water use in order to increase efficiency
in managing and using water resources
in the coming time.
Vietnam’s
ever
increasing
energy
demands mean developing renewable
energy is a top priority in its national
climate change strategy and efforts to
minimise greenhouse gas emissions,
radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) said.
The CCRD financed the construction of
10,000 underground biogas generators
throughout the country.
6. Activities respond
Water Day 2014
to
World
In addition, the ministry also works hard
to build an inter-water reservoir
operation process for lakes in basins
across the country, while continuing to
research the impact of hydroelectricity
projects on the main flow of the Mekong
River .
The information was revealed at a press
conference which was held in Hanoi on
February 24 to announce the ministry’s
upcoming activities and a national
programme for the 2014 World Water
Day.
According to Hoang Van Bay, Director of
the Water Resources Management
Department, a national meeting and an
array of activities in response to the
2014 World Water Day will be held on
March 21 in the northern mountainous
province of Lai Chau, one of the localities
in the watershed between the Red River
and Thai Binh River, the largest river
basin in northern Vietnam.
Organised by the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment, the Ministry
of Industry and Trade, and Electricity of
Vietnam (EVN) in conjunction with the
provincial People’s Committee, the
programme includes a national meeting,
a scientific conference titled "Water and
Energy", a photo exhibition themed
"Water - People - Life", an art
performance called "River and Singing"
and some other activities.
Themed “Water and Energy”, the 2014
World Water Day aims to raise
awareness of the close relationship
between these two basic elements, and
calls on people to find management
measures to be able to maintain
economic growth and to meet human
needs through sustainable exploitation of
water resources and the efficient and
economical use of energy towards a
green economy./.
7|Page
VOV quoted National Energy Institute of
Vietnam Representative Nguyen Anh
Tuan as saying that annual 13-15
percent increases in energy demand
require exploring as many supplementary
energy alternatives as possible.
The country’s aggregate energy demand
is predicted to equate to 167 million
tonnes of oil by 2030, well beyond its
production capacity of 50-62 million
tonnes of coal and 20-22 million tonnes
of oil.
Vietnam has only begun exploring the
potential of its promising bio-gas, wind
power, solar power, and geothermal
electricity resources.
Centre for Community Research and
Development (CCRD) Director Pham Van
Thanh said the Government has received
support
for
renewable
energy
development
from
international
organisations such as the French
Development Agency (AFD), the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA),
the Canadian International Cooperation
Agency (CIDA), the Australian Agency for
International Development (AusAID),
and the Republic of Korea’s KeximBank.
SNV
Netherlands
Development
Organisation
is
supporting
the
Vietnamese livestock industry’s bio-gas
programme.
The World Bank (WB) provided 201.2
million USD in credit to the country’s
renewable
energy
development
programme over the 2009-2014 period.
The German Deutsche Bank and the US
Eximbank have offered preferential loans
to wind power energy projects in the
south-central
coastal
province
of
BinhThuan and Bac Lieu province in the
Mekong Delta.
Incomplete statistics reveal at least nine
non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
have undertaken projects supporting
renewable energy development in
Vietnam. Five others are running
communication and education campaigns
promoting renewable energy resources
The Green Innovation and Development
Centre (GreenID) is implementing
community-based bio-gas energy models
with
funding
from
the
Swedish
International
Development
Agency
(SIDA) and the Singapore office of
Caritas Humanitarian Aid & Relief
Initiatives (CHARIS).
GreenID is collaborating with Can Tho
University and the GIC Company on
drafting solar power energy models
tailored to suitable localities in Can Tho,
Thai Binh, HoaBinh, Hung Yen, and Ha
Tinh.
Phan Thanh Tung, a representative from
the German Agency for International
Cooperation (GIZ), said GIZ is helping
Vietnam’s wind power plant projects. It
has already lent its expertise to outlining
legislative frameworks for wind power
development, collecting wind speed data,
and providing technical consultancy.
Some Vietnamese households
installed solar energy panels.
have
The project’s second phase will run from
March 2012 to March 2015 with a focus
on shoring up renewable energy laws
and
regulations
and
fine-tuning
organisational structures.
The lack of national renewable energy
law is a deficiency the Government
hopes to address as soon as possible.
Sugar mills are reluctant to pursue
bagasse energy production because of
the discrepancy between the expense of
installation and the low electricity prices
the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) insists
upon.
Wind power energy plants suffer from
similar outlay-benefit imbalances. Setting
a fair baseline electricity purchasing price
is imperative if renewable energy
production is to be encouraged.-VNA
8. Ho Chi Minh City seeks more
money for canal project
20/02/2014 | 10:36:18
Ho Chi Minh City has asked the World
Bank to continue lending 450 million USD
for
the
second
phase
of
its
environmental sanitation project (Nhieu
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability Loc-Thi Nghe Basin), according to the
city's Transport Department.
The second phase of the Ho Chi Minh
City environmental sanitation project has
three important stages, including the
construction of a wastewater treatment
plant for the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal.
The management board will select the
contractors who meet the technical
requirements first, before basing it on
price, according to Thuan.
9. Mekong Delta to suffer fresh
water shortage next month
Ho Chi Minh City plans to construct the
plant using a process of design-buildoperate (DBO) with an operation time of
five years.
An influx of saline water will flow 4060km inland into the Cuu Long (Mekong)
Delta's coastal provinces next month,
according to the Southern Irrigation
Science Institute.
The selection of contractors for all the
works for the second phase must be
finished in June. This is crucial for
obtaining loans from the World Bank,
according to Thuan.
The second phase of the Ho Chi Minh
City environmental sanitation (Nhieu Loc
– Thi Nghe Basin) project is expected to
be completed in 2018.
Figure 4 Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal
(Source: VNA)
The plant, located in District 2's Thanh
My Loi ward, has a capacity of 480,000
cubic metres per day.
When the plant is complete, wastewater
from the entire basin will be treated by
the plant instead of being discharged
directly to the Saigon River.
CEM of Germany is the consultant for the
plant, Phan Chau Thuan, director of
project management told Sai Gon Giai
Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper.
Two
remaining
works
include
construction of the eight-kilometre
drainage system with a diameter of
3.2km, and construction of a 50-km
wastewater collector sewer for District 2
where the plant is located.
The consultant for the drainage system
is CDM of the US.
Thuan said the administrative procedure
of the second phase will be significantly
cut or simplified to ensure the project
stays on schedule.
He said choosing the
the second phase
adding that the first
for many years due
contractors.
best contractors for
plays a key role,
phase was delayed
to the poor quality
Therefore, in this second phase,
everything will be specified in the
contract, and thus contract violation, if
any, by contractors would be strictly
penalised to ensure the project's
progress.
One of the most important tasks of the
wastewater treatment plant is to treat
both waste-mud and wastewater and
resolve the problem of the smell.
The first phase of the project started in
2003 and was completed in August 2012.
The first phase has had an investment of
8.6 trillion VND (421 million USD), of
which 6.126 trillion VND (293.94 million
USD) comes from the World Bank's
Official Development Assistance (ODA)
and 3.348 trillion VND (160.6 million
USD) from the city budget.
More than 1.6 trillion VND (76.8 million
USD) has been used for site clearance
work and compensation for about 7,000
households that had to be relocated.
After 10 years of development, the first
phase of the project has resulted in more
than 9 kilometres of water inlet sluice
with a diameter of 2.5-3 metres, dredge
around 1.1 million cubic of soil on the
canal, and the upgrade of 16 bridges
along the canal, among other works.
In addition, Ho Chi Minh City also
invested more than 554 billion VND
(26.27 million USD) in upgrading and
expanding the two streets along the
canal, Truong Sa and Hoang Sa. The
total length of the streets is 15.7
kilometres.
The Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal is around
33 square kilometres and runs through
seven districts: 1, 3, 10, Phu Nhuan, Tan
Binh, Go Vap and Binh Thanh. These
districts include more than 1.2 million
residents living near the canal which has
been seriously polluted for many years.
The Ho Chi Minh City environmental
sanitation (Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Basin)
project is one of the city's large-scale
environmental projects, which plays a
key role in the city's socio-economic
development, according to Nguyen
Hoang Quan, Chairman of the municipal
People's Committee.-VNA
18/02/2014 | 11:11:54
The intrusion will cause a shortage of
fresh water for households to use during
the dry season, said the institute.
The delta's provinces have begun
implementing measures to control saline
water intrusion, including closing sluice
gates at river mouths.
Soc Trang province has closed sluice
gates in Long Phu and Tran De districts
to prevent saline water entering rice
fields.
The salt content of the water of the Hau
River in Long Phu's Dai Ngai commune
now exceeds 0.15 percent, according to
the Soc Trang Irrigation, Storm and
Flood Prevention and Control Committee.
High tides and strong winds last
weekend have caused saline water to
flow unexpectedly deep into rice fields.
Ben Tre province has built dykes around
fruit orchards in Cho Lach district. The
province has also built a water supply
system to transport fresh water from the
Ba Lai Reservoir to Binh Dai district to
provide fresh water for thousands of
local households.
In Tien Giang province, saline water
could affect about 4,700ha of the winterspring rice crop in the Go Cong Fresh
Water Zone, local officials said.
Tien Giang plans to built 173 dams,
install pumps at 178 sites and dredge
146 canals in rice fields to supply fresh
water for the zone.
Nguyen Thien Phap, head of the Tien
Giang's sub-department of Irrigation,
Storm and Flood Prevention and Control,
said fresh water from sluice gates for
production and household use is now
available.
The influx of saline water in the Tien
River in Tien Giang will increase between
now and April, according to the
provincial
Centre
for
HydroMeteorological Forecasting.
To ensure fresh water for household use
in Go Cong Dong and Tan Phu Dong
districts, the most likely to be affected by
fresh water shortages during the dry
season, Tien Giang will open 57 public
8|Page
SPONSORED BY
taps at water supply stations to supply
free fresh water for local people. The
province has done this for three years.VNA
bringing 2013’s timber turnover to 5.37
billion USD.-VNA
Updated February, 06 2014 09:00:20
Nguyen Huu Tin, Deputy Chairman of
HCM City People's Committee, told the
Prime Minister that VWS has invested in
the MRF but that the facility has been
facing shortages of recycled materials.
He said the city authority will propose
ministries to allow imports of the
necessary materials for the MRF.
HCM CITY (VNS)— Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung has visited Da Phuoc
Solid Waste Treatment Complex, a
modern waste management facility
invested in and operated by the Viet
Nam Waste Solution (VWS) Co. in HCM
City's Binh Chanh District as a part of his
lunar new year tour.
Sorted materials (from the VWS) can be
used as input materials for many
industries such as the paper recycling
industry. Currently, these industries have
to import material from foreign countries
to produce paper. In addition, these
materials could also be exported to other
countries in the region.
During the visit on Monday, Dung said
the project, which has employed the
most advanced technologies and met the
highest environmental requirements in
Viet Nam,is crucial as HCM City is home
to nearly 10 million people, who
generate a huge amount of waste per
day, not to mention those in nearby
localities.
HCM City People's Committee will submit
the feasibility report to the Prime
Minister for approval, according to Tin.
11. PM
Dung
visits
management facility
10. EU backs Vietnam’s sustainable
forest management
18/02/2014 | 20:31:10
Three European Union (EU)-funded
projects worth 3 million EUR, which aim
to support Vietnam and its neighbouring
countries in combating illegal wood
exploitation, were officially launched at a
ceremony in Hanoi on February 18.
The projects are also expected to help
the countries further promote their
timber industry and legal wooden
product business as well as use their
forests in a sustainable manner.
Speaking at the launching ceremony,
Ambassador and Head of the EU
delegation to Vietnam, Franz Jessen, said
the EU’s regulations on wood and the
Voluntary Partnerships Agreement are
part of the bloc’s Forest Law
Enforcement, Governance and Trade
(FLEGT) Action Plan, which is a EU
initiative to prevent illegal wood logging
and bettering forest management, with
Vietnam one of the FLEGT’s pioneer
partners in Asia.
The projects aim to assist nongovernmental organisations, small and
medium-sized enterprises contribute
their opinions to the negotiations of the
Voluntary Partnerships Agreement (VPA)
and implementing the agreement once it
becomes effective, he added.
The FLEGT Action Plan took effect in May
2003. Vietnam officially participated in
FLEGT negotiations with the EU in May
2010. There have been three rounds of
negotiations held so far.
Other related sessions considered part of
the negotiation process are underway,
towards winding up the VPA negotiations
by the end of 2014.
Once signed, the Vietnam-EU VPA is
expected to provide a legal framework
and regulations on wood exports to the
EU, thus maintaining Vietnam’s wood
and wooden products foothold in EU
markets and further penetrate other
markets
Vietnam's wood exports reached 479
million USD in December last year,
9|Page
waste
He said the city has plans to reduce
waste volume at Phuoc Hiep Dumping
Ground in the Cu Chi District and
increase waste at Da Phuoc Waste
Treatment Complex between 2015 and
2020.
After 2020, waste discharged by HCM
City's residents will be treated at the
Green Technology Park that covers over
1,700ha in Long An Province, said Tin.
Figure 5 PM Nguyen Tan Dung presents
gifts to workers on duty during the
holidays at Da Phuoc Solid Waste
Treatment Complex. — VNS Photo Ngoc
Hai.
On the topic of the import of recyclable
material for the Material Recycling
Facility (MRF) at Da Phuoc Complex,
Dung said that the most important thing
is to control the impact this kind of
activity has on the environment.
Environmental businesses, according to
the PM, are widely encouraged by the
goverment.
"Until now, Viet Nam has not achieved
much in terms of waste management.
We have been unable to create a waste
management
model
for
each
government administrative level - from
communes to provinces, and in particular
craft villages. And we have still not
figured out the best approach to waste
transportation, one that would cause
least damage to the environment," said
Dung.
Huynh Thi Lan Phuong, Executive
Deputy President of VWS, said household
waste in Viet Nam is high in organic
content and moisture, thus, it is suitable
for composting.
She said gas generated from sanitary
landfill mass will be collected for
electricity generation as per VWS's
commitment to finding the most
environmentally friendly technology. The
total capacity is expected to be 10,000
tonnes per day, however, the facility is
currently running as low as 3,000 tonnes
per day.
VWS is urging HCM City to provide more
tonnage in order to achieve economies
of scale as well as saving the city's
budget.
Based in Binh Chanh District's Da Phuoc
Commune, the US$150 million Da Phuoc
Solid Waste Treatment Complex is the
first private solid waste treatment facility
in Viet Nam to use land-filling
technology. — VNS
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability 12. PM takes
licences
control
of
mine
Updated February, 10 2014 08:49:00
HA NOI (VNS)— Prime Minister Nguyen
Tan Dung has approved a list of 151
areas where mineral mining rights will
not be auctioned.
The areas, which are under the licencegranting authority of the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment, are
in the provinces of Bac Kan, Ha Giang,
Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Binh Dinh, Binh
Thuan, Thai Nguyen, Quang Tri, Quang
Nam, Tuyen Quang, Lam Dong and Lao
Cai.
The list includes areas approved by the
Prime Minister for uranium exploitation;
those that have been earmarked under
the coal industry development strategy;
and areas with deposits of limestone,
argillite and all minerals which are
cement additives.
The list also includes areas that have
already received licences for testing or
mining.
The Prime Minister has asked the
Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment to work with relevant
agencies as well as localities to ensure
that mining rights in the designated
areas are not licensed via auctions. —
VNS
the rice husk companies used as fuel,
Binh added.
To deal with the problem, the province
has decided to set up teams of
inspectors at Tac Cau fishing port's
industrial zone membering officials from
Department of Natural Resources and
Environment, the environmental crime
investigation section and the Chau Thanh
District Division of natural resources and
environment. The teams will increase
patrols and inspections of factories which
are polluting the environment.
Fish processing facilities which do not
meet
environmental
protection
requirements will be suspended and not
allowed to resume operations until they
have resolved the problem.
What matters more is that factories have
to be aware of the problems they have
been causing, and invest in waste
treatment equipment to ensure trash and
sewage is treated properly.
The province also wants to establish a
Fishmeal Processing Association while
trying to make sure that fishmeal
production is not harmful to the
environment.
Research for an effective management
model of Tac Cau Port is being carried
out in an effort to ensure the balance
between
economic
growth
and
environmental protection. — VNS
13. Kien Giang tackles pollution at
major fishing port
14. Hoi An to pedal towards eco-city
status
Updated February, 10 2014 08:29:29
Updated February, 10 2014 08:26:12
KIEN GIANG (VNS)— The southern
province of Kien Giang has begun
implementing a comprehensive plan to
address environmental pollution at Tac
Cau Port, one of the largest fishing ports
in the country.
HOI AN (VNS)— The central city of Hoi
An will promote the use of bicycles this
year as part of a plan to build the city
into the first eco-city in Viet Nam.
For almost a decade, Tac Cau Port,
located on the riverside in Chau Thanh
District, has been a hot spot for
environmental pollution, with thousands
of tonnes of seafood running through
fishing factories out to the market every
year leaving behind untreated waste that
is poured straight into the river.
"11 fishing factories in the area have
built waste water treatment systems, but
they are only used when inspections take
place," said Quach Chieu Binh, a Binh An
environment official.
Local people had to endure the sight of
black water flowing out from huge
drainage pipes and inhale smoke from
limited the use of motorbikes in old
quarters, prior to banning motorbikes in
these areas," Bay says, adding that
motorbikes are only permitted for use at
lunch time.
Figure 6 A pedestrian street in Hoi An.
The city aims to become the first eco-city
in Viet Nam by putting 100,000 bicycles
on the road and carrying out a series of
environmentally friendly programmes. —
VNS Photo Cong Thanh
"Since 2002, the city has successfully
operated a pedestrian street in the old
quarter and hosted Nature Day for the
past four years," he says.
According to Nguyen Van Hien, head of
the city's natural resources and
environment office, bicycles are now
used by most women and children in the
city.
"They (women and children) prefer
riding bicycles to markets and schools,
and around the city downtown. The old
quarter is almost quiet with pedestrians
and bikes during the day," Hien says,
adding that evening and night time is
only for pedestrians traveling in the old
town.
Reiko Usuda, a Japanese woman who
has lived in the city for four years, says
the environmentally friendly vehicle is
her daily means of transportation.
Vice chairman of the city's people's
committee, Truong Van Bay, has told
Viet Nam News that the city has
launched a series of programmes on
environmental protection to be used as
tourism attractions.
"It's easy to ride on bicycles while
touring around the old quarter or buying
something from the market. As the
radius from the city's downtown to
destinations is under 5km, bicycle helps
save money and provide a healthy
lifestyle," Reiko says.
Further, the bicycle has been selected as
the favourite vehicle for tourists visiting
destinations in the city, suburbs and
beaches.
Most foreign tourists use bicycles while
touring the city, beaches and villages
during their visits to Hoi An city.
"We encourage local people to use more
environmentally friendly vehicles, such as
bicycles and battery-powered bicycles,
and to walk as they carry out their daily
activities in order to keep the city clean
and healthy. The city has gradually
The city's people's committee plans to
promote bicycle use among public
agencies on Car Free Day in March
before boosting their use among local
residents.
10 | P a g e
SPONSORED BY
"Changing a habit of using motorbikes
needs time. The city will target using
100,000 bicycles among local people,"
the city's vice chairman, Bay, says.
The ancient city has been the first city in
Viet Nam hosting a Car Free Day, in an
effort to make the environment cleaner
in the tourism hub.
The city also launched an action
programme to stop using plastic bags
and the 3-R (reduce, reuse and recycle)
programme.
Last year, this UNESCO-recognised world
heritage city debuted its solar power
public lighting system along the city's
Hoai River Square.
Also, Hoi An has been chosen for the
2013 Townscape Award by the UNHabitat Regional Office in Asia.— VNS
15. Well water causing cancer in
central commune
Updated February, 12 2014 09:10:00
HA TINH (VNS) — Residents of Viet
Xuyen Commune in central Ha Tinh
Province are worried that contaminated
well water is exposing them to cancer
after a spate of deaths caused by the
killer disease recently.
At the commune's Trung Trinh Village,
Tran Thi Thao is mourning the death of
her husband who died of gastric cancer a
few days ago. She says residents believe
that many cancer fatalities, including that
of her husband, have been caused by
contaminated water.
his parents also died of cancer," Thao
said.
Nguyen Thi Ly, another local resident,
said her husband also died of cancer,
leaving her to raise two children with
cerebral palsy. Her parents-in-law have
also died from cancer.
"My husband was very healthy. In late
2012, he starting bleeding abnormally
from the mouth when he was working.
My family took him to the National
Cancer Institute (commonly known as
the K Hospital) in Ha Noi and doctors
told him he had cancer," Ly said.
Duong Hong Canh, another resident,
said local residents now dreaded going
to medical examinations out of fear of
being diagnosed with cancer.
According to the commune's medical
station, in the past five years, 20
residents from Trung Trinh Village had
died from cancer, with several cases of
cancer
recorded
among
residents
currently.
"A warehouse full of pesticides and toxic
chemicals, such as DDT and 666, was
built in the commune in 1965 during the
destructive war in the country's north
that took place from 1964 to 1972."
"The U.S. dropped a bomb and
destroyed the warehouse, which is
believed to have caused vast quantities
of pesticides to permeate the soil and
underground water sources," said the
Chairman of the Commune People's
Committee, Pham Quang Hoi to Viet
Nam News.
Inspectors from the province's Natural
Resources and Environment Department
have conducted several inspections since
2007, according to the department's
Deputy Director Nguyen Manh Hung.
Figure 7 "Several local water wells
possess a strong smell of pesticide. Most
local households in my village have had
at least one member of their family die
of cancer," Thao told Nguoi Lao Dong
(The Labourer) newspaper.
"Duong Hong Long, my neighbour, is
suffering from terminal throat cancer and
11 | P a g e
"Soil and water samples taken from the
area were found to contain toxic
chemicals, particularly DDT, multiple
times higher than the legal limit. We
have asked local residents not to use
underground water or plant vegetables
and crops in the area," Hung said.
DDT, a persistent organic pollutant, has
been prohibited in Viet Nam since the
1980s due to its catastrophic effect on
human health.
"The chemical causes cancer in humans,"
said the province's Health Department
Deputy Director, Tran Xuan Dang.
Meanwhile, in order to prevent local
residents from ingesting contaminated
water, a project under the National
Target Programme for Rural Water
Supply and Sanitation which aims to
provide local residents with access to
clean water and sanitation, has been
rolled out after being approved in 2012,
says Hung.
Local authorities have also classified the
soil as contaminated with toxic chemicals
and attempted to treat the polluted soil
and water table, he said.
Despite these efforts, the province is still
suffering from a lack of capital to
completely restore the area, providing an
obstacle to scientists and environmental
officers in treating the area.
"About US$1,000 is needed to treat one
tonne of land contaminated with plant
protection substances," Hung said. —
VNS
16. Eight firms get waste water
treatment certificates
Updated January, 27 2014 10:04:18
TAY NINH (VNS)— The Department of
Natural Resources and Environment in
southern Tay Ninh Province has handed
over certificates confirming that eight
companies have set up waste water
treatment systems that meet required
standards.
The companies specialise in processing
cane sugar, starch and rubber.
Department Director Nguyen Dinh Xuan
said that these were the first companies
with factories located upstream Dong Nai
River that have built standard waste
water treatment systems under a project
to protect the environment in Dong Nai
River's Basin that has been approved by
the Prime Minister.
So far, 89 companies have been ordered
to build standard waste water treatment
systems; including 12 that piloted them
and 36 that have committed to
completing the task this June.
Xuan said companies that fail to build
standard waste water systems will be
shut down. — VNS
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability 17. Company
dredging
fined
for
illegal
February, 26 2014 09:24:47
QUANG BINH (VNS) — The People's
Committee of the central province of
Quang Binh has imposed the maximum
fine of VND440 million (US$23,680) on a
local company found dredging river sand.
According to Le Minh Ngan, head of the
province's department of environment
and natural resources, Duc Toan Co Ltd
in Tuyen Hoa District was fined for a
number of violations including mining
without approval and at an excessive
capacity.
The company's mining license has also
been suspended until August 11 this
year.
The license will be revoked completely if
the company fails to meet its obligations
under the penalty. — VNS
18. Unlawful gold mining still rife in
northern province
February, 25 2014 09:26:00
SON LA (VNS)— Illegal gold mining
continues to be a problem in Pi Toong
Commune in the northern mountainous
province of Son La, despite local
authorities' efforts to stop it.
Illegal gold mining has scarred the
landscape, causing landslides and
polluting water used for local agricultural
production.
"We all know that what we are doing is
illegal,
dangerous,
and
causes
environmental pollution, but we have no
other choice because we don't make
enough money from growing rice to live
on," Vi Thi Lun, a local resident, told
VOV.
Local authorities had attempted to close
illegal mines in recent years, but the
situation hadn't changed, according to
the commune People's Committee
Chairman, Quang Van Tam.
Local authorities have confiscated
machinery and tools used for gold
mining, but residents simply replace
them.
It will also help the VNGO & CC work
more effectively by improving the
organisational and coordination structure
of operations, Ngoc said.
Muong La District's police in co-operation
with the local Natural Resources and
Environment Division and the commune
People's Committee made efforts to stop
illegal mining and set up an inspection
team to deal with exploitation activities
in the commune.
Also in Ha Noi, the SRD held a workshop
on Wednesday on behalf of the
management board of the Network of
Vietnamese
Non-Governmental
Organisations
and
Forest
Law
Enforcement, Governance and Trade
(VNGO-FLEGT). The meeting focused on
Forest Law Enforcement, Governance
and
Trade
Voluntary
Partnership
Agreements.
Illegal gold mining has been reported in
the area since 2011.
"The commune fines illegal miners VND2
million (US$95), but that's not enough of
a deterrent, and local residents continue
mining after they've paid the fine," Tam
said. — VNS
February, 24 2014 08:10:00
There are currently over ten illegal mines
in the area, according to the latest
statistics from local authorities.
Several local households have borrowed
money to equip themselves with
pneumatic drills and sluice boxes to
exploit the precious metal.
Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) reporters
recently visited the area and found it
abuzz with noisy mining equipment and
witnessed several gold miners setting up
temporary accommodation around the
mines.
Viet Nam is one of five countries
projected to suffer the most severe
effects of climate change, according to
the United Nations.
"With a total budget of more than
AUD224,000 (US$200,000), including
over AUD200,000 funded by the
Australian Agency for International
Development (AusAID), the project aims
to improve the efficiency of response to
the impacts of climate change by
improving the ability of the Chief Security
Officer (CSO) and strengthening NGOs'
participation in policymaking on climate
change," said head of the Climate
Change Department under the SRD
Pham Thi Bich Ngoc.
19. NGO role in climate change fight
strengthened
Figure 8 llegal gold mining continues to
be a problem in Pi Toong Commune —
Photo baosonla
Mekong Delta, the Red River Delta and
provinces vulnerable to climate change.
HA NOI (VNS) — Nearly 100 civil
organisations and 20 poor communities
in 23 cities and provinces will benefit
from a project strengthening the role of
Vietnamese
non-governmental
organisations
in
climate
change
communications and policy advocacy.
Vu Thi Bich Hop, director of the Centre
for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
and head of the Network of Vietnamese
Non-Governmental Organisations and
Climate
Change
(VNGO
&
CC),
announced the project at a workshop in
Ha Noi on Tuesday.
Conducted by the SRD, the Centres for
Marine Life Conservation and Community
Development,
Community
Health
Research and Development, Rural
Development in Central Viet Nam and
the Research Institute for Climate
Change, the initiative will focus on the
"Approved in 2003, FLEGT was one of
the European Union's responses to
international concerns about illegal
logging and trading; the document sets
out supply-and-demand measures to
combat the problem. Meanwhile, Viet
Nam is currently one of the 15 largest
timber-exporting countries in the world,
with two major markets in North America
and European," Hop said.
The FLEGT VPA develops control and
licensing procedures in countries that
produce and process timber in order to
ensure that only products made from
legally-harvested timber can enter the
EU.
Participation will help the country
maintain the two large markets, while
reducing illegal logging and trading and
encouraging afforestation, according to
Hop.
The EU has so far concluded a FLEGT
VPA with five African countries and one
Asian country, Indonesia. It is currently
negotiating
with
other
countries
including Malaysia, Gabon and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.— VNS
12 | P a g e
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20. City seeks additional funding for
Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal project
February, 20 2014 08:20:51
HCM CITY (VNS) — HCM City has asked
the World Bank to continue lending
US$450 million for the second phase of
the HCM City environmental sanitation
project (Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Basin),
according to the city's Transport
Department.
The second phase of the project has
three important stages, including the
construction of a wastewater treatment
plant for the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal.
The plant, located in District 2's Thanh
My Loi ward, has a capacity of 480,000
cubic metres per day.
Therefore, in this second phase,
everything will be specified in the
contract, and thus contract violation, if
any, by contractors would be strictly
penalised to ensure the project's
progress.
One of the most important tasks of the
wastewater treatment plant is to treat
both waste-mud and wastewater and
resolve the problem of the smell.
The HCM City environmental sanitation
(Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Basin) project is
one
of
the
city's
large-scale
environmental projects, which plays a
key role in the city's socio-economic
development, according to Nguyen
Hoang Quan, chairman of the city's
people's committee. — VNS
The management board will select the
contractors who meet the technical
requirements first, before basing it on
price, according to Thuan.
21. Tay Ninh shuts polluting rubber
processors
HCM City plans to construct the plant
using a process of design-build-operate
(DBO) with an operation time of five
years.
The selection of contractors for all the
works for the second phase must be
finished in June. This is crucial for
obtaining loans from the World Bank,
according to Phan Chau Thuan.
Figure 9 Young people released fish into
Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal to celebrate
World Environment Day last June. The
canal, which used to suffer from high
levels of pollution, was revived by a
environmental sanitation project. The
city now is seeking funds to c
When the plant is complete, wastewater
from the entire basin will be treated by
the plant instead of being discharged
directly to the Sai Gon River.
CEM of Germany is the consultant for the
plant, Phan Chau Thuan, director of
project management told Sai Gon Giai
Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper.
Two
remaining
works
include
construction of the eight-kilometer
drainage system with a diameter of
3.2km, and construction of a 50-km
wastewater collector sewer for District 2
where the plant is located.
The consultant for the drainage system
is CDM of the US.
The second phase of the HCM City
environmental sanitation (Nhieu Loc –
Thi Nghe Basin) project is expected to be
completed in 2018.
The first phase of the project started in
2003 and was completed in August 2012.
The first phase has had an investment of
VND8.6 trillion ($421 million), of which
VND6.126 trillion ($293.94 million)
comes from the World Bank's Official
Development Assistance (ODA) and
VND3.348 trillion ($160.6 million) from
the city budget.
More than VND1.6 trillion ($76.8 million)
has been used for site clearance work
and compensation for about 7,000
households that had to be relocated.
Thuan said the administrative procedure
of the second phase will be significantly
cut or simplified to ensure the project
stays on schedule.
He said choosing the
the second phase
adding that the first
for many years due
contractors.
The Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal is around
33 square kilometres and goes through
seven districts: 1, 3, 10, Phu Nhuan, Tan
Binh, Go Vap and Binh Thanh. These
districts include more than 1.2 million
13 | P a g e
February, 17 2014 08:53:00
HCM CITY (VNS)— The Tay Ninh
Province's People's Committee has
accepted a petition from the provincial
Department of Natural Resources and
Environment to shut down all rubber and
cassava processing establishments that
discharge waste water directly into the
environment.
According to the department, about 83
rubber
and
cassava
processing
establishments operate in the province,
of which only 17 have installed a waste
water treatment system.
Another 36 establishments are investing
in building a system.
As a result, about 30 processing
establishments are at risk of closing their
doors since they have not built standard
waste water treatment systems.
The province was paying great attention
to environmental issues, said Nguyen Thi
Thu Thuy, chairwoman of the provincial
People's
Committee,
adding
that
economic development could not be
divorced from environmental protection.
After 10 years of development, the first
phase of the project has resulted in more
than 9 kilometres of water inlet sluice
with a diameter of 2.5-3 metres, dredge
around 1.1 million cubic of soil on the
canal, and the upgrade of 16 bridges
along the canal, among other works.
In addition, HCM City also invested more
than VND554 billion ($26.27 million) in
upgrading and expanding the two streets
along the canal, Truong Sa and Hoang
Sa. The total length of the streets is 15.7
kilometres.
best contractors for
plays a key role,
phase was delayed
to the poor quality
residents living near the canal which has
been seriously polluted for many years.
Figure 10 Last year, the province
suspended operations of 18 rubber and
cassava processing establishments for
discharging waste water into the
environment.— Photo tinmoitruong
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability The province would close all processing
establishments that delay building waste
water treatment systems, she said,
noting that the province would allow
them to resume operations only when
they had standard waste water
treatment
systems
verified
by
appropriate authorities.
VND50 million ($2350) for relapsing their
action.
For companies that were already building
such systems, the province would extend
the deadline for completion to June 30,
she said.
The firm was fined more than VND74
million ($3450) and ordered to take
measures within 30 days to have its
waste water treated.
Last year, the province suspended
operations of 18 rubber and cassava
processing
establishments
for
discharging waste water into the
environment. — VNS
However, the situation has not changed.
22. Locals outraged
shrimp firm
by
polluting
February, 17 2014 08:48:43
SOC TRANG (VNS) — Hundreds of
households in southern Soc Trang
Province's Thanh Phu Commune are
demanding strong action against a local
shrimp processing company that has
continued to pollute their main water
source despite being fined several times
for the offence.
The Tan Nhat Phuong Aquaculture
Company, commune residents say, has
not stopped discharging untreated waste
water into the Can Duoc Canal, their
main water source for irrigation and daily
life needs, forcing them to suffer a
"horrible" odour and badly affecting rice
production.
They say that the Can Duoc canal
irrigates thousands of hectares of rice
fields in the province.
Commune resident Thi Bich Nga said the
enterprise usually released waste water
from night until dawn, and the terrible
smell it caused made it difficult for all
those who lived along the canal to sleep
and even breathe.
Nga said the polluted water had seriously
affected her rice field. Productivity had
fallen from 1000kg per sao (1,300sq.m)
to 700kg.
The seafood processing firm has been
fined several times, but it has continued
to repeat its offence, and local
authorities say they do not have the
power to shut it down.
Two weeks ago, My Xuyen District's
Department of Natural Resources and
Environment had carried out an
inspection, and fined the company
Three previous inspections had found the
firm dumping untreated waste water
containing toxic chemicals 10 times
higher than the allowed levels, according
to the department.
"It is vital to keep the water level of 2.3
metres high in Ha Noi's Long Bien
District to ensure the supply of water for
the city," he said.
The Red River covered Ha Noi and 25
other provinces in the north with a
population of 26 million people and total
agricultural area of nearly 1.1 million
hectares.
Mai Thanh Cau, Chairman of the Thanh
Phu People's Committee, said that Tan
Nhat Phuong had two factories in Can
Duoc and Zone No2 hamlets with 100
workers who process raw shrimp.
Both factories were releasing
smelling waste water, he said.
foul
Cau said his administration was helpless
and did not have the authority to shut
down the firm.
Meanwhile, a company representative
contacted local reporters with a report
saying it is building a waste water
treatment plant.
The VND500 million ($23,500) plant,
with a capacity of 200 cubic metres per
day, would be completed in July, the
report said, but the representative
refused to respond to any query. — VNS
23. Expert says Hong River flow
vital for Delta region
February, 13 2014 08:31:31
HA NOI (VNS)— Many parts of Hong
(Red) and Thai Binh rivers have seen its
average water level remarkably reduced
- by two metres lower than the previous
20 years.
This has caused massive drought on
hundreds of thousands of farmland,
blocked
waterway
transport
and
seriously
polluted
the
rivers,
a
conference heard on Tuesday.
At the conference on management of the
Hong-Thai Binh river system, PhD
Rodolfo Soncini-Sessa of the Technical
University of Milan said that the flow of
Hong River must reach about 1,200 cubic
metres per second to supply enough
water for the Red River Delta region.
However, in the past several years, the
flow was strongly reduced to 900 cubic
metres per second.
Figure 11 A section of the Hong (Red)
River in Ha Noi. Lower water levels have
deprived farmlands and caused problems
with waterway transport. — VNS Photo
Truong Vi
In terms of waterway transport, he said
the minimum of the water level in the
area around Long Bien Bridge must be
1.1 metres, but many vehicles were
banned to operate as the water level was
down to under 0.4 metres sometimes.
According to Rodolfo Soncini Sessa, the
decrease of water level at pumping
stations in lower section of the river and
the construction of hydro-power plants
has affected the flow.
Since 1960, Viet Nam have spent more
than US$500 million to curb the changes
of flow in the Red River, but the
effectiveness remains limited.
A $2.2 million project, which has been
implemented in Viet Nam since 2012, will
help improve study on the flow allocation
of the two rivers, maintain essential
ecological services and improve the
economic benefits of hydro-power
production and agriculture, he said.
The project has managed to specify 24
indexes on exploiting the river water in
five sectors and the shortage of electrical
energy of hydro-power plants in dry
seasons.
The project is being funded by the
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
Technical University of Milan and the
Institute of Water Resources Planning
under the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development.
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Bui Quang Tuan, representative of the
Institute of Water Resources Planning,
said
the
irrigation
system
was
downgraded as many pumping machines
were built since 1960 and reached about
70 per cent of their performance.
important consequences on the weather
pattern here over North America."
Moreover, the encroachment of the river,
and the discharge of waste water from
industrial zones and residential areas
have made it seriously polluted, he said.
Yuan Wang, who conducted the research
with Zhang while at Texas A&M,
currently works at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory as a Caltech Postdoctoral
Scholar.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development Hoang Van Thang said the
ministry has carried out a programme on
improving the irrigation system with the
estimated investment capital of VND20
trillion ($940 million) until 2020.
The programme will supply more water
from reservoirs in Hoa Binh, Thac Ba,
Tuyen Quang and Son La. A series of
irrigation works, such as Trung Ha, Bach
Hac, Dai Dinh, Thanh Diem, Dan Hoai,
Xuan Quan and Long Tuu, and a system
of dykes will be built and upgraded.
As many as 129 pumping stations, 14
culverts will be built and more than 230
pumping stations and 14 culverts will be
upgraded under this programme, he
said. — VNS
24. Air pollution from Asia affecting
world's weather
29/01/2014, 09:27:45 PM (GMT+7)
(Theguardian)-Extreme air pollution in
Asia is affecting the world's weather and
climate patterns, according to a study by
Texas A&M University and NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory researchers.
Yuan Wang, a former doctoral student at
Texas A&M, along with Texas A&M
atmospheric sciences professors Renyi
Zhang and R. Saravanan, have had their
findings published in the current issue of
Nature Communications.
Using climate models and data collected
about aerosols and meteorology over the
past 30 years, the researchers found that
air pollution over Asia -- much of it
coming from China -- is impacting global
air circulations.
"The models clearly show that pollution
originating from Asia has an impact on
the upper atmosphere and it appears to
make such storms or cyclones even
stronger," Zhang explains.
"This pollution affects cloud formations,
precipitation, storm intensity and other
factors and eventually impacts climate.
Most likely, pollution from Asia can have
15 | P a g e
Zhang adds that "we need to do some
future research on exactly how these
aerosols are transported globally and
impact climate. There are many other
atmospheric observations and models we
need to look at to see how this entire
process works."
The study was funded by grants from
NASA, Texas A&M's Supercomputing
facilities and the Ministry of Science and
Technology of China.
Figure 12 Satellite photo shows huge air
pollution clouds at far left. Japan is on
the right.
China's booming economy during the last
30 years has led to the building of
enormous
manufacturing
factories,
industrial plants, power plants and other
facilities that produce huge amounts of
air pollutants. Once emitted into the
atmosphere, pollutant particles affect
cloud formations and weather systems
worldwide, the study shows.
Increases in coal burning and car
emissions are major sources of pollution
in China and other Asian countries.
Air pollution levels in some Chinese
cities, such as Beijing, are often more
than 100 times higher than acceptable
limits set by the World Health
Organization standards, Zhang says.
25. Household appliance refused
rate
rising,
e-waste
question
remains unsolved
05/02/2014, 09:22:22 PM (GMT+7)
(VietNamNet Bridge)-Treating e-waste
remains a difficult question to solve for
environmental scientists. The volume of
e-waste has been increasing year after
year, while the treatment solutions still
cannot bring good effects.
My Hao in the northern province of Hung
Yen has been well known as the “ewaste village.” There in the locality, old
TV sets, stereos, fridges are piled up,
waiting for treatment.
A local resident said the discarded
electronics have been collected from
different localities and carried to the
village, where they are put into the small
scale workshops for treatment.
One study has shown that lung cancer
rates have increased 400 percent in
some areas due to the ever-growing
pollution problem.
Conditions tend to worsen during winter
months when a combination of stagnant
weather patterns mixed with increased
coal burning in many Asian cities can
create pollution and smog that can last
for weeks. The Chinese government has
pledged to toughen pollution standards
and to commit sufficient financial
resources to attack the problem. "The
models we have used and our data are
very consistent with the results we have
reached," Saravanan says.
"Huge amounts of aerosols from Asia go
as high as six miles up in the atmosphere
and these have an unmistakable impact
on cloud formations and weather."
Figure 13 The village inundated in
electronic waste
In general, the treatment can only help
take back metals, plastics and glass.
Meanwhile, the remaining parts of the
electronic waste, which cannot be sold
for money, will be thrown into the
landfills in the village, which is not very
far from houses. They have also been
buried right in the village or around it.
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability Therefore, the visitors to the village may
get surprised when seeing piles of CRT
TV tubes “displayed” in some areas of
the village.
The surveys conducted by the Hanoi
University of Technology and the Hanoi
Natural Sciences University all have
shown a serious situation of the
electronic waste treatment.
The researchers have found the
increasingly high rate of households’
discarded electronic products year after
year. The rate has increased by 200
percent over that of 10 years ago.
It is estimated that by 2020, Hanoi
would have 160,000 TV sets, 97,000
computers, 178,000 fridges, 97,000 air
conditioners to be discarded.
In HCM City, 700,000 TV sets, 290,000
computers, 420,000 fridges, 339,000
washing
machines,
330,000
air
conditioners would be thrown away by
the local families by that time, according
to the Hanoi University of Technology.
percent of rice samples had the heavy
metal content higher than allowed if
referring to Japanese standards.
26. Vietnam may allow importing
waste for recycling
07/02/2014, 12:56:56 PM (GMT+7)
(VietNamNet Bridge)-The HCM City
People’s Committee now works with
competent agencies on the initiative to
allow the Vietnam Waste Solution (VWS)
to import waste to be recycled at the
company’s $10 million factory.
The factory, developed by VWS over the
last three years, reportedly needs
thousands of tons of rubbish every day
to generate power.
Toxic substances harm people’s health
VWS’s General Director David Duong said
since the city has been slow in
implementing the waste classification
program, the compose factory and the
recycling factories have been left idle
since 2011 because of the lack of
materials.
Scientists said the e-waste, while waiting
to be treated, has been discharging toxic
substances harming people’s health.
Therefore, he has proposed to allow
VWS to import waste to ensure sufficient
materials for the factories.
According to Dr. Do QuangTrung from
the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences,
electronic waste contains big dangers for
the environment and humans if it cannot
be treated well. Meanwhile, to date,
Vietnam still has not found the
technologies which allow treating the
waste well. There has not been a
standardized waste collection process,
while people have not received sufficient
warnings about the problems they would
face with the electronic waste.
According to Tin, Vietnam now prohibits
enterprises and organizations to import
materials for recycling, while this is a
very popular thing permitted in other
countries.
In 2011, VWS once asked for the
permission to import 10,000 tons of
waste for domestic recycling to run the
factories on a trial basis. However, the
proposal was rejected because this was
prohibited by the environment laws.
The Hanoi Natural Sciences University
has also found the high level leakage of
heavy metals in the rice grown in Yen
Phong and Tu Son districts in Bac Ninh
province, the electronic waste recycling
“centers.”
The scientists from the school have
discovered that the lead and arsenic
contents in the rice there are higher than
that in neighboring areas. The lead
content in the rice in Van Mon, for
example, was double the content in
reference sample.
60 percent of the rice samples there had
the lead content higher than 0.5 mg per
kilo, while it was 0.05 mg per kilo in the
reference sample.
The heavy metal content in the rice is
still within the safety line in accordance
with the Vietnamese standards, but 30
Tin has promised to control the imports
to be brought to Vietnam by VWS to
ensure that the environment laws are
respected, and that the imports can only
enter Vietnam if they can meet the
required standards.
VWS, in an effort to make the proposal
more convincing, has suggested that it
would make the deposits worth millions
of US dollars and take responsibility for
the violations.
According to Phuong, at first, VWS
committed to invest $90 million in the
project in Da Phuoc district in HCM City,
but it has poured $120 million into the
project so far. Meanwhile, in early 2014,
it received the permission on raising the
investment capital to $150 million.
Analysts commented that VWS can hope
that its proposal would be approved.
The Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
said he has visited 10 waste treatment
factories so far and he has found that
the waste treatment still cannot be done
well.
Dung stressed that waste treatment is
the field which Vietnam encourages the
investments
in.
Therefore,
the
settlement of the legal problems faced
by enterprises would be on high priority.
As for VWS, Dung agrees that VWS
needs to have to have more rubbish to
treat, if it really can get 3,000 tons out of
the 10,000 tons it needs a day.
“The most important factor is the waste
quality. If the factory can run at full
capacity, the factories would be able to
minimize the production costs,” he said.
Prior to that, on January 10, 2014, the
Minister of Natural Resources and the
Environment Nguyen Minh Quang, at the
working session with VWS, also said it is
highly possible that VWS would be
allowed to import waste for recycling.
Quang said though the laws still do not
allow this, competent agencies still can
find the ways to import waste in specific
cases.
Figure 14 HCM City Vice Mayor Nguyen
Huu Tin made the proposal at the
meeting with the Prime Minister Nguyen
Tan Dung at the factory on February 2.
According to Huynh Thi Lan Phuong,
Deputy General Director of VWS, VWS
can handle with 10,000 tons of waste a
day, but it has 3,000 tons only.
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27. Vietnam active at environment
workshop in Thailand
10/02/2014, 12:51:44 PM (GMT+7)
(VNA)-Experts from many Vietnamese
universities and government agencies
participated in a workshop on the
environment and the management of
river basin in Bangkok from February 89.
Also under discussion was how to
enhance Asian countries’ capacity in
responding to climate change.
Vietnam’s research projects in the field
presented at the event attracted interest
from international delegates.
The river basin management talk was
initiated by Yamanashi University of
Japan and a network of International
Research Centres for River Basin
Environment (ICRE-Net) was established
to undertake further research in this
area.
Many universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City along with Vietnam’s research
institutes on environment and weather
also joined the network, which is sharing
the latest findings made by its members
to interested countries.
At the workshop, which saw the
participation of over 45 scientists,
attendees discussed ways to set up
greater cooperation between them in the
future.
Vietnamese scientists introduced their
achievements in fighting against floods
and protecting the environment. They
also expressed their hope to partner with
teams from other countries towards
better coping with climate change in
Vietnam.
Participants said that the management of
river basin is an urgent issue in many
countries as scarce water resources and
low quality of water have the potential to
be disastrous.
The workshop heard 19 projects, five of
which were from Vietnam, focusing on
the fields of climate and water
environment, treatment of polluted water
and health care.
28. Vietnam
investment
treatment
calls
for
for
waste
private
water
12/02/2014, 11:53:03 AM (GMT+7)
17 | P a g e
(VietNamNet Bridge)-Vietnam has been
advised to call for capital from different
investment sources to develop waste
water treatment projects, or the state
will have to pay $780 million a year, or
1.3 percent of GDP, to cover the
economic losses caused by the poor
hygiene.
A report showed that $150 million has
been spent every year, or 0.45 percent
of GDP in the last decade to upgrade the
urban sanitation. It was estimated that
$2.1 billion was spent in 1995-2009 on
water drainage and waste treatment
alone.
However, Vietnam still needs more
money for the urban sanitation
upgrading. About $8.3 billion would be
needed to provide water drainage
services to 36 million urbanites by 2025.
What does it mean by “reasonable
mechanism”?
The capital for the urban sanitation
projects, especially the waste water
treatment projects in big and medium
cities has been increasing year on year.
However, the majority of the capital was
sourced from the official development
assistance (ODA). Only a few projects
have been developed by private
investors so far.
Most of the businesses in charge of the
water drainage and waste water
treatment have been running the
systems as “ordered” by the local
authorities, which pay for the services.
Analysts have commented that the
current mechanism, under which fixed
budgets are allocated every year to
businesses to operate the systems does
not allow the businesses to make
investment for development.
The World Bank’s experts have pointed
out that Vietnam still does not have
reasonable preferential policies to
mobilize the resources from the private
economic sector to the work.
Figure 15 Huge capital spent, but still not
enough
The figures have been released by the
World Bank in a report released in mid
January 2014.
According to the Ministry of Construction,
there are some 50 concentrated waste
water treatment stations nationwide, but
only 24 stations are operational with the
total capacity of 670,000 cubic meters
per day.
The other 26 waste water treatment
works with the capacity of 1.435 million
cubic meters are still under the
construction.
With such the poor infrastructure
system, most of the waste water has
been discharged directly to the surface
water drainage system. Only 10 percent
of the waste water can be treated.
The modest improvement in the waste
water treatment explained why it was a
hot topic for discussion at the 2013
Development Partner Forum. Specialists,
partners and donors all have advised
Vietnam to build up a reasonable
mechanism allowing to call for the
investment from the private economic
sector for water service and environment
sanitation projects.
The unreasonable service fee framework
set up by the state and the improper
legal framework both have also been
cited as the main reasons behind the
problem.
In principle, in order to attract the
private investment to the field, the State
needs to promise the profits high enough
to attract investors.
What the State should do immediately is
to create most favorable conditions for
businesses to access official credit
channels, and to allow businesses to
raise the service fee in order to ensure
the income high enough for machine
maintenance
and
businesses’
reinvestment.
29. Dong Nai works
pollution in IPs
to
reduce
13/02/2014, 12:35:29 PM (GMT+7)
(VNA)-The southern province of Dong
Nai will work to install qualified waste
water treatment systems in all 28
operating industrial parks (IPs) in the
locality as part of effort to prevent
environmental pollution.
According to Director of the provincial
Department of Natural Resources and
Environment Le Viet Hung, Dong Nai will
also build environment supervision
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability stations in every IPs whose area has
been occupied by more than 50 percent.
So far, 21 out of the 28 operating IPs in
Dong Nai have launched their own waste
water treatment facilities, he noted.
Meanwhile, as many as 17 IPs have also
installed
automatic
waste
water
supervision stations, he added.
However, Hung also pointed out that 150
production establishments across the
locality have been listed as dangers for
the environment, and only 98 of them
have since taken steps to better the
situation.
Meanwhile, Hoang Van Thong, chief
inspector at the department, said the
number of violations in environmental
protection dropped sharply in 2013,
attributing the result to strict supervision
and punishment by local authorities.
He warned that all individuals and
businesses
causing
environmental
protection will be punished adequately,
with their names listed in the mass
media.
Upon operation, the plant will collect all
the wastewater from the basin of Nhieu
Loc-Thi Nghe canal in Districts 1 and 3
and Phu Nhuan, Binh Thanh, Go Vap,
Tan Phu and Tan Binh Districts, and from
the Thu Thiem peninsula, Thuan said.
Currently, without such a facility,
wastewater from these areas is
preliminarily treated and pumped out to
the Saigon River.
CDM International Inc, an American
consulting company, will design a sewer
system that is 8 km long and 3.2 meters
wide to link the sewerage at the Saigon
River bank with the plant.
After its initial operation period, the plant
will raise its capacity to 850,000 cubic
meters of wastewater per day.
The total investment of the project is
estimated to be US$520 million, of which
$450 million is World Bank loans and the
rest
is
from
the
Vietnamese
Government’s counterpart capital.
plant protection chemicals left in Hoanh
Son commune of Giao Thuy district.
The project was approved by the Nam
Dinh provincial People’s Committee in
the Decision No 1264 dated August 1,
2011.
However, the problem is that the
solutions on treating the polluted soil in
the locality shown in the document and
the Decision No. 972 have not been
followed.
The people in Hoa Binh
they cannot understand
protection chemicals left
commune needs to be
Binh commune.
commune said
why the plant
in Hoanh Son
buried in Hoa
“As far as I know, this is a project of
Hoanh Son commune. However, I don’t
understand why the district’s authorities
have decided to implement the project
here,” said Lai The Thong, a local
resident, said.
Of the $450-million WB loans, $200
million will be interest-free.
According to Thong, tens of local
households donated thousands of square
meters of land for a domestic garbage
dumping ground.
30. HCMC
to
have
largest
wastewater treatment plant in SE
Asia
31. Local
authorities
“cache”
chemicals underground, people give
up farming
15/02/2014, 03:39:51 PM (GMT+7)
22/02/2014, 12:49:58 AM (GMT+7)
While the work was under the execution,
the Binh Hoa commune’s authorities
allowed a company to build a 3,000
square meter reinforce concrete tank
next to the dumping ground.
(Tuoitrenews)-As part a World Bankfunded project, a wastewater treatment
plant capable of treating up to 450,000
cubic meters of wastewater per day for
Ho Chi Minh City is being designed the
Centre for Econics and Ecosystem
Management, a German company.
(VietNamNet Bridge)-Local people in
Binh Hoa Commune of Giao Thuy district
in Nam Dinh province have got panicked
after realizing that the local authorities
decided to bury pesticide in the rice
fields.
Construction of the plant will begin in
2015 and when completed and put into
operation in 2018, the facility will be the
largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, the
Management Board of the HCMC Water
Environmental Hygiene Project said on
Thursday.
Figure 16 File Photo
Included
in
phase
2
of
the
aforementioned project, the plant will be
built on an area of 38 hectares in Thanh
My Loi Ward in District 2, HCMC, said
Phan Chau Thuan, the director of board.
The project on burying pesticide in the
fields is a hot topic of discussion of all
people in the commune these days. The
local authorities have reassured the
public that the project has been going
smoothly as it is initially designed.
However, hundreds of local farmers have
give up the rice fields because of the
fear for soil pollution and risks for human
health.
A lot of chemical barrels with no clear
origin have been found buried amid the
rice fields, which has put local people on
the tenterhooks. They fear that the
thousands cubic meters of chemicals
would pollute the environment and
damage their health once the chemicals
leak out.
An official of the commune people’s
committee said burying pesticide is a
part of the project on settling the
environment pollution caused by the
Local residents were told that the tank
would be used for the waste water
treatment. However, in fact, it has
become the tank of the toxic chemicals
brought there from other localities.
Also according to Thong, the project has
been implemented quietly, because no
one knows about the project and the
local authorities did not consult with the
people about it. People just have
discovered the tank of pesticide, when
the burying nearly got completed.
Some people complained that they had
itching after finishing the field works
nearby, blaming on the toxicity
underground which has reportedly
flooded out.
Lai Van Thanh, a farmer, said he fears
that the people here would lose their
livelihood once the rice fields get
polluted with the pesticide. Agriculture
remains the main source of income for
local people.
“We have to live in fear, but the local
authorities turn a deaf ear to our
difficulties,” he complained.
“We don’t want to see a new “cancer
village” appear one day here,” he added.
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23/02/2014, 08:22:32 AM (GMT+7)
"We didn't notice that air pollution in
Vietnam had got worse because the
economy has been stagnant, especially
in the building sector. If we don't do
something to protect the environment
now, in the next few years we'll have to
face the same problem as Beijing, where
10% of its population has lung cancer,"
Tung said.
(Tienphong, dtinews)-The number of
deaths resulting from air pollution in
Vietnam is expected to double by 2030,
according to the latest report from DARA
International.
Forest
spotlighted
in
ASEAN’s
environment
contest
24/02/2014,
12:29:33 PM (GMT+7)
The Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2012, a
study conducted by Spain-based DARA
International and the most vulnerable
countries, predicts that the mortality rate
from air pollution many increase to over
20,000 by 2030 from the 10,000
recorded in 2010.
(Nhan Dan Online/VNA )-Forests and
their important role in the environment
were the inspiration for the winners of
the festival of Photos – Reportage –
Documentary Film on Environmental
Protection and Climate Change in the
ASEAN Community.
According to the report, urbanisation,
industrial zones, power plants as well as
other socio-economic factors have
heightened
the
concentration
of
particulates in the air. Indoor, industrial
and
agricultural
pollutants
were
highlighted, however, indoor air pollution
was the most worrisome issue, as 40,000
deaths in 2010 linked to illnesses
resulting from inhaling indoor smoke
from home cooking fires and fireplaces.
At an award-presentation ceremony in
Hanoi on February 20, a collection of
photos themed ‘the role of forests and
climate
change’
by
Vietnamese
photographer Huynh Lam took the first
prize in the photo category.
Hundreds of hectares of fields near the
place where chemicals are buried have
been left uncultivated.
32. Vietnam warned of severe air
pollution
were of a high standard, demonstrating
the talent found in ASEAN countries.
33. Vietnam province to
destroy its beautiful bay
further
24/02/2014, 11:00:59 PM (GMT+7)
(Tuoitre)-The central coastal province of
Khanh Hoa has approved a “luxury urban
area” project that will be built on 80
hectares of Nha Trang Bay despite
objections construction will destroy the
natural environment.
The Diamond Bay luxury urban area will
also use nearly 60 hectares of water of
the bay, considered one of the most
beautiful in the world, outside the main
location for its services, according to the
plan
approved
by
the
province
government last December. The fill-up is
expected to use more than 3.6 million
cubic meters of soil.
The project is invested in by local Hoan
Cau Company and includes a 40-story
hotel, a 45-story garden high-rise of
apartments and many parks to the south
of Tran Phu Bridge, which runs along the
sea.
An increasing traffic and industrial areas
in Hanoi has led to alarming increases in
pollution in north of the Red River.
Hoang Duong Tung, Deputy Director
General of the Environment Directorate,
under the Ministry of Natural Resources
and the Environment, said the coal
industry, thermal-power plants, as well
as steel and cement factories are the
main culprits.
Figure 18 At the ceremony (Source:
vietbao.vn)
Meanwhile, ‘Jungle Beat’ produced by
the Malaysian National Film Development
Corporation won the first prize in the
reportage – documentary film category.
Twenty-eight other outstanding works
were also honoured.
Figure 17 More people to die from air
pollution
Quang Ninh Province, famous for its coal
exploitation, has seen the most dramatic
rise in pollution. Lead concentrations in
the air are very high in provinces and
cities with steel factories.
19 | P a g e
Addressing the ceremony, Minister of
Information and Technology Nguyen Bac
Son said the competition contributes to
the ASEAN vision 2020, which looks to
build a green and clean ASEAN.
Since it was launched in July, 2013, the
festival, hosted by Vietnam for the first
time, received 536 photo and photo
collection entries and 125 film entries
from ASEAN countries.
According to Nguyen Truong Son, head
of the Organisation Board, the entries
Figure 19 Nha Trang beach has been
occupied by many constructions. Photo
courtesy of Tuoi Tre
Khanh Hoa several years ago allowed
Hoan Cau to rent the bay at the price of
VND90,000 (US$4.27) a hectare a year
for a nearly 50-year term to “protect the
bay and develop it for tourism purposes,”
according to the contract.
Truong Kinh, director of Nha Trang Bay
Management Board -- which was set up
by the province government and includes
local officials -- told Tuoi Tre on
Wednesday that he had yet to be
informed of the project.
Bui Dung, chairman of Khanh Hoa
Province Architects Association, said they
were consulted on the project before the
approval and they have filed a rejection,
given that there’s other areas available
for such a project and destroying Nha
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability Trang Bay’s scenery and ecosystem was
not worth it.
34. Vietnam may set barriers to
prevent waste imports
Nha Trang’s marine environment has
been whittled away for years as many
tourism projects launched since 1999
have affected hundreds of hectares of
beach and water area.
25/02/2014, 12:38:22 PM (GMT+7)
The bay has been also polluted by waste
discharged directly from tourist boats
that don’t have septic tanks and from
sewers along seaside streets.
Dr. Nguyen Tac An, vice chairman of the
Vietnam Marine Science and Technology
Association, said the latest plan will
finalize the bays’ death sentence.
An was quoted in a Friday report by Tuoi
Tre newspaper that the plan puts an end
to the highly potential sea and tourism
economies in Nha Trang.
The plan alleges that Nha
current
design
is
too
monotonous,
unaesthetic,
fragmented.
Trang’s
simple,
and
It says Nha Trang’s seaside area only
has a square, a small park, several
restaurants and coffee shops and one
resort.
(VietNamNet
Bridge)-The
National
Assembly is considering installing
barriers and putting strict control over
the imports before Vietnam turns into
the waste ground for developed
countries.
Law compilers have been criticized
heavily for their decision to allow
importing some kinds of scrap which
could be used as the input materials for
the domestic industrial production.
Understanding the serious consequences
to be brought by the waste imports, the
compilers drafting the amended law on
environment protection still decided to
allow importing some scrap metals and
alloys, paper, glass and plastics for
domestic production.
“It is necessary to reconsider the scrap
import,” said Chair of the National
Assembly’s
Finance
and
Budget
Committee Phung Quoc Hien.
An said if that is bad, the plan will make
things much worse, from a spacy
beautiful waterfront into a narrow and
messy beach.
He also said the plan does not fit with
three previous city plans passed in 1995,
2011 and 2012.
The 2012 plan said seaside space will be
saved for tourism and public services.
That clause was interpreted by drafters
of the new plan to mean that major
tourism constructions are allowed, that
the area needs a diversity of activities
including commerce and entertainment
to maximize the effect of the land.
“Commercial activities are not suitable
for seaside areas.”
An said the advantage of Nha Trang’s
beach so far is its lack of human “crude”
intervention, and it should be left as it is
because the future of Nha Trang’s
economy is with the sea.
He said a plan that is disrespectful to the
sea will also put Vietnam in an awkward
position as global tourism trends favor
pristine
destinations
instead
of
commercialized and urbanized ones.
An said that the quality of Nha Trang
beach is already slipping as its white
sand has turned dark yellow and its
biodiversity is disappearing.
Figure 20 File Photo
The import scrap cannot recycle
themselves. Therefore, Hien has strongly
proposed to prohibit the scrap imports in
order to rescue Vietnam from becoming
a waste ground for developed countries.
According to Nguyen Van Giau, Chair of
the National Assembly’s Economics
Committee, Vietnam cannot prohibit the
scrap import, or it would violate the
international commitments.
However, Giau believes that it is
necessary to set up technical barriers to
restrict the import of scrap.
“The law should be designed in a way
which only allows importing the scrap
which can be used as the low-cost input
materials for the domestic production, if
they are lacking in Vietnam,” Giau said.
18 percent import scrap for the domestic
distribution and the remaining import
under the authorization by others.
According to the Ministry of Natural
Resources
and
the
Environment
(MONRE), Vietnam imported 2.9 million
tons of scrap which could be used as a
material for production, including scrap
iron, plastics, paper.
In the first seven months of 2011 alone,
Vietnam imported 1.3 million tons of
scrap steel, an increase of 27 percent in
comparison with the same period of
2010, mostly from the US, South Africa,
Australia and the EU.
It is estimated that hundreds of millions
of tons of goods of different kinds are
imported to Vietnam through official
channels. These include the goods that
may cause environment pollution, such
as old machines and equipment,
electronic parts with high contents of
hazardous substances.
A report of the Hai Phong City Police, in
2003-2006 alone, 2,300 containers
containing 37,000 tons of waste lead
batteries entered Vietnam through the
port. In 2008-2009, about 340 containers
of scrap and tens of containers of waste
batteries and electronic chips were
imported.
At some occasions, 1,000 containers of
scrap were stuck at the Hai Phong port.
The containers were the temporary
imports for re-export later. In principle,
they
would
be
re-exported
to
neighboring countries. However, as the
countries then ran the campaigns to
strictly control the imports from Vietnam,
the containers could not be exported.
In the period from May 2009 to May
2011 alone, the environment police
discovered 37 violation cases, in which
3,278 containers with 56,618 tons of
waste batteries and other goods listed as
hazardous waste, were imported.
Minister of MONRE Nguyen Minh Quang
noted that the fat profit from the waste
import
has
prompted
Vietnamese
enterprises to dodge the laws to bring
waste to Vietnam.
In many cases, when the prohibited
waste was discovered by the police or
customs agencies, the owners of the
goods did not turn up to receive the
imports.
There are 160 enterprises in Vietnam
that import scrap, of which, 75 percent
of enterprises import scrap to serve their
production and recycling, while the other
20 | P a g e
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35. World Water Day to be held in
mountainous province
metres each and run by solar energy or
both solar and wind power.
38. Community-based
management promoted
20/02/2014 | 16:58:52
The construction has been supported
with non-refundable aid of 4 million
Danish krone (14.8 billion VND) along
with over 2.3 billion VND contributed by
the 12 provinces and cities benefiting
from the project.
24/02/2014 | 20:00:41
A national meeting and activities in
response to World Water Day 2014 will
be held on March 21 in Lai Chau, one of
the provinces in the watershed of the
Red river and Thai Binh river, the largest
river basin in northern Vietnam.
According to the online newspaper of the
Communist Party of Vietnam, the
information has been released by the
Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment.
The programme includes a national
meeting, a scientific conference titled
"Water and Energy", a photo exhibition
themed "Water - People - Life", an art
performance called "River and Singing"
and some other activities.
World Water Day 2014, with the theme
"Water and Energy", aims to raise
awareness about the close relationship
between these two basic elements, as
well as calls on people to find
management measures to be able to
maintain economic growth and to meet
human needs through sustainable
exploitation of water resources and
efficient and economical use of energy
towards a green growth economy.
The event also aims to raise the
awareness
of
the
international
community, authorities at all levels and
local
communities
concerning
the
interactive relationship between water
and energy, and promotes policy
dialogues to solve the related problems.VNA
36. Delta
water
demonstrates green power
project
22/02/2014 | 18:40:40
The living conditions of rural people in
the Mekong Delta will be improved
thanks to the construction of a water
supply station using solar and wind
energy in the province of Soc Trang.
As part the Danish-funded project, three
water supply stations will be built in
remote areas that are densely populated
by Khmer ethnic people: Chau Thanh
district, Prey Chop hamlet and the Vinh
Phuoc ward of Vinh Chau town.
With a total investment of 1 billion VND
(47,000 USD), the stations have a daily
capacity of between 30 and 70 cubic
21 | P a g e
The development aims to promote a
sustainable water supply for rural
communities in the Mekong Delta while
proving the efficiency of greener energy
supply
methods,
increasing
local
understanding for the benefit of
Vietnamese
rural
people,
the
environment and the economics of the
region.
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta is believed to be
one of the most vulnerable areas to the
impacts of climate change in the world.VNA
37. Youngsters act
change adaptation
for
climate
24/02/2014 | 19:55:33
The project “Youth Initiative for Climate
Change Adaptation” came under review
in the central city of Da Nang on
February 24, with youngsters from Da
Nang and the southern cities of Quy
Nhon and Can Tho taking part.
As part of the Rockefeller Foundationfunded Asian Cities Climate Change
Resilience Network, young people in
these localities have received funding of
1.2 billion VND (570,000 USD) for 12 out
of their 60-plus climate change response
initiatives
from
the
UK’s
nongovernmental organisation Challenge to
Change (CTC) since 2012.
Besides technical assistance, the youth
initiative groups were also provided with
aid of 10-100 million VND (470 – 47,600
USD), depending on the scale and
complexity of each project.
At the event, 12 groups presented their
ideas, implementation, results and
lessons learnt during the process. They
also had a chance to interact with
specialists from CTC and Quy Nhon
University.
The projects on assessing the impacts of
climate change and disasters on Da
Nang’s fisheries, rainwater collection and
a semi-auto rainwater spraying system
are among the success stories.-VNA
disaster
A large number of people in the Mekong
Delta province of An Giang have been
provided with skills to protect themselves
and their families from natural disasters
thanks to a project on community-based
disaster risk management. The outcome
was reported at a meeting to review the
project held in the locality on February
24.
Funded by the Red Cross of Germany
and Australia, the project, which started
in July 2012, will continue until
December 2014 in three districts, namely
Thoai Son, Tri Ton and Tinh Bien, which
are considered to be extremely
vulnerable to climate change.
Through training courses, residents in
the areas have learnt how to prevent,
cope with and adapt to the impacts of
natural disasters and climate change.
Thirty-three campaigns to raise public
awareness of responding to climate
change have been organised with the
participation of 988 local people, most of
them are women and Khmer people.
As many as 210 pupils from primary
schools in the three localities have been
taught how to administer first aid in
urgent cases.
The project has also made use of the
experience from activities of the Red
Cross and the Red Crescent implemented
in Vietnam and the region, towards
ensuring clean water supply and
environmental sanitation as well as
promoting healthcare and development
of livelihood-support models in the
locality.-VNA
39. Erosion threatens
Mekong Delta
homes
in
25/02/2014 | 09:56:22
Thousands of families in the Mekong
Delta live in erosion-prone areas, and
local authorities are struggling to ensure
their safety.
In Soc Trang province, more than 60
families living along the Hau and Cai Con
rivers in An Lac Thon town face the
threat of erosion.
Authorities
have
deployed
rescue
workers around the clock to promptly
deal with problems caused by erosion.
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability Last year severe erosion occurred on
several occasions in Ke Sach district –
where the town is located — sending
three houses plunging into a river and
forcing
six
families
to
relocate
immediately.
Figure 21 A child sits on the edge of a
river bank after his house was washed
away in Tran Van Thoi District, Ca Mau
Province (Photo: VNA)
In Dong Thap, 1,700 households in
erosion-prone areas need to be relocated
but the province does not have the funds
to support the displacement.
Dinh Xuan Hoang, deputy director of its
Department of Construction, said the
erosion is set to worsen in future, with
the number of households affected
increasing to more than 3,000.
The department has urged the People's
Committee to seek funds from the
Government to build residential areas to
settle households affected by erosion, he
said.
Dong Thap has 100 erosion sites
measuring a total of 45km in 40 wards,
communes, and towns.
In An Giang, some 6,000 households live
in erosion-prone areas, and the province
People's
Committee
is
seeking
permission to build new residential areas
to relocate them.
In the delta, coastal erosion too is a
severe problem, but authorities have yet
to take measures to combat it.
In Ca Mau, the sea is encroaching by an
average of five meters a year, according
to
the
province
department
of
Agriculture and Rural Development.
The West Sea dyke in U Minh District's
Khanh Tien commune is badly eroded by
waves, and local residents said they live
in fear of the storm and rainy seasons.
Pham Hoang, a farmer in Khanh Tien,
said high tides sometimes brought
seawater into rice fields deep inland,
damaging them.
It takes a few years to cleanse the fields
of salt, he said.-VNA
40. HCM City stops licensing ozonedestroying equipment production
26/02/2014 | 15:04:00
No more enterprise or project on making
the products and equipment that may
harm the ozone layer will be licensed in
Ho Chi Minh City, reported the online
Vietnam Net.
In the municipal People’s Committee’s
recent decision, the city’s authorities
requested the competent agencies to
stop licensing new projects or allowing
the expansion of the projects on the
production and assembling of air
conditioners, which have the capacity of
48,000 BTU and use refrigerant R22.
The move aims to help reduce the
demand for HCFC substances in Vietnam,
which are believed to be harmful to the
ozone layer, but they have been used
widely in refrigeration engineering.
The city’s authorities also instructed the
agencies not to grant new licenses to
domestic businesses, joint ventures and
100-percent foreign-owned enterprises
making thermal insulating foam using
R141b.
From now on, the city begins restricting
the installation of new refrigeration
equipment using R22 in seafood
processing,
before
a
complete
interruption is applied in the near future.
The ozone layer is described as the
shield that protects life on the earth from
the ultraviolet rays harmful to people’s
health.
The ozone layer is in the danger because
of the big volume of chemical people
generate
during
the
industrial
production. Scientists have repeatedly
urged to control the ozone layer
destructive substances, saying that if
drastic measures can be applied, the
ozone layer’s hole would be fixed and it
would return to the normal situation by
2060-2070.
Only some enterprises in HCM City,
including Chinese-invested ones, still
make air conditioners using R22, said
Luong Duc Khoa, coordinator of the
Ozone Programme under the Ministry of
Natural Resources and the Environment’s
Department of Hydrometeorology and
Climate Change.
Most of the refrigeration equipments are
made in other localities and then brought
to HCM City for sale.
According to Le Khac Hieu, deputy head
of the Department of Hydrometeorology
and Climate Change, Vietnam will need
30 million USD from now to 2030 to
support
the
enterprises
when
implementing the program to eliminate
HSFC substances, harmful to the ozone
layer.
Hieu said under the current regulations,
the thermal insulating and refrigeration
equipment manufacturers would be
propped up 90 percent of the total
expenses for technology transfer.
The programme would help encourage
enterprises to apply the new technology
using cyclopentane in some more years.
The government of Vietnam is taking
steps to reduce the installation of
equipments using HCFC-22 in seafood
cold
storage,
the production of
household use air conditioners using
HCFC-22, while it is striving to control
the import and export of HCFC
substances.
According to Hieu, the moves to stop the
use of HCFC show Vietnam is actively
complying with the commitments of the
Montreal Protocol signed in Canada in
1987.
Vietnam consumes some 3,200 tons of
HCFC-22, more than 500 tons of HCFC141b and nearly 7,000 tons of polyol
mixed with HCFC-141b.
The
consumption
of
the
HCFC
substances increases by 15 percent per
annum. Meanwhile, Vietnam has to fulfill
its
commitments
to
reduce
the
consumption volume by 10 percent by
2015.-VNA
41. Hanoi
technology
treatment
prioritises
application
advanced
in waste
11/02/2014 | 11:25:00
Hanoi pursues the consistent policy of
offering incentives for enterprises which
apply advanced technologies in waste
treatment in the capital, Vice Chairman
of the municipal People’s Committee Vu
Hong Khanh has said.
At
a
meeting
relating
to
the
implementation of waste and water
treatment projects in the city on
February 10, Khanh added that priorities
will be given to experienced and
prestigious enterprises which wish to
invest in the projects.
According to Deputy Director of Hanoi’s
Department of Natural Resources and
Environment, Pham Quoc Khanh, the
department is building a technical design
for the construction of a water treatment
22 | P a g e
SPONSORED BY
plant in Van Canh commune, Hoai Duc
district, which is expected to be
approved in May.
It also asked the city to allocate a budget
of 25 billion VND to ensure a project
using state-of-the-art Japanese waste
treatment technology will be put into
operation this year.
In addition, Hanoi plans to set up
concentrated waste water treatment
systems in 16 industrial clusters during
the 2014-2015 period.
Under the project, which has been
recently approved by the Hanoi People’s
Committee, the first seven systems are
scheduled to run in 2014.
The city at present houses 47 industrial
clusters, of which only seven have
concentrated waste water treatment
systems.-VNA
42. Solutions proposed for waste
water treatment
11/02/2014 | 16:59:07
Vietnam has been advised to call for
capital from different investment sources
to develop waste water treatment
projects, or the State will have to pay
780 million USD a year, equal to 1.3
percent of the GDP, to cover the
economic losses caused by the poor
hygiene. Report by the English news
website VietNamNet Bridge.
Huge capital spent, but still not enough
A report showed that 150 million USD
has been spent every year, or 0.45
percent of GDP, in the last decade to
upgrade the urban sanitation. It was
estimated that 2.1 billion USD was spent
in the 1995-2009 period on water
drainage and waste treatment alone.
However, Vietnam still needs more
money for the urban sanitation
upgrading. About 8.3 billion USD would
be needed to provide water drainage
services to 36 million urbanites by 2025.
The figures have been announced by the
World Bank in a report released in mid
January 2014.
According to the Ministry of Construction,
there are some 50 concentrated waste
water treatment stations nationwide, but
only 24 are operational with a total
capacity of 670,000 cubic meters per
day, while t he other 26 with a combined
23 | P a g e
capacity of 1.435 million cubic meters
are still under construction.
maintenance
and
investment.-VNA
With such a poor infrastructure system,
most of the waste water has been
discharged directly to the surface water
drainage system. Only 10 percent of the
waste water can be treated.
43. Hong River flow
northern region: expert
The modest improvement in the waste
water treatment explained why it was a
hot topic for discussion at the 2013
Development Partner Forum. Specialists,
partners and donors all have advised
Vietnam
to
build
a
reasonable
mechanism and call for the investment
from the private economic sector for
water service and environment sanitation
projects.
What does it mean by “reasonable
mechanism”?
The capital for the urban sanitation
projects, especially the waste water
treatment projects in big and medium
cities, has been increasing. However, the
majority of the capital was sourced from
the official development assistance
(ODA), and only a few projects have
been developed by private investors so
far.
Most of the businesses in charge of the
water drainage and waste water
treatment have been running the
systems as “ordered” by the local
authorities, which pay for the services.
Analysts have commented that the
current mechanism, under which fixed
budgets are allocated every year to
businesses to operate the systems, does
not allow the businesses to make
investment for development.
The World Bank’s experts have pointed
out that Vietnam still does not have
reasonable preferential policies to
mobilise resources from the private
economic sector to the work.
The unreasonable service fee framework
set up by the State and the improper
legal framework both have also been
cited as the main reasons behind the
problem.
In principle, in order to attract the
private investment to the field, the State
needs to promise the profits high enough
to attract investors.
What the State should do immediately is
to create most favourable conditions for
businesses to access official credit
channels, and to allow businesses to
raise the service fee in order to ensure
the income high enough for machine
businesses’
vital
re-
for
13/02/2014 | 10:57:11
any parts of Hong (Red) and Thai Binh
rivers in the north have seen its average
water level remarkably reduced - by two
metres lower than the previous 20 years.
This has caused massive drought on
hundreds of thousands of hectares of
farmland, blocked waterway transport
and seriously polluted the rivers, a
conference heard on February 11.
At the conference on management of the
Hong-Thai Binh river system, PhD
Rodolfo Soncini-Sessa of the Technical
University of Milan said that the flow of
the Hong River must reach about 1,200
cubic metres per second to supply
enough water for the Red River delta.
However, in the past several years, the
flow fell to 900 cubic metres per second.
"It is vital to keep the water level of 2.3
metres high in Hanoi's Long Bien district
to ensure the supply of water for the
city," he said.
The River covers Hanoi and 25 other
provinces in the north with a population
of 26 million people and total agricultural
area of nearly 1.1 million hectares.
In terms of waterway transport, he said
the minimum of the water level in the
area around Long Bien Bridge must be
1.1 metres, but many vehicles were
banned to operate as it was down to
under 0.4 metres sometimes.
According to the Italian expert, the
decrease of water level at pumping
stations in lower section of the river and
the construction of hydro-power plants
have affected the flow.
Since 1960, Vietnam have spent more
than 500 million USD to curb the
changes of flow in the Red River, but the
effectiveness remains limited.
A 2.2 million USD project, which has
been implemented in Vietnam since
2012, will help improve study on the flow
allocation of the two rivers, maintain
essential ecological services and improve
the economic benefits of hydro-power
production and agriculture, he said.
The project has managed to specify 24
indexes on exploiting the river water in
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability five sectors and the shortage of electrical
energy of hydro-power plants in dry
seasons.
It is being funded by the Italian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, the Technical
University of Milan and the Institute of
Water Resources Planning under the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development.
Bui Quang Tuan, representative of the
Institute of Water Resources Planning,
said
the
irrigation
system
has
downgraded as many pumping machines
were built more than 50 years ago and
reached about 70 percent of their
performance.
Moreover, the encroachment of the river
and the discharge of waste water from
industrial zones and residential areas
have made it seriously polluted, he said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development Hoang Van Thang said the
ministry has carried out a programme on
improving the irrigation system with the
estimated investment capital of 20 trillion
VND (940 million USD) until 2020.
The programme will supply more water
from reservoirs in Hoa Binh, Thac Ba,
Tuyen Quang and Son La. A series of
irrigation works, such as Trung Ha, Bach
Hac, Dai Dinh, Thanh Diem, Dan Hoai,
Xuan Quan and Long Tuu, and a system
of dykes will be built and upgraded.
As many as 129 pumping stations and 14
culverts will be built, and more than 230
pumping stations and 14 culverts
upgraded under this programme, he
said.-VNA
44. Wastewater treatment
large benefits: survey
brings
14/02/2014 | 16:19:53
recent study has revealed that the
economic
benefits
of
wastewater
collection and treatment systems far
surpass their investment costs, radio The
Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reported.
The German-Vietnamese Development
Cooperation’s Wastewater Management
Programme (WMP) conducted the study
in collaboration with partners in Can Tho,
Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Nghe An, Bac Ninh,
Hai Duong, Lang Son, Hoa Binh, and Son
La.
It shows the cumulative benefits of
investing in wastewater and drainage
infrastructure exceed economic costs by
at least 15 percent.
The study assessed the economic
performance of upgraded wastewater
management (WWM) in nine provincial
towns and cities, weighed their costs and
benefits,
and
formulated
recommendations
for
the
future
development of WWM.
A detailed report was prepared for each
province considered and the main results
summarised. It provides national and
provincial leaders with the data-based
evidence and analysis they need to set
the levels of investment in urban
wastewater infrastructure given specific
socio-economic conditions.
The study included WWM’s positive
impacts on tourism, public health, land
prices, and the environment. Programme
Manager Hanns-Bernd Kuchta said: “Our
research
clearly
indicates
that
investments in wastewater and drainage
infrastructure promote tourism, boost
land
values,
and
protect
the
environment.
“Improved hygiene dramatically reduces
water-borne disease infection and
mortality rates. Every three dollars of
investment in wastewater and drainage
infrastructure returns at least four dollars
in benefits, so national and provincial
leaders can rest assured increasing the
wastewater sector’s annual budget
allocation will enhance socio-economic
development.”
The
long-term
objective
of
the
programme is to promote sustainable
wastewater and solid waste management
in Vietnam.-VNA
Director of the municipal Department of
Natural Resources and Environment Dao
Anh Kiet said HCM City is on the right
track to becoming a low-emission city
thanks to a raft of joint technology
transfer projects with Japan.
According to Kiet, the two cities signed a
memorandum of understanding on
cooperation in, among other areas, the
effective use of energy, sustainable
water management, treatment of solid
wastes, drainage and the application of
information technology in monitoring
hazardous wastes.
The event was a joint effort between the
municipal Office for Climate Change
Adaptation
and
Japan’s
Global
Environment Centre Foundation.-VNA
46. Work begins on waste plant
Updated February, 28 2014 08:38:00
HCM CITY (VNS) — Construction of a
solid waste treatment plant, the largest
of its kind in the Cuu Long (Mekong)
Delta, started on Wednesday in the
Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang.
The Soc Trang Public Urban Work Ltd
Company invested VND216 billion
($10.24 million) in the project, of which
VND177 billion ($8.39 million) was from
Norwegian
Official
Development
Assistance loans and the rest from the
province.
45. HCM City seeks low-emission
city status
14/02/2014 | 20:37:54
Transforming Ho Chi Minh City into a
low-carbon emission metropolis was
discussed at an international workshop in
the city on February 14, as part of its
partnership with the Japanese city of
Osaka.
Participants explained ways to minimise
carbon emissions in water, waste
treatment, transport, energy and food
processing using the latest technology.
They also debated the efficiency of
goods transport by environmentallyfriendly trucks, the use of public
transport and the operation of wastefuelled power generators.
Figure 22 File Photo
The plant, which has a treatment
capacity of 160 tonnes per day, is also
designed to produce 100 tonnes of
organic fertiliser and five tones of
recycled plastic per day.
The plant, expected to open in August
next year, is expected to improve the
environment in Soc Trang Province and
the surrounding provinces by reducing
the number of solid-waste landfills.
Feasibility study
Experts from Kyushu University, Japan,
will help the central city of Da Nang
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SPONSORED BY
develop
a
feasibility
study
for
constructing a solid-waste treatment
plant
Professor Misuyasu Yabe made these
remarks at a meeting with the central
city's administration on Wednesday.
According to the latest survey, the
central city's dump will reach full
capacity in the next four years.
The waste-treatment plant will help the
city deal with 700 tonnes of waste each
day, while producing compost from the
waste.
The city has created a strict process of
waste discharge at source and has
applied the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and
recycle) and appropriate technology to
waste treatment policies to meet the
target.
The Khanh Son dump has polluted the
groundwater and the environment with
1.4 million tonnes of rubbish and will be
closed by 2020. — VNS
47. Vietnam shares experience on
disaster preparedness
28/02/2014 | 10:47:00
Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent
Representative of Vietnam to the United
Nations, shared Vietnam’s experience on
disaster preparedness at the launch of
IASC/ODI Report “Dare to Prepare:
Taking Risks Seriously” on February 27.
Following is the full text of his
presentation.
“Let me first thank the IASC and ODI for
inviting me to this important event. I
appreciate the opportunity to share some
thoughts on the issue of disaster
preparedness and in particular what my
country, Vietnam , has been doing in this
regard.
Figure 23 File Photo
The topic of disaster preparedness that
IASC and ODI have chosen for this
report is highly relevant. This is a matter
of vital importance for the sustainable
25 | P a g e
development of any nation. Therefore, I
welcome the launch of the report today
as an effort to increase understanding
about preparedness, particularly at the
time when the United Nations is working
on the post-2015 development agenda
and the new Sustainable Development
Goals.
The report sends many important
messages, highlighting the need to
invest in preparedness. One dollar
investment in preparedness can help
save 3-5 dollars in response. And more
importantly, investment in preparedness
will save human lives, which we all would
agree cannot be monetised.
But as it stands now, mobilising
resources for response ironically is easier
than for preparedness. I therefore
concur
with
the
report’s
recommendations aimed at increasing
financing for preparedness, with a
combination of global, regional and
national financing mechanisms.
To give us some more persepective, let
me share with you Vietnam ’s experience
as a disaster-prone country. Natural
disasters are not something new to us.
For thousands of years, the Vietnamese
nation has fought two enemies: foreign
aggression
and
natural
disasters.
Vietnamese legends tell the story of the
Mountain God conquering the Flood God
to save the livelihoods of the people.
According to the World Bank, Vietnam is
ranked as the seventh most exposed
country in the world to multiple natural
hazards
including
floods,
tropical
cyclones (typhoon), tornados, landslides
and droughts. An estimated 59 percent
of the total area of the country and 71
percent of the population are exposed to
cyclones and floods.
Over the last 30 years, disasters have
been a major cause of fatalities, injury
and economic losses, according to World
Bank and UNDP estimates, totalling
about 1.0 – 1.5 percent GDP. But current
challenges of disaster risks and impacts
are likely to be further exacerbated by
global climate change. In 2013 alone,
Vietnam was hit by no less than 15
tropical
cyclones.
Therefore,
the
Government of Vietnam takes disaster
preparedness very seriously.
In 2007, the Government endorsed the
National Strategy for Disaster Risk
Management, to include more than 19
types of natural hazards in its disaster
definitions. A new Disaster Law passed
last year goes further and, for the first
time, covers the whole disaster
management
cycle,
including
preparedness, response and postdisaster recovery. The law strengthens
the coordination structures for all phases
of the disaster cycle and allows provinces
to set up disaster management funds
empowering them to promptly address
the humanitarian and preparedness
capacity gaps. The Law also draws on
the principle of four “on-the-spot”,
namely on-the-spot command, on-thespot human resources, on-the-spot
logistics and on-the-spot facilities.
A key lesson learned to date is the
importance of investing in legislative and
policy frameworks that promote effective
disaster risk management and climate
change adaptation, not just post-disaster
relief. These efforts need to be multihazard and multi-sectoral and should
involve all parts of the Government and
key stakeholders, like the Vietnam Red
Cross, Farmers’ Union, Women’s Union,
Youth Union … These efforts should also
be based on sound scientific knowledge
and risk analysis. Evidence from Vietnam
’s experiences with Typhoon Haiyan in
2013 suggests that, much like in the
Philippines , Vietnam was at high risk of
a similar super-typhoon and storm surge.
The Government of Vietnam has been
rigorously assessed the risk of these
extremes to invest in emergency
preparedness in order to minimise losses
of life and property.
In these endeavours, Vietnam has
received invaluable support from the
United Nations, members of the IASC
like FAO, UNDP, and many bilateral
partners, to help us bring current
systems in line with the provisions of the
law. A good example is support provided
for the National Community Based
Disaster Risk Management Program
which is being rolled out and will cover
more than two-thirds of the country by
2020.
More work remains to be done,
particularly with regards to how we
manage and transfer financial risk, and
how key building and other standards
need to be made more stringent in light
of climate change. Policy also needs to
be backed up by effective enforcement.
There is also a need to strengthen costbenefits analysis on investment in
vulnerable areas and to draw attention
of decision-makers and businesses to
consider disaster risk reduction (DRR) as
part of their investment decisions. Closer
links between DRR and planning and
development processes are also needed.
Work is underway in many of these
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability areas, and Vietnam is committed to
moving forward in implementing the
newly
adopted
law
and
further
enhancing resilience at all levels. We
look forward to the continued support of
the UN system and other development
partners.
About IASC and ODI
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee
(IASC) is a unique inter-agency forum for
coordination, policy development and
decision-making involving the key UN
and non-UN humanitarian partners. The
IASC was established in June 1992 in
response to United Nations General
Assembly Resolution 46/182 on the
strengthening
of
humanitarian
assistance. General Assembly Resolution
48/57 affirmed its role as the primary
mechanism for inter-agency coordination
of humanitarian assistance.
The Overseas Development Institute
(ODI) is the UK 's leading independent
think tank on international development
and humanitarian issues. The ODI’s
mission is to inspire and inform policy
and practice which lead to the reduction
of poverty, the alleviation of suffering
and the achievement of sustainable
livelihoods in developing countries. We
do this by locking together high quality
applied research, practical policy advice,
and policy-focused dissemination and
debate. We work with partners in the
public and private sectors, in both
developing and developed countries.”VNA
48. Da Nang raises water price on
water
shortage
caused
by
hydropower plants
Last update 08:30 | 27/02/2014
The Da Nang City People’s Committee
has decided to raise running water price
by 10 percent since February 2014 to
offset the higher expenses on water
supply.
operate the hydropower reservoirs of A
Vuong, Dak Mi 4 and Song Tranh 2.
The city’s authorities have requested the
government and relevant ministries to
intervene to force Dak Mi 4 to increase
the volume of water to be discharged to
the Vu Gia River in order to ease the
drought in the lowland.
against the MONRE for the unreasonable
planning of the reservoirs’ operation,
which has led to the drought in the river
lowland.
In the latest news, Deputy Minister of
MONRE Tran Hong Ha has affirmed that
the ministry is willing to discuss with Da
Nang City and involved parties on the
reservoir
operation
procedures.
Therefore, he does not think Da Nang
would sue MONRE.
Kim Chi
49. Sponsorship of 20 million VND
for each idea on protecting river
environment
Figure 24 File Photo
The water in the Vu Gia River’s lowland
has got salty after Tet (in early
February). The Da Nang Water Supply
Company has to prepare to run the An
Trach Water Pumping Station, standby
for the Cau Do 8 Station.
According to Nguyen Truong Anh,
Director of the Da Nang Water Supply
Company, said that the water shortage
has become more serious in recent years
because the water is taken to serve the
hydropower plants in the upper course.
The Dak Mi 4 hydropower plant, for
example, has blocked the stream and
driven the water flow to the Thu Bon
River. As a result, the water on the Cau
Do River in Da Nang now has the salinity
higher than the allowed level.
In 2013, when the salinity came soon in
early January, Da Nang City had to
spend VND12 billion to run the An Trach
water pump station. Anh said that it is
necessary to raise the running water
price to cover the higher costs on
fighting the salinity intrusion.
Since the hydropower plants block the
water stream, switch the water flow from
Vu Gia River to Thu Bon River, the
lowland has been suffering the water
shortage and saltwater intrusion. This
has forced the city’s water supply
company to pay higher for the water
pumping and treatment.
The decision by the Da Nang City
authorities on the water price increase
has raised the anger among the public.
Local households and businesses all have
raised protests against the price
increase, saying that the water price
increase would lead to the higher
production costs, thus making their
products uncompetitive in the domestic
and world markets.
Prior to that, the Da Nang City People’s
Committee sent a document to the
government office and the Ministry of
Natural Resources and the Environment
(MONRE), making suggestions to the
ministry’s draft on the procedures to
Huynh Van Thang, Deputy Director of
the Da Nang City Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development,
while blaming the water shortage on the
hydropower plants, said the city
authorities are going to raise a lawsuit
Vietnam Rivers Network (VRN) is calling
on the community to contribute ideas on
protecting river environment. Every idea
on
activities
of
protecting
river
environment may recommend the level
of sponsorship up to 20 million VND.
Figure 25 VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu
The ideas need a balance of gender,
towards the themes: community initiative
to
protect
river
environment;
implementing the protection model of
river environment; organizing events,
communication about protecting river
environment; strengthening communitybased management to protect river
environment.
Deadline for proposal submission: 17h00
on Friday, March 14, 2014.
Implementation time: Up to 6 months
Implementation region: Nationwide
VRN is an open forum, operating to
protect communities and ecosystems
dependent on river. VRN’s activities
include sharing information, conducting
research on society and environment
affected by developing projects related
to water resources in Vietnam, and
conducting policy advocacy on these
issues.
Tong Minh - MONRE
26 | P a g e
SPONSORED BY
APPENDIX
MOST/BMBF PROJECT
INFORMATION
27 | P a g e
KaWaTech
Ministry of Science
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SUSTAIN-EU-ASEAN
Sustain and enhance cooperation on sustainable development between Europe and South-East Asia
Location:
Rue du Trône, 98. B – 1050, Brussels, Belgium
Date:
28 March 2014 (10.00 – 18.00)
AGENDA (DRAFT): Pre-cluster meeting
Friday 28 March 2014
9.00
Welcome and coffee
9.15
Overview of SUSTAIN-EU-ASEAN
Iventa Aizbalte (EC) – Expectations from the European Commission
Oliver Lah (WI/FUB) – Where we are and next steps
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Products, tools and services of the SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project
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Implementando soluciones innovadoras para
transporte urbano sustentable
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Presentation of EU-ASEAN projects
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13.30
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Presentations from several projects working on climate action,
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resource efficiency and raw
materials
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with
potentially
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Promover la política europea de transporte y las soluciones de transporte urbano que ofrecen
las ciudades y la industria europea;
15.00 -17.30
Breakout sessions in thematic groups and first steps towards potential
Proporcionar orientación y asesoramiento personalizado a los funcionarios de la ciudad a través
de ejemplos específicos de implementación;
Fomentar la futura
cooperaciónby
e investigación
desarrollo; Wilts (WI) & Elena Dawkins (SEI)
Facilitated
Oliver Lahpara&elHenning
clusters
Fomentar plataformas innovadoras de conocimiento entre las ciudades europeas y las ciudades
de todo el mundo.
El proyecto se concentra en particular en las soluciones en:
17.30 -Transporte
18.00 público
Report back from the groups and outlook
Infraestructura de transporte
Logística de la ciudad
18.00
Planeación integrada
/ Planes de Movilidad Urbana Sustentable
Drinks
Red y gestión de la movilidad
Vehículos y tecnologías limpias
Más detalles en las áreas temáticas puedes ser consultados en el siguiente enlace: www.urban-mobilitysolutions.eu
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AIT - SEA EU NET II: Fellowship Program
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is pleased to announce the fellowship and invite applications from researchers
for the opportunity to carry out their research at AIT, Bangkok, under project “SEA EU NET II Science and
Technology Cooperation to jointly tackle the societal challenges”. The strategic objective of this project is to
strengthen bi-regional EU-ASEAN Science and Technology Cooperation through coordination and support actions
targeted towards the three major societal challenges, namely; Water management; Health; Food security and
safety. AIT is leading a component of ‘Water Management’ with an objective to create network of different
stakeholders in order to strengthen the research capacity and to build a platform towards the better system in
managing water resources and to respond specifically towards different stakeholder.
The fellowship provides an excellent opportunity to contribute directly to the interface between science and policy
in the fields of water, food, energy and climate nexus in the South East Asian region. The areas that the research
project will mainly address are: water, energy and food nexus, role of technology and innovation, environmental
protection and water resources. The fellowship offers also a unique opportunity for participant to advance their
research under academic environment of AIT, and at the same time contribute to SEA EU NET’s ongoing scientific
program; broaden their research interests by working in AIT’s interdisciplinary and international research
environment, and building contacts with AIT’s network of collaborators and with other researchers. The selected
candidate will interact with researchers of different nationalities, and will write and present scientific papers.
Qualifications and Experiences
The candidate is expected to have a solid background in the field related to water management, with experience in
international research projects. The candidate should ideally have a minimum of a Ph. D. degree or equivalent
experience and background on water in an appropriate discipline (engineering, economics, hydrology, ecology
and/or agriculture sciences, environmental sciences, or natural resources).
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The successful candidate should be an established researcher who is able to work in interdisciplinary
teams,
Experience in research collaboration with external organizations with publications in reputed journals,
Ability to develop research proposals in frameworks of the development agencies and donors, such as
European Union, USAID, World Bank etc.,
Work experience (minimum of two years) on a topic related to water resources and water-food-energy and
climate nexus,
Ability to work independently with minimum supervision and in multi-cultural environment,
Excellent command in English language, both oral and written,
Good interpersonal communication skills
Contract Period: 6 Months with possible extension
Application Deadline: 31 March 2014
Only shortlisted candidates will be informed.
Selected candidates will be expected to start as soon as possible.
For any further inquiries regarding this opportunity please contact Dr. Sangam Shrestha at sangam@ait.ac.th
To apply for this position please send your CV with cover letter to ait.seaeunet@gmail.com
SEA-EU-NET II is funded by European Commission under FP7 Program
MoST/BMBF – Office for Research Cooperation on Water and Sustainability 28 | P a g e