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Seismologists predict potential earthquakes
11:53 PM |Viet Nam's geographic location near several fault lines puts it at risk for moderate to severe earthquakes, according to seismologists.
Riverbank erosion forces evacuations
Bear bile tourism shuts down in Ha Long
Wildlife thrives in Ca Mau forest
Last month, six small earthquakes were reported in the central A Luoi region in Thua Thien Hue Province. Prior to that, a quake on May 15, 2014 measured 4.7 on the Richter scale.
Professor Cao Dinh Trieu, an expert on earthquakes, said A Luoi is located in a fault region. The fault runs from northwest to southeast, starting in Laos and running through Thua Thien Hue Province to Binh Dinh Province in central Viet Nam.
Agreeing with Professor Trieu, Professor Phan Trong Trinh, chairman of the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, said the fault in Thua Thien Hue was blamed for a series of tremors in the A Luoi region.
In addition, according to scientists from the Viet Nam Federation of Geology, a moderate earthquake registering 5.7 on the Richter scale may occur in Thua Thien-Hue Province in the future.
Many Vietnamese scientists who specialise in seismic forecasts said a major quake measuring more than 7 on the Richter scale may hit the northwestern region in the future.
They said several faults, particularly the Dien Bien and Song Da faults along the Ca River, have a tendency to gradually shift towards the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and south central region. These are obvious indications that Viet Nam is likely to be hit by strong quakes, which are often accompanied by a tsunami warning.
In 1935, a quake measuring 6.75 on the Richter scale hit Dien Bien Province, caused by the Song Ma fault. In 1983, another quake measuring 6.8 was reported in the Tuan Giao area of Dien Bien Province. Those two quakes caused extensive damage to personal property.
Although the consequences of earthquakes that hit Viet Nam have not been serious in terms of human lives or property, adverse weather in recent years has raised alarms for Viet Nam. Scientists warned that reliable and precise predictions of earthquakes and tsunamis are needed in order to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Read more…
Riverbank erosion forces evacuations
Bear bile tourism shuts down in Ha Long
Wildlife thrives in Ca Mau forest
Last month, six small earthquakes were reported in the central A Luoi region in Thua Thien Hue Province. Prior to that, a quake on May 15, 2014 measured 4.7 on the Richter scale.
Professor Cao Dinh Trieu, an expert on earthquakes, said A Luoi is located in a fault region. The fault runs from northwest to southeast, starting in Laos and running through Thua Thien Hue Province to Binh Dinh Province in central Viet Nam.
Earthquake cracks a house's wall in the northern Dien Bien Province. Viet Nam's geographic location near several fault lines puts it at risk for moderate to severe earthquakes, according to seismologists.
Agreeing with Professor Trieu, Professor Phan Trong Trinh, chairman of the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, said the fault in Thua Thien Hue was blamed for a series of tremors in the A Luoi region.
In addition, according to scientists from the Viet Nam Federation of Geology, a moderate earthquake registering 5.7 on the Richter scale may occur in Thua Thien-Hue Province in the future.
Many Vietnamese scientists who specialise in seismic forecasts said a major quake measuring more than 7 on the Richter scale may hit the northwestern region in the future.
They said several faults, particularly the Dien Bien and Song Da faults along the Ca River, have a tendency to gradually shift towards the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and south central region. These are obvious indications that Viet Nam is likely to be hit by strong quakes, which are often accompanied by a tsunami warning.
In 1935, a quake measuring 6.75 on the Richter scale hit Dien Bien Province, caused by the Song Ma fault. In 1983, another quake measuring 6.8 was reported in the Tuan Giao area of Dien Bien Province. Those two quakes caused extensive damage to personal property.
Although the consequences of earthquakes that hit Viet Nam have not been serious in terms of human lives or property, adverse weather in recent years has raised alarms for Viet Nam. Scientists warned that reliable and precise predictions of earthquakes and tsunamis are needed in order to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Cam Xa Commune dubbed VN's ‘electronic waste capital'
11:20 PM |Rapid changes in technology, changes in software, falling prices, and planned obsolescence, have resulted in a fast-growing buildup of electronic waste in Viet Nam.
No time to lose for climate change action
New rules govern discarded products
Market waste causes a stink in Long Bien area
Cam Xa Commune in the northern province of Hung Yen's My Hao District is considered to be the "e-waste capital of the country".
E-waste, or electronic waste, describes end-of-life electrical goods, such as computers, televisions, printers, and mobile phones.
According to the deputy chairman of the communal People's Committee, Nguyen Khac Toan, the work of collecting electronic waste began ten years ago and has developed very quickly.
Today there are more than 100 area households employed in this work, which also provides jobs for hundreds of labourers in the region, he told Thoi Bao Kinh Doanh (Business Times) newspaper.
Every day, dozens of cars and trucks from these households travel throughout the country's northern areas to collect e-waste.
Hoang Van Son, an owner of an e-waste recycling workshop, said he drives his car to collect the waste in big cities such as Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh.
After disassembling and classifying all parts from these products, they are then sold to recycling workshops, private electric repair shops or exported to China, Son added.
However, this collection and disposal are causing a variety of environmental problems, such as groundwater contamination, atmospheric pollution, and water pollution by immediate discharge, as well as health problems, including occupational safety and health effects among those people directly and indirectly involved, due to the methods of processing the waste.
Due to the crude recycling process, many pollutants, such as heavy metals, are released from e-waste, which can easily accumulate in the human body through the inhalation of contaminated air.
"All processes of dismantling and disposing of electric waste are done by hand. The workers use only gloves and gauze masks during their work," Toan said.
"And all kinds of unused pieces have been discharged directly to the environment, without any treatment, causing serious pollution," he added.
Electric waste is piled in household gardens, other electronic waste materials are scattered on roads, as well as seen floating atop drainage canals.
According to the General Statistics Office, the growth rate of technology in Viet Nam increases by over 100 per cent each year, along with huge e-waste discharges.
Ha Noi is expected to discard 161,000 TVs, 97,000 PCs, 178,000 refrigerators, 136,000 washing machines and 97,000 air conditioners by 2020. HCM City, meanwhile, predicts even higher disposal rates, with 700,000 TVs, 290,000 PCs, 424,000 refrigerators, 339,000 washing machines and 330,000 air conditioners.
Currently, the collection and treatment of e-waste are limited. Only three out of 15 e-waste treatment facilities are performing at their expected capacity, handling an average of 25-30 tonnes a day. This is a far cry from the estimated 164-309 tonnes in need of treatment.
Read more…
No time to lose for climate change action
New rules govern discarded products
Market waste causes a stink in Long Bien area
Cam Xa Commune in the northern province of Hung Yen's My Hao District is considered to be the "e-waste capital of the country".
E-waste, or electronic waste, describes end-of-life electrical goods, such as computers, televisions, printers, and mobile phones.
According to the deputy chairman of the communal People's Committee, Nguyen Khac Toan, the work of collecting electronic waste began ten years ago and has developed very quickly.
Rapid changes in technology, changes in software, falling prices, and planned obsolescence, have resulted in a fast-growing buildup of electronic waste in Viet Nam.
Today there are more than 100 area households employed in this work, which also provides jobs for hundreds of labourers in the region, he told Thoi Bao Kinh Doanh (Business Times) newspaper.
Every day, dozens of cars and trucks from these households travel throughout the country's northern areas to collect e-waste.
Hoang Van Son, an owner of an e-waste recycling workshop, said he drives his car to collect the waste in big cities such as Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh.
After disassembling and classifying all parts from these products, they are then sold to recycling workshops, private electric repair shops or exported to China, Son added.
However, this collection and disposal are causing a variety of environmental problems, such as groundwater contamination, atmospheric pollution, and water pollution by immediate discharge, as well as health problems, including occupational safety and health effects among those people directly and indirectly involved, due to the methods of processing the waste.
Due to the crude recycling process, many pollutants, such as heavy metals, are released from e-waste, which can easily accumulate in the human body through the inhalation of contaminated air.
"All processes of dismantling and disposing of electric waste are done by hand. The workers use only gloves and gauze masks during their work," Toan said.
"And all kinds of unused pieces have been discharged directly to the environment, without any treatment, causing serious pollution," he added.
Electric waste is piled in household gardens, other electronic waste materials are scattered on roads, as well as seen floating atop drainage canals.
According to the General Statistics Office, the growth rate of technology in Viet Nam increases by over 100 per cent each year, along with huge e-waste discharges.
Ha Noi is expected to discard 161,000 TVs, 97,000 PCs, 178,000 refrigerators, 136,000 washing machines and 97,000 air conditioners by 2020. HCM City, meanwhile, predicts even higher disposal rates, with 700,000 TVs, 290,000 PCs, 424,000 refrigerators, 339,000 washing machines and 330,000 air conditioners.
Currently, the collection and treatment of e-waste are limited. Only three out of 15 e-waste treatment facilities are performing at their expected capacity, handling an average of 25-30 tonnes a day. This is a far cry from the estimated 164-309 tonnes in need of treatment.
Bac Hung Hai River polluted with industrial waste water
11:17 PM |Environmental pollution in a section of Bac Hung Hai River flowing through northern Hung Yen Province's Yen My District has damaged local people's health and daily life.
Ministry prioritises afforestation projects
Illegally logged timber haul discovered
Japanese firm provides funds for water purifier
The river flows through three provinces of Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Hai Duong.
The river's main purpose is to irrigate thousands of hectares of agricultural land in these provinces.
But, it has been catching thousands of cubic metres of waste water from provinces and the southeast area of Ha Noi. Therefore, the water environment of Bac Hung Hai River has been seriously polluted for five years.
Hung Yen Province's environmental management office estimated an additional 300,000 cubic metres of waste water from factories and handicraft villages on both sides poured into the river every day.
In recent days, the river pollution has become more serious due to the increasing volume of waste water, causing much annoyance to local people.
Nguyen Thi Men, 55, living close to Long Vi Bridge, said dead fish float on the surface of the river.
She said the river water is black colour all year round.
"Residents living round the river and passers-by sniff smelly and fishy water. I close the door and cover windows with canvas. Children and women wear masks the whole day," she said.
"We often have to breathe in toxic air. The smell fills the house and almost stifles the children. They are affected by rhinitis and pharyngitis. I suffer from headaches regularly," said said.
A vendor near Long Vi Bridge, Nguyen Thi Lien, said river environmental pollution not only damaged health, but also threatening local residents' trade and livelihood.
The route linking Thanh Long Commune with inter-district roads is crowded so small businesses are normally busy. But, customers are decreasing due to the smelly environment.
Do Van Sau, deputy chairman of Thanh Long Commune People's Committee said it has received complaints about river pollution from local people. "We have called on local villagers to not throw rubbish into the river," he said. "Local authorities have no solution for improving the river environment."
Le Thi Hoa, deputy chief of Yen My District's natural resources and environment department said that hearing complaints, he informed the Government's environmental pollution-related management offices about the river's worst circumstance "to start co-ordination for water sampling analysis and examination." Hung Yen Province's Department of Natural Resources and Environment has taken water sampling for analysis. The results showed the quality of the river water didn't meet the national standard.
Tran Dang Anh, department's deputy director said Bac Hung Hai river's pollution is occurring not only Thanh Long Commune, but also in all areas where it flows.
"We need close co-ordination between central and local environmental management offices to implement all steps, such as doing environmental monitoring activities, investigation and surveys on pollution levels to build solutions and water environmental improvement projects for the Bac Hung Hai River," he said
Read more…
Ministry prioritises afforestation projects
Illegally logged timber haul discovered
Japanese firm provides funds for water purifier
The river flows through three provinces of Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Hai Duong.
The river's main purpose is to irrigate thousands of hectares of agricultural land in these provinces.
But, it has been catching thousands of cubic metres of waste water from provinces and the southeast area of Ha Noi. Therefore, the water environment of Bac Hung Hai River has been seriously polluted for five years.
Hung Yen Province's environmental management office estimated an additional 300,000 cubic metres of waste water from factories and handicraft villages on both sides poured into the river every day.
Environmental pollution in a section of Bac Hung Hai River flowing through northern Hung Yen Province's Yen My District has damaged local people's health and daily life
In recent days, the river pollution has become more serious due to the increasing volume of waste water, causing much annoyance to local people.
Nguyen Thi Men, 55, living close to Long Vi Bridge, said dead fish float on the surface of the river.
She said the river water is black colour all year round.
"Residents living round the river and passers-by sniff smelly and fishy water. I close the door and cover windows with canvas. Children and women wear masks the whole day," she said.
"We often have to breathe in toxic air. The smell fills the house and almost stifles the children. They are affected by rhinitis and pharyngitis. I suffer from headaches regularly," said said.
A vendor near Long Vi Bridge, Nguyen Thi Lien, said river environmental pollution not only damaged health, but also threatening local residents' trade and livelihood.
The route linking Thanh Long Commune with inter-district roads is crowded so small businesses are normally busy. But, customers are decreasing due to the smelly environment.
Do Van Sau, deputy chairman of Thanh Long Commune People's Committee said it has received complaints about river pollution from local people. "We have called on local villagers to not throw rubbish into the river," he said. "Local authorities have no solution for improving the river environment."
Le Thi Hoa, deputy chief of Yen My District's natural resources and environment department said that hearing complaints, he informed the Government's environmental pollution-related management offices about the river's worst circumstance "to start co-ordination for water sampling analysis and examination." Hung Yen Province's Department of Natural Resources and Environment has taken water sampling for analysis. The results showed the quality of the river water didn't meet the national standard.
Tran Dang Anh, department's deputy director said Bac Hung Hai river's pollution is occurring not only Thanh Long Commune, but also in all areas where it flows.
"We need close co-ordination between central and local environmental management offices to implement all steps, such as doing environmental monitoring activities, investigation and surveys on pollution levels to build solutions and water environmental improvement projects for the Bac Hung Hai River," he said
Impact of climate pact on VN mulled
11:14 PM |The impact of the Paris Agreement reached at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) on Viet Nam and the country's preparations for implementing the deal were analysed and discussed at a workshop in Ha Noi yesterday.
Most would give up wildlife products
Animals released into wild in Quang Ninh
HCM City attempts to cut use of plastic bags
Pham Van Tan, Vice Director of the Department of Hydrometeorology and Climate Change and Deputy Head of the Board of Viet Nam's Climate Change Negotiation Group, briefed participants on the Vietnamese delegation's contributions to COP21 and the agreement.
Approved by envoys from 195 nations attending the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on December 12, 2015 in Paris, the Agreement is considered an historical accord after 20 years of negotiations, ushering in an energy revolution.
This brought great opportunities for countries which are under threat from climate change, such as Viet Nam, to access greater international financial assistance to thoroughly resolve climate change-related issues, including changing the development model toward a low-carbon economy and promoting the application of clean technologies, Tan said.
He stressed the need to thoroughly plan for Viet Nam's implementation of the universal agreement and the provisions the country has set in her report on intended nationally-determined contributions (INDC).
The State should enhance its management of activities to reduce emissions, build a road map for shifting to a low carbon socio-economic development model and roll out a national-level adaptation plan, he said.
Koos Neefjes, a climate change expert from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said Viet Nam must cut down greenhouse gas emissions to restrict the average temperature increase and meet the new target ratified in Paris: an average increase below 2 degrees Celsius and toward 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Viet Nam and other countries will have to pull greenhouse gas emissions down to zero degree Celsius by 2055-2060.
Neefjes affirmed that Viet Nam would receive financial assistance for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to climate change.
During negotiations in COP21, the Climate change Working Group (CCWG) of NGOs in Viet Nam actively participated in and organised sideline activities for the conference.
Vu Minh Hai, NGOs' CCWG Chairwoman, said the implementation of the Paris Agreement would facilitate close partnership between the Vietnamese Government and NGOs, thus bringing benefits to the groups which are vulnerable to climate change, including poor women, ethnic minority communities, the disabled, the elderly and children.
The Paris accord sets a target of limiting warming of the planet to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius compared with temperatures at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, while aiming for an even more ambitious goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius. To do so, emissions of greenhouse gases will need to peak "as soon as possible," followed by rapid reductions.
Developed countries agreed to provide at least US$100 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries.
The workshop was co-organised by the Department of Hydrometeorology and Climate Change and the Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Viet Nam.
Read more…
Most would give up wildlife products
Animals released into wild in Quang Ninh
HCM City attempts to cut use of plastic bags
Pham Van Tan, Vice Director of the Department of Hydrometeorology and Climate Change and Deputy Head of the Board of Viet Nam's Climate Change Negotiation Group, briefed participants on the Vietnamese delegation's contributions to COP21 and the agreement.
People plants mangrove forest in central Quang Ngai Province.
Approved by envoys from 195 nations attending the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on December 12, 2015 in Paris, the Agreement is considered an historical accord after 20 years of negotiations, ushering in an energy revolution.
This brought great opportunities for countries which are under threat from climate change, such as Viet Nam, to access greater international financial assistance to thoroughly resolve climate change-related issues, including changing the development model toward a low-carbon economy and promoting the application of clean technologies, Tan said.
He stressed the need to thoroughly plan for Viet Nam's implementation of the universal agreement and the provisions the country has set in her report on intended nationally-determined contributions (INDC).
The State should enhance its management of activities to reduce emissions, build a road map for shifting to a low carbon socio-economic development model and roll out a national-level adaptation plan, he said.
Koos Neefjes, a climate change expert from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said Viet Nam must cut down greenhouse gas emissions to restrict the average temperature increase and meet the new target ratified in Paris: an average increase below 2 degrees Celsius and toward 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Viet Nam and other countries will have to pull greenhouse gas emissions down to zero degree Celsius by 2055-2060.
Neefjes affirmed that Viet Nam would receive financial assistance for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to climate change.
During negotiations in COP21, the Climate change Working Group (CCWG) of NGOs in Viet Nam actively participated in and organised sideline activities for the conference.
Vu Minh Hai, NGOs' CCWG Chairwoman, said the implementation of the Paris Agreement would facilitate close partnership between the Vietnamese Government and NGOs, thus bringing benefits to the groups which are vulnerable to climate change, including poor women, ethnic minority communities, the disabled, the elderly and children.
The Paris accord sets a target of limiting warming of the planet to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius compared with temperatures at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, while aiming for an even more ambitious goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius. To do so, emissions of greenhouse gases will need to peak "as soon as possible," followed by rapid reductions.
Developed countries agreed to provide at least US$100 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries.
The workshop was co-organised by the Department of Hydrometeorology and Climate Change and the Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Viet Nam.
Pollution threatens river's fish farming
6:39 PM |Serious pollution in the Vam Co Dong River is the main reason for heavy losses to fish farmers in Tay Ninh Province, local environmental authorities have confirmed.
Ministry prioritises afforestation projects
HCM City attempts to cut use of plastic bags
Animals released into wild in Quang Ninh
The provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Environment said that oxygen levels in the river had reached an alarming low rate due to high pollution levels that are up to five times over the permitted rate.
"This has been the main cause of multiple fish deaths over the past two weeks," said a report from the department.
Local farmers suspect waste water discharged from a nearby noodle factory is the reason, although there has been no confirmation from local authorities.
It was also unclear who would be responsible for compensating farmers, said a provincial official on condition of anonymity.
Nguyen Dinh Xuan, director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, said that this was not an unusual occurrence which normally took place during the dry season.
"We have taken samples from nearby factories for testing. These firms already have waste water treatment systems. If people want compensation, they must prove the plants discharged polluted water directly into the river," Xuan said.
In Phuoc Vinh Commune, Chau Thanh District, massive fish deaths have been reported, despite farmers' efforts.
Luu Thi Hue, who owned three cages of tilapia and red tilapia fish, said she was really upset because the pollution had killed most of her fish since early this month.
She said despite all of her family's effort to save them, she was now trying to sell the remaining fish for an unbelievably low price.
"My family will suffer huge losses this year. I should sell them all immediately or I will loose all of my investment," said Hue.
Nguyen Van Dat's story is even worse. Dat owned a total of 5,000 fish but about 98 per cent have died.
Dat thought he would make a profit of VND200 million (nearly US$10,000) this year.
Dat and his wife were among the poor farmers in the province who have poured all of their savings, but now face ruin.
Nguyen Van Loc, who has farmed fish for 20 years, said this was the heaviest damage his household had sustained.
Loc said all of his goby fish had died, and if wasn't for the pollution, he could have sold them for VND250,000 (roughly $10) per kilo.
The Vam Co Dong River is one of the two most important rivers in the southern region, and plays a very important role in irrigation and waterway transport in Tay Ninh Province.
Read more…
Ministry prioritises afforestation projects
HCM City attempts to cut use of plastic bags
Animals released into wild in Quang Ninh
The provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Environment said that oxygen levels in the river had reached an alarming low rate due to high pollution levels that are up to five times over the permitted rate.
"This has been the main cause of multiple fish deaths over the past two weeks," said a report from the department.
Local farmers suspect waste water discharged from a nearby noodle factory is the reason, although there has been no confirmation from local authorities.
Serious pollution in the Vam Co Dong River is the main reason for heavy losses to fish farmers in Tay Ninh Province
It was also unclear who would be responsible for compensating farmers, said a provincial official on condition of anonymity.
Nguyen Dinh Xuan, director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, said that this was not an unusual occurrence which normally took place during the dry season.
"We have taken samples from nearby factories for testing. These firms already have waste water treatment systems. If people want compensation, they must prove the plants discharged polluted water directly into the river," Xuan said.
In Phuoc Vinh Commune, Chau Thanh District, massive fish deaths have been reported, despite farmers' efforts.
Luu Thi Hue, who owned three cages of tilapia and red tilapia fish, said she was really upset because the pollution had killed most of her fish since early this month.
She said despite all of her family's effort to save them, she was now trying to sell the remaining fish for an unbelievably low price.
"My family will suffer huge losses this year. I should sell them all immediately or I will loose all of my investment," said Hue.
Nguyen Van Dat's story is even worse. Dat owned a total of 5,000 fish but about 98 per cent have died.
Dat thought he would make a profit of VND200 million (nearly US$10,000) this year.
Dat and his wife were among the poor farmers in the province who have poured all of their savings, but now face ruin.
Nguyen Van Loc, who has farmed fish for 20 years, said this was the heaviest damage his household had sustained.
Loc said all of his goby fish had died, and if wasn't for the pollution, he could have sold them for VND250,000 (roughly $10) per kilo.
The Vam Co Dong River is one of the two most important rivers in the southern region, and plays a very important role in irrigation and waterway transport in Tay Ninh Province.
Dong Nai to build homes despite pollution warnings
6:24 PM |The Dong Nai People's Committee said it plans to go ahead with housing construction on land reclaimed from the Dong Nai River despite a warning from the Viet Nam River Network that it would harm the river.
HCM City canal remains dirty after $46m cleanup
Poor people forage in bird sanctuary
Wildlife thrives in Ca Mau forest
The Ha Noi-based NGO, which consists of hydrologists and ecologists, said reclaiming such a large area would critically interfere with the river's hydrology and ecology as well as the local economy and society, and called for cancelling the project.
But Tran Dinh Minh, deputy head of the province's Agriculture and Rural Development, was quoted as saying by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, "Each scientist has a different view but we recognise that the project is not a big deal because the reclamation will not change water flow in the Dong Nai."
In 2009 the province approved a report titled "Dong Nai River's water flow impact assessment from Hoa An to Ghenh bridge" done by the Irrigation University's Irrigation and Environment Institute.
It said reclaiming land 100m into the river from shore would not change the water flow or have any adverse impact.
Based on the report and assessment of environmental impacts by the province Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE), authorities approved housing development on 8.4ha of land near and reclaimed from the Dong Nai by the Toan Thinh Phat Architect – Investment Joint Stock Company.
"There is no reason for us to stop the project," Le Viet Hung, director of DoNRE, said.
"We have done everything based on regulations. If no investor wants the project, the province will do it.
Nguyen Thanh Tri, deputy chairman of the province People's Committee, said: "The People's Committee has issued a licence for the project and we still think there is no problem with the project.
Local residents feared wrongly that the whole river was going to be filled up, he said.
Ngo Phuoc Sang, owner of Cay Bang coffee shop in the city, asked: "Bien Hoa city has a lot of land. Why do local authorities approve reclaiming land from the river for construction?"
Toan Thinh Phat company claimed to have visited Quyet Thang Ward – the site of the project - to publicly announce plans for the work and collect opinions from the local community.
"Though we have done everything as regulated we admit many residents do not know about the project," Huynh Phu Kiet, the company's chairman, said.
"We will organise more meetings with the local community to inform about the project."
Before starting the work, the company had invited leading experts from the Southern Irrigation Master Planning Institute, Environmental Protection Tropical Technology Institute, and HCM City Architecture Association to express objections against the work if they have any, he said.
"We have strictly followed all regulations and got approval from local authorities. If the authorities tell us to temporarily stop construction, we will obey."
Law violation
Dr Dao Trong Tu, a former deputy general secretary of the Mekong River Commission and advisor to the Viet Nam River Network, said the Dong Nai is an inter-provincial river and millions of people depend on its waters for a living.
"But the province's environmental-impact assessment has nothing from experts from the Dong Nai River Commission and other affected provinces."
The construction would impact the flooding by the river, and so the project must follow the Dyke Law, he said.
Lam Thi Thu Suu, director of the Social Development Research Centre and co-ordinator of the VRN, pointed out that the project violated the Government's Decree No 201 which required the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment to oversee all activities related to inter-provincial rivers. But the ministry has said it is in the dark about the project.
Besides, she explained that a province People's Committee could only approve construction on or near rivers that flowed wholly within the province.
Suu also mentioned the Water Natural Resource law, saying it law prohibits any construction that can block water flow in a channel, lake, stream or river.
"The projects will reclaim up to 7.7 hectares in the river and surely block and change water flow," she said.
Suu pointed out that only 20 households in Quyet Thang Ward had been invited by the company to discuss the project and the province's environmental-impact assessment lacked official replies from organisations that objected to it.
Read more…
HCM City canal remains dirty after $46m cleanup
Poor people forage in bird sanctuary
Wildlife thrives in Ca Mau forest
The Ha Noi-based NGO, which consists of hydrologists and ecologists, said reclaiming such a large area would critically interfere with the river's hydrology and ecology as well as the local economy and society, and called for cancelling the project.
But Tran Dinh Minh, deputy head of the province's Agriculture and Rural Development, was quoted as saying by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, "Each scientist has a different view but we recognise that the project is not a big deal because the reclamation will not change water flow in the Dong Nai."
A photo shows a section of Dong Nai River in Bien Hoa. The Dong Nai People's Committee will still build houses next to the river despite the Viet Nam River Network's warnings that it damages the waterway
It said reclaiming land 100m into the river from shore would not change the water flow or have any adverse impact.
Based on the report and assessment of environmental impacts by the province Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE), authorities approved housing development on 8.4ha of land near and reclaimed from the Dong Nai by the Toan Thinh Phat Architect – Investment Joint Stock Company.
"There is no reason for us to stop the project," Le Viet Hung, director of DoNRE, said.
"We have done everything based on regulations. If no investor wants the project, the province will do it.
Nguyen Thanh Tri, deputy chairman of the province People's Committee, said: "The People's Committee has issued a licence for the project and we still think there is no problem with the project.
Local residents feared wrongly that the whole river was going to be filled up, he said.
Ngo Phuoc Sang, owner of Cay Bang coffee shop in the city, asked: "Bien Hoa city has a lot of land. Why do local authorities approve reclaiming land from the river for construction?"
Toan Thinh Phat company claimed to have visited Quyet Thang Ward – the site of the project - to publicly announce plans for the work and collect opinions from the local community.
"Though we have done everything as regulated we admit many residents do not know about the project," Huynh Phu Kiet, the company's chairman, said.
"We will organise more meetings with the local community to inform about the project."
Before starting the work, the company had invited leading experts from the Southern Irrigation Master Planning Institute, Environmental Protection Tropical Technology Institute, and HCM City Architecture Association to express objections against the work if they have any, he said.
"We have strictly followed all regulations and got approval from local authorities. If the authorities tell us to temporarily stop construction, we will obey."
Law violation
Dr Dao Trong Tu, a former deputy general secretary of the Mekong River Commission and advisor to the Viet Nam River Network, said the Dong Nai is an inter-provincial river and millions of people depend on its waters for a living.
"But the province's environmental-impact assessment has nothing from experts from the Dong Nai River Commission and other affected provinces."
The construction would impact the flooding by the river, and so the project must follow the Dyke Law, he said.
Lam Thi Thu Suu, director of the Social Development Research Centre and co-ordinator of the VRN, pointed out that the project violated the Government's Decree No 201 which required the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment to oversee all activities related to inter-provincial rivers. But the ministry has said it is in the dark about the project.
Besides, she explained that a province People's Committee could only approve construction on or near rivers that flowed wholly within the province.
Suu also mentioned the Water Natural Resource law, saying it law prohibits any construction that can block water flow in a channel, lake, stream or river.
"The projects will reclaim up to 7.7 hectares in the river and surely block and change water flow," she said.
Suu pointed out that only 20 households in Quyet Thang Ward had been invited by the company to discuss the project and the province's environmental-impact assessment lacked official replies from organisations that objected to it.
Mekong tackles climate change
2:25 PM |The Government of Viet Nam plans to use sea dykes, trees and a freshwater reservoir to minimise the damage caused by landslides and land erosion in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.
Japanese firm provides funds for water purifier
No time to lose for climate change action
New rules govern discarded products
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai headed a government task force that arrived in the province yesterday to carry out an on-site evaluation. After visiting river mouths, sea dykes, fish markets and protective forests near the city of Rach Gia, the task force concluded that the effect of climate change was evident.
Chairman of the Kien Giang People's Committee Le Van Thi said that with a coastline stretching over 200km, Kien Giang had to manage 212km of sea dykes and over 80 river mouths.
The sea level is increasing by an average of 1cm every year. If the sea level goes up by 0.5m, 50 per cent of the province's land surface will be submerged.
Moreover, numerous parts of the coastline suffer from landslides and land erosion, which even reaches residential areas such as Hon Dat, An Bien and An Minh.
The Government has approved a number of projects in recent years to build and enhance the sea dyke system and plant protective forests, in addition to earmarking VND174 billion (about US$8 million) to help the Mekong Delta region deal with the effects of climate change.
In a meeting with local leaders, the Deputy PM told Kien Giang and other provinces in the Mekong Delta region to prepare for the negative effects of climate change.
The fight against climate change required a long-term strategy and localities must not solely rely on the sea dyke system, which required a large amount of funding to build and maintain, he said, recommending other solutions such as planting protective forests, establishing early warning systems and weather forecast stations and creating buffer zones to separate the sea and land.
The Deputy PM ordered the province to co-operate closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to establish a production scheme suitable for each locality that would minimise the damage of climate change. He also told MARD and the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment to submit recommendations for coping with climate change to the Government.
Read more…
Japanese firm provides funds for water purifier
No time to lose for climate change action
New rules govern discarded products
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai headed a government task force that arrived in the province yesterday to carry out an on-site evaluation. After visiting river mouths, sea dykes, fish markets and protective forests near the city of Rach Gia, the task force concluded that the effect of climate change was evident.
Chairman of the Kien Giang People's Committee Le Van Thi said that with a coastline stretching over 200km, Kien Giang had to manage 212km of sea dykes and over 80 river mouths.
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai headed a government task force that arrived in the province yesterday to carry out an on-site evaluation.
The sea level is increasing by an average of 1cm every year. If the sea level goes up by 0.5m, 50 per cent of the province's land surface will be submerged.
Moreover, numerous parts of the coastline suffer from landslides and land erosion, which even reaches residential areas such as Hon Dat, An Bien and An Minh.
The Government has approved a number of projects in recent years to build and enhance the sea dyke system and plant protective forests, in addition to earmarking VND174 billion (about US$8 million) to help the Mekong Delta region deal with the effects of climate change.
In a meeting with local leaders, the Deputy PM told Kien Giang and other provinces in the Mekong Delta region to prepare for the negative effects of climate change.
The fight against climate change required a long-term strategy and localities must not solely rely on the sea dyke system, which required a large amount of funding to build and maintain, he said, recommending other solutions such as planting protective forests, establishing early warning systems and weather forecast stations and creating buffer zones to separate the sea and land.
The Deputy PM ordered the province to co-operate closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to establish a production scheme suitable for each locality that would minimise the damage of climate change. He also told MARD and the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment to submit recommendations for coping with climate change to the Government.
Bear deaths in Ha Long spur urgent calls for gov't action
2:14 PM |Animals Asia Foundation has warned that a number of bears are being starved and left to die at bear farms near Ha Long Bay, prompting serious calls for action.
HCM City attempts to cut use of plastic bags
Ministry prioritises afforestation projects
Illegally logged timber haul discovered
At least 12 bear deaths were recorded since November 2014. At one farm, four bears died in one day, according to Animals Asia, an international non-governmental organisation that aims to improve the welfare of animals.
Inspections by the organisation and the Quang Ninh Forest Protection Department found that 77 per cent of 49 bears were wounded but did not receive any treatment. All the bears suffered from footpad hyperkeratosis, or dry and painful paws, from standing in steel-bar cages.
Many bears in the area of Quang Yen Town suffered from missing limbs and were emaciated and malnourished. Experts from Animals Asia said that these bears faced high risk of dying.
The foundation has sent three urgent requests to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Forest Protection Department asking authorities to move the bears to the Viet Nam Bear Rescue Centre.
Animals Asia Viet Nam Director Tuan Bendixsen said that the foundation was waiting for instructions from relevant authorities but the bears needed to be taken to the Bear Rescue Centre as soon as possible.
There are currently about 2,000 bears under captivity at bear farms throughout the country, according to the Forest Protection Department. Animals Asia believes the number of bears at Ha Long Bay farms dropped from 280 in 2007 to 49 today.
"When bears are no longer profitable, there is always the fear that they will be illegally slaughtered and their parts sold for traditional medicine," Animals Asia founder and CEO Jill Robinson MBE said in a report on the foundation's website.
The foundation, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, opened the Bear Rescue Centre in Vinh Phuc Province's Tam Dao National Park in 2006. The centre has saved more than 100 bears.
Quang Ninh Province banned bear farms from serving tourists in 2014, causing many owners to suffer huge losses, Tuoi Tre (Youth) recently reported. The farming of bears to extract their bile is also illegal in Viet Nam.
Read more…
HCM City attempts to cut use of plastic bags
Ministry prioritises afforestation projects
Illegally logged timber haul discovered
At least 12 bear deaths were recorded since November 2014. At one farm, four bears died in one day, according to Animals Asia, an international non-governmental organisation that aims to improve the welfare of animals.
Inspections by the organisation and the Quang Ninh Forest Protection Department found that 77 per cent of 49 bears were wounded but did not receive any treatment. All the bears suffered from footpad hyperkeratosis, or dry and painful paws, from standing in steel-bar cages.
A wild bear at a private farm in Ha Long City. At least 12 bear deaths were recorded at bear farms near Ha Long Bay since November 2014.
Many bears in the area of Quang Yen Town suffered from missing limbs and were emaciated and malnourished. Experts from Animals Asia said that these bears faced high risk of dying.
The foundation has sent three urgent requests to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Forest Protection Department asking authorities to move the bears to the Viet Nam Bear Rescue Centre.
Animals Asia Viet Nam Director Tuan Bendixsen said that the foundation was waiting for instructions from relevant authorities but the bears needed to be taken to the Bear Rescue Centre as soon as possible.
There are currently about 2,000 bears under captivity at bear farms throughout the country, according to the Forest Protection Department. Animals Asia believes the number of bears at Ha Long Bay farms dropped from 280 in 2007 to 49 today.
"When bears are no longer profitable, there is always the fear that they will be illegally slaughtered and their parts sold for traditional medicine," Animals Asia founder and CEO Jill Robinson MBE said in a report on the foundation's website.
The foundation, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, opened the Bear Rescue Centre in Vinh Phuc Province's Tam Dao National Park in 2006. The centre has saved more than 100 bears.
Quang Ninh Province banned bear farms from serving tourists in 2014, causing many owners to suffer huge losses, Tuoi Tre (Youth) recently reported. The farming of bears to extract their bile is also illegal in Viet Nam.
Illegal aquaculture threatens Ha Long Bay
2:13 PM |Efforts to prevent local residents from living on houseboats in Ha Long Bay have largely failed due to a lack of aquaculture planning and management. Their continued presence has some concerned that they will continue to contribute to Ha Long Bay's growing pollution problem.
Chlorine gas leak endangers locals
Most would give up wildlife products
Animals released into wild in Quang Ninh
According to the Bay Management Board, some households were allocated resettlement houses but still came back to live on their houseboats. Other Ha Long bay occupants are households that already have houses inland and those who are not registered as city residents.
Last year, authorities of Ha Long City moved 364 houseboats on Ha Long Bay to new resettlement areas to tackle the worsening pollution situation at the UNESCO world heritage site.
These houseboats not only do aquaculture activities but also provide unofficial tourism services such as selling seafood products to tourists.
Local authorities set up inspection teams to check the houseboats' operations. Recent inspections found that most of the households do not have licences to do seafood trading.
A member of the Provincial Market Watch department, Nguyen Trung Thanh, said provincial authorities temporarily banned tourism companies from making trips to houseboats in 2013, but many tourists are still taken there to visit and buy seafood products.
Overcharging at some houseboats had caused concern amongst tourists and negatively affected Ha Long city's tourism prestige. Local authorities therefore felt forced to temporarily ban tourist companies from including houseboats in their itineraries, he said.
However, only the tourist companies could be fined for violations of the ban; owners of houseboats couldn't be fined because of a lack of regulatory authority, he added.
Head of the management board, Pham Thuy Duong, said seafood business by these houseboats were done spontaneously and without State oversight.
Carrying out inspections and punishing violators remained difficult, making the problematic situation drag on for a long time, she said.
Le Thi Luyen, who has owned an aquaculture farm on the bay since 2000, said she expected that the local authorities would soon plan to zone off an aquaculture area to create stable jobs for local residents.
Luyen recently moved her operations from a location in Ba Hang to Hoa Cuong, both of which are in the bay, in hopes to make bigger profits. However, she said, she's concerned that if aquaculture breeders were not allowed to sell seafood products to tourists, then breeders would suffer
Read more…
Chlorine gas leak endangers locals
Most would give up wildlife products
Animals released into wild in Quang Ninh
According to the Bay Management Board, some households were allocated resettlement houses but still came back to live on their houseboats. Other Ha Long bay occupants are households that already have houses inland and those who are not registered as city residents.
Last year, authorities of Ha Long City moved 364 houseboats on Ha Long Bay to new resettlement areas to tackle the worsening pollution situation at the UNESCO world heritage site.
Last year, authorities of Ha Long City moved 364 houseboats on Ha Long Bay to new resettlement areas to tackle the worsening pollution situation at the UNESCO world heritage site.
These houseboats not only do aquaculture activities but also provide unofficial tourism services such as selling seafood products to tourists.
Local authorities set up inspection teams to check the houseboats' operations. Recent inspections found that most of the households do not have licences to do seafood trading.
A member of the Provincial Market Watch department, Nguyen Trung Thanh, said provincial authorities temporarily banned tourism companies from making trips to houseboats in 2013, but many tourists are still taken there to visit and buy seafood products.
Overcharging at some houseboats had caused concern amongst tourists and negatively affected Ha Long city's tourism prestige. Local authorities therefore felt forced to temporarily ban tourist companies from including houseboats in their itineraries, he said.
However, only the tourist companies could be fined for violations of the ban; owners of houseboats couldn't be fined because of a lack of regulatory authority, he added.
Head of the management board, Pham Thuy Duong, said seafood business by these houseboats were done spontaneously and without State oversight.
Carrying out inspections and punishing violators remained difficult, making the problematic situation drag on for a long time, she said.
Le Thi Luyen, who has owned an aquaculture farm on the bay since 2000, said she expected that the local authorities would soon plan to zone off an aquaculture area to create stable jobs for local residents.
Luyen recently moved her operations from a location in Ba Hang to Hoa Cuong, both of which are in the bay, in hopes to make bigger profits. However, she said, she's concerned that if aquaculture breeders were not allowed to sell seafood products to tourists, then breeders would suffer
Banned industrial waste leaking in via import loopholes
2:12 PM |The larger community ends up paying the price as businesses continue to abuse legal loopholes and bring banned industrial waste into the country, officials say.
Capital's new urban areas still without safe tap water
Mekong provinces discuss climate change strategies
Authorities uncover illegal timber trade
A VnMedia report said last week that this practice was convenient for industrialised countries struggling with the high cost of treating and disposing their industrial waste, which includes toxic chemicals.
It said local businesses were taking undue advantage of the Government allowing the import of waste for domestic production purposes. They were bringing in high-risk waste instead, the report said.
It also said that the businesses were getting away with it by using familiar, time-tested tactics of disowning their cargo or paying fines to re-export it.
Now, the industrial waste is mounting at the ports in Hai Phong City. There are up to 5,000 containers at the ports that no one wants to claim after the deadline for importers to come for procedural clearance has passed.
The Hai Phong Customs Department has said that of the 5,000, it has opened and checked 1,363 containers. It found 104 containing plastic waste, used computers and electronic parts; 1085 had used rubber tubes; 164 were filled with used clothes.
The department is yet to open the remaining containers.
"For the 1,363 containers that have been inspected, the department will have to get together representatives of the health, environment, judicial and other concerned sectors and decide what to do with it," said Pham Viet Chuyen, head of the department's goods inspection team, told Viet Nam News.
The Hai Phong Police's Environmental Crimes Division recently examined five containers in collaboration with Hai Phong Customs Department's Customs Control Team. According to their bills of lading, these contain used electronics items shipped from Hong Kong to Hai Phong.
However, inspections found that the containers held 120 tonnes of banned goods, including 50 tonnes of hazardous chipboards as electronic parts. This is a violation of the BASEL Convention and provisions of Article 185 of the Criminal Code.
Only 70 tonnes, including used laptops, CPUs, computer screens and servers of all types were legally importable goods.
In July 2014, the city's environmental crime police and the municipal police discovered 340 tonnes of used electronic parts and equipment stored in the warehouse and workshop of Mai Huong Co., Ltd.
Further checks found three containers of hazardous waste, and only two of the 20 containers held the declared item - waste steel. The other 18 had other goods including electronic parts and chipboards.
"The import of waste has not stopped, it is actually increasing," Do Van Diep from Hai Phong Police Department told VnMedia.
According to Diep, on the customs declaration, it is registered as legitimate goods but in fact, the containers' content is waste. When discovered, the domestic enterprises that have their names on invoices refuse to claim the goods, saying either that the goods are not what they ordered or that it must have been sent to the wrong address.
Pham Manh Tu, the head of Hai Phong Customs Department's Customs Inspection Team, had more information on tricks used by the importers.
He said for the goods that have to go through customs clearance, the department would inspect customs declarations and attached documents identifying the goods. The import of goods into the port without a customs declaration can only be seen as a trick to smuggle banned goods into the country.
According to Tu, the most popular way foreign exporters use to ship their goods to Viet Nam is through liners. When the vessel reaches the port, the importers are only required to present transportation documents for unloading.
After this, the goods can lie there for 90 days before the importer goes through customs procedures to clear and claim them. Until the importer comes and declares the goods, the customs will remain in the dark.
"After 90 days, the importer named in the shipment invoice is summoned. However, when violations are discovered, they give the same answers: they do not know who the goods belong to, they are not concerned or they did not sign the contract with the foreign companies that delivered the goods," he said.
Read more…
Capital's new urban areas still without safe tap water
Mekong provinces discuss climate change strategies
Authorities uncover illegal timber trade
A VnMedia report said last week that this practice was convenient for industrialised countries struggling with the high cost of treating and disposing their industrial waste, which includes toxic chemicals.
It said local businesses were taking undue advantage of the Government allowing the import of waste for domestic production purposes. They were bringing in high-risk waste instead, the report said.
It also said that the businesses were getting away with it by using familiar, time-tested tactics of disowning their cargo or paying fines to re-export it.
Now, the industrial waste is mounting at the ports in Hai Phong City. There are up to 5,000 containers at the ports that no one wants to claim after the deadline for importers to come for procedural clearance has passed
Now, the industrial waste is mounting at the ports in Hai Phong City. There are up to 5,000 containers at the ports that no one wants to claim after the deadline for importers to come for procedural clearance has passed.
The Hai Phong Customs Department has said that of the 5,000, it has opened and checked 1,363 containers. It found 104 containing plastic waste, used computers and electronic parts; 1085 had used rubber tubes; 164 were filled with used clothes.
The department is yet to open the remaining containers.
"For the 1,363 containers that have been inspected, the department will have to get together representatives of the health, environment, judicial and other concerned sectors and decide what to do with it," said Pham Viet Chuyen, head of the department's goods inspection team, told Viet Nam News.
The Hai Phong Police's Environmental Crimes Division recently examined five containers in collaboration with Hai Phong Customs Department's Customs Control Team. According to their bills of lading, these contain used electronics items shipped from Hong Kong to Hai Phong.
However, inspections found that the containers held 120 tonnes of banned goods, including 50 tonnes of hazardous chipboards as electronic parts. This is a violation of the BASEL Convention and provisions of Article 185 of the Criminal Code.
Only 70 tonnes, including used laptops, CPUs, computer screens and servers of all types were legally importable goods.
In July 2014, the city's environmental crime police and the municipal police discovered 340 tonnes of used electronic parts and equipment stored in the warehouse and workshop of Mai Huong Co., Ltd.
Further checks found three containers of hazardous waste, and only two of the 20 containers held the declared item - waste steel. The other 18 had other goods including electronic parts and chipboards.
"The import of waste has not stopped, it is actually increasing," Do Van Diep from Hai Phong Police Department told VnMedia.
According to Diep, on the customs declaration, it is registered as legitimate goods but in fact, the containers' content is waste. When discovered, the domestic enterprises that have their names on invoices refuse to claim the goods, saying either that the goods are not what they ordered or that it must have been sent to the wrong address.
Pham Manh Tu, the head of Hai Phong Customs Department's Customs Inspection Team, had more information on tricks used by the importers.
He said for the goods that have to go through customs clearance, the department would inspect customs declarations and attached documents identifying the goods. The import of goods into the port without a customs declaration can only be seen as a trick to smuggle banned goods into the country.
According to Tu, the most popular way foreign exporters use to ship their goods to Viet Nam is through liners. When the vessel reaches the port, the importers are only required to present transportation documents for unloading.
After this, the goods can lie there for 90 days before the importer goes through customs procedures to clear and claim them. Until the importer comes and declares the goods, the customs will remain in the dark.
"After 90 days, the importer named in the shipment invoice is summoned. However, when violations are discovered, they give the same answers: they do not know who the goods belong to, they are not concerned or they did not sign the contract with the foreign companies that delivered the goods," he said.
HCM City canal remains dirty after $46m cleanup
2:11 PM |Though HCM City and Binh Duong have spent more than a trillion dong (US$46.7 million) in the past eight years to clean up the Ba Bo Canal, the increasing discharge of untreated wastewater from nearby factories means the efforts have come to naught.
Mekong Delta urged to control flooding amid climate change
IZs told to protect environment
Gold miners yet to meet tax obligations
The 1.7km canal drains rainwater from 1,560 hectares of land in Binh Duong and HCM City including several industrial parks like Song Than No 1 and 2, Viet Nam-Singapore, and Dong An, and Linh Trung processing zone.
Industrial wastewater discharged directly into it is the main cause of the pollution of the canal which has been dredged and had a concrete embankment built.
But others like a 5.7ha regulating reservoir and 2.45ha biological lake for treating the polluted water have yet to be built.
Le Thanh Tien, who lives near the canal, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that its water has become increasingly polluted and people call it a dead canal.
Every time locals see untreated effluents discharged into the canal, they take pictures and inform the media to seek its help, but despite a slew of articles about the pollution there has been no improvement, he said.
Pham Van Lic, 73, who has lived near the canal for decades, told the newspaper that until the 1990s there were a lot of fish in it and he often caught them for his 10-member family.
Everyone used its water for bathing and even cooking then, but in recent years it has become a dead canal, he said.
Nguyen Van Tu, yet another resident living near Ba Bo, said things deteriorated after 2003 when the Song Than No. 1 and 2 and Dong An Industrial Parks were built.
According to officials, every day the canal gets more than 10,000cu.m of untreated industrial wastewater from industrial parks in HCM City and Binh Duong.
To save it, local residents have urged authorities to take measures to control the quality of effluents discharged from the industrial parks.
An official at HCM City's Centre for Flood Control Programme said a biological reservoir can only treat waste water discharged from residential areas and not industrial effluents.
The pollution would continue if the effluents are not treated right at their source, he warned.
Experts said cleaning up the canal would be pointless unless authorities put a halt to the discharge of polluted water from the industrial parks and illegal dumping of waste into it.
Tran Van Nam, deputy chairman of the Binh Duong People's Committee, told the newspaper that every industrial park in the province has a wastewater treatment system and all effluents have to be treated before their release into Ba Bo
Read more…
Mekong Delta urged to control flooding amid climate change
IZs told to protect environment
Gold miners yet to meet tax obligations
The 1.7km canal drains rainwater from 1,560 hectares of land in Binh Duong and HCM City including several industrial parks like Song Than No 1 and 2, Viet Nam-Singapore, and Dong An, and Linh Trung processing zone.
Industrial wastewater discharged directly into it is the main cause of the pollution of the canal which has been dredged and had a concrete embankment built.
Industrial waste water discharged directly into the Ba Bo canal. Though HCM City and Binh Duong have spent more than a trillion dong (US$46.7 million) to clean the canal, the increasing discharge of untreated waste water from nearby factories means the efforts have come to naught
But others like a 5.7ha regulating reservoir and 2.45ha biological lake for treating the polluted water have yet to be built.
Le Thanh Tien, who lives near the canal, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that its water has become increasingly polluted and people call it a dead canal.
Every time locals see untreated effluents discharged into the canal, they take pictures and inform the media to seek its help, but despite a slew of articles about the pollution there has been no improvement, he said.
Pham Van Lic, 73, who has lived near the canal for decades, told the newspaper that until the 1990s there were a lot of fish in it and he often caught them for his 10-member family.
Everyone used its water for bathing and even cooking then, but in recent years it has become a dead canal, he said.
Nguyen Van Tu, yet another resident living near Ba Bo, said things deteriorated after 2003 when the Song Than No. 1 and 2 and Dong An Industrial Parks were built.
According to officials, every day the canal gets more than 10,000cu.m of untreated industrial wastewater from industrial parks in HCM City and Binh Duong.
To save it, local residents have urged authorities to take measures to control the quality of effluents discharged from the industrial parks.
An official at HCM City's Centre for Flood Control Programme said a biological reservoir can only treat waste water discharged from residential areas and not industrial effluents.
The pollution would continue if the effluents are not treated right at their source, he warned.
Experts said cleaning up the canal would be pointless unless authorities put a halt to the discharge of polluted water from the industrial parks and illegal dumping of waste into it.
Tran Van Nam, deputy chairman of the Binh Duong People's Committee, told the newspaper that every industrial park in the province has a wastewater treatment system and all effluents have to be treated before their release into Ba Bo
Poor people forage in bird sanctuary
1:54 AM |The Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is allowing poor people in the neighbourhood to enter the park to earn a livelihood during the annual flooding season.
IZs told to protect environment
Gold miners yet to meet tax obligations
Capital's new urban areas still without safe tap water
Nguyen Van Hung, the park director, said 177 poor families from five communes have been allowed in the park buffer zone from 6am to 6pm every day to fish and collect wood and vegetables, but are ordered to strictly observe the laws on protecting resources.
Their permits were aimed at minimising illegal entry into the park and possible destruction of natural resources, he explained.
Duong Van Thang, a local resident, earns a living by doing odd jobs. But in the flood season, he finds it hard to find any job.
"Thanks to the permit issued by the bird sanctuary, we can enter it to catch snails and collect vegetables, earning around VND100,000 a day, enough to support my family," Hung said.
Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary, situated in what used to be called Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds), is home to 250 species of water birds, over 100 freshwater fish, and 32 rare birds.
The national park, which also has nearly 3,000ha of cajaput and more than 1,000ha of wild rice and weeds, is a natural habitat for many birds and animals.
With its unique fauna and flora, the sanctuary became Viet Nam's fourth Ramsar site and the 2,000th world-wide.
Read more…
IZs told to protect environment
Gold miners yet to meet tax obligations
Capital's new urban areas still without safe tap water
Nguyen Van Hung, the park director, said 177 poor families from five communes have been allowed in the park buffer zone from 6am to 6pm every day to fish and collect wood and vegetables, but are ordered to strictly observe the laws on protecting resources
Nguyen Van Hung, the park director, said 177 poor families from five communes have been allowed in the park buffer zone from 6am to 6pm every day to fish and collect wood and vegetables, but are ordered to strictly observe the laws on protecting resources.
Their permits were aimed at minimising illegal entry into the park and possible destruction of natural resources, he explained.
Duong Van Thang, a local resident, earns a living by doing odd jobs. But in the flood season, he finds it hard to find any job.
"Thanks to the permit issued by the bird sanctuary, we can enter it to catch snails and collect vegetables, earning around VND100,000 a day, enough to support my family," Hung said.
Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary, situated in what used to be called Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds), is home to 250 species of water birds, over 100 freshwater fish, and 32 rare birds.
The national park, which also has nearly 3,000ha of cajaput and more than 1,000ha of wild rice and weeds, is a natural habitat for many birds and animals.
With its unique fauna and flora, the sanctuary became Viet Nam's fourth Ramsar site and the 2,000th world-wide.
Wildlife thrives in Ca Mau forest
1:52 AM |
The populations of birds and wild animals have surged in recent times in the U Minh Ha cajuput forest in Ca Mau, according to the province Sub-department of Forest Protection.
There are storks, egrets, cormorants, night herons, water cocks, and many other species.
Several rare animals, including monkeys, wild boars, weasels, pythons, and crocodiles, have also been spotted in increasing numbers
To protect the birds, the sub-department has carried out several measures, including preventing people from coming into close contact with them and providing them with food and water.
Several rare animals, including monkeys, wild boars, weasels, pythons, and crocodiles, have also been spotted in increasing numbers.
Local forest rangers said, based on their tracks, wild boars probably numbered in the hundreds now after not being seen in the forest for many years.
 |
Herds of animals had been seen looking for food along the sides of roads, they said.
Ca Mau has banned the hunting, transportation, and sale of rare wild animals since 2000.
Authorities have busted 77 cases of hunting and possession of animals and seized turtles, wild boars, deer, and cobras weighing more than a tonne. The animals were later released back into the forest.
The U Minh Ha cajuput forest spreads over more than 80,000ha in Tran Van Thoi, U Minh, and Thoi Binh districts
Bear bile tourism shuts down in Ha Long
7:22 PM |Bear bile tourism in the northern province of Quang Ninh's Ha Long City has finally been shut down, according to the non-governmental organisation Education for Nature – Viet Nam (ENV).
Authorities uncover illegal timber trade
Chlorine gas leak endangers locals
Most would give up wildlife products
The end to the vicious trade has been attributed to the efforts made by provincial authorities since the start of the year.
Bear bile tourism began in 2007 with six bear farms set up along the main routes to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Viet Nam.
The farms received bus-loads of mainly Korean tourists, who could witness bile being extracted from live bears before being encouraged to purchase the bile and other bear products, in violation with the law.
ENV has been working closely with authorities at both national and provincial levels for the past seven years in an effort to put a stop to bear bile tourism in Quang Ninh.
Read more…
Authorities uncover illegal timber trade
Chlorine gas leak endangers locals
Most would give up wildlife products
Bear bile tourism began in 2007 with six bear farms set up along the main routes to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Viet Nam
The end to the vicious trade has been attributed to the efforts made by provincial authorities since the start of the year.
Bear bile tourism began in 2007 with six bear farms set up along the main routes to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Viet Nam.
The farms received bus-loads of mainly Korean tourists, who could witness bile being extracted from live bears before being encouraged to purchase the bile and other bear products, in violation with the law.
ENV has been working closely with authorities at both national and provincial levels for the past seven years in an effort to put a stop to bear bile tourism in Quang Ninh.
Riverbank erosion forces evacuations
4:32 PM |The erosion of the Tien River bank in Thanh Binh district forced the local government to evacuate 1,258 families.
Gold miners yet to meet tax obligations
Capital's new urban areas still without safe tap water
Mekong provinces discuss climate change strategies
Climate change, strong flooding and illegal sand mining changed the river flow and eroded the riverbank, a process that was likely to continue, local authorities said.
People living beside the river in five affected communes had to move to safe areas after 13.46 km of riverside land were eroded, including a road, said Thanh Binh People's Committee deputy president Nguyen Thi Phien.
The district authority moved the road to a new position 100-200m from the eroded area and proposed that the provincial government allow the construction of an embankment to protect 500 houses in Binh Thanh commune from the riverbank erosion. The 666m embankment would be made of reinforced concrete and cost the local government VND 75billion (US$3.5 million).
The district government also proposed the province finish constructing new residential areas to provide accommodations for people from the affected communes.
Dyke approved
The Kien Giang Province People's Committee has approved construction of a sea dyke along the Rach Gia city coast at an estimated cost of VND390 billion (US$18.6 million).
To be carried out in 2016-20, the work, beside a 3.9km embankment, will also see an arterial road elevated to run on top of the dyke, construction of two bridges, and installation of sewer and water supply systems.
The work, a response to the threat of climate change, will be undertaken by the city People's Committee.
More than 385km of land along rivers, canals, and the coast have been eroded in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kien Giang, affecting agriculture, according to the local Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Submerged coastal forests that help prevent erosion have seen their areas decline. In many places they have disappeared altogether, according to the department.
Lam Hoang Sa, deputy chairman of the Kien Giang People's Committee, said the province was drafting a plan to revive and enlarge the forests, possibly by next year.
The People's Committee has instructed competent agencies to study the eroded spots, consolidate river banks and carry out afforestation to prevent further erosion.
It is also encouraging farmers to develop production models in which trees are planted to check erosion.
Read more…
Gold miners yet to meet tax obligations
Capital's new urban areas still without safe tap water
Mekong provinces discuss climate change strategies
Climate change, strong flooding and illegal sand mining changed the river flow and eroded the riverbank, a process that was likely to continue, local authorities said.
People living beside the river in five affected communes had to move to safe areas after 13.46 km of riverside land were eroded, including a road, said Thanh Binh People's Committee deputy president Nguyen Thi Phien.
The erosion of the Tien River bank in Thanh Binh district forced the local government to evacuate 1,258 families.
The district authority moved the road to a new position 100-200m from the eroded area and proposed that the provincial government allow the construction of an embankment to protect 500 houses in Binh Thanh commune from the riverbank erosion. The 666m embankment would be made of reinforced concrete and cost the local government VND 75billion (US$3.5 million).
The district government also proposed the province finish constructing new residential areas to provide accommodations for people from the affected communes.
Dyke approved
The Kien Giang Province People's Committee has approved construction of a sea dyke along the Rach Gia city coast at an estimated cost of VND390 billion (US$18.6 million).
To be carried out in 2016-20, the work, beside a 3.9km embankment, will also see an arterial road elevated to run on top of the dyke, construction of two bridges, and installation of sewer and water supply systems.
The work, a response to the threat of climate change, will be undertaken by the city People's Committee.
More than 385km of land along rivers, canals, and the coast have been eroded in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kien Giang, affecting agriculture, according to the local Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Submerged coastal forests that help prevent erosion have seen their areas decline. In many places they have disappeared altogether, according to the department.
Lam Hoang Sa, deputy chairman of the Kien Giang People's Committee, said the province was drafting a plan to revive and enlarge the forests, possibly by next year.
The People's Committee has instructed competent agencies to study the eroded spots, consolidate river banks and carry out afforestation to prevent further erosion.
It is also encouraging farmers to develop production models in which trees are planted to check erosion.
Market waste causes a stink in Long Bien area
4:30 PM |People living near Ba Dinh district's Long Bien Market in Ha Noi, the biggest wholesale market in the northern region, complained of rotten produce and wastewater smells affecting their daily lives for nearly a decade.
Organic waste to be turned into renewable energy
Mekong Delta urged to control flooding amid climate change
IZs told to protect environment
The 22-year-old market has polluted the surrounding environment for a long time, said Hoang Dinh Thanh, deputy head of Long Bien Market Management Board. The broken drainage system leaves wastewater collecting in the market, causing a putrid odor, he said.
"The stinky smell from the market bothered our family even when we closed the doors very tight," said To Thi Lieu, who lives by the market. "Sometimes, we had to wear masks when we slept due to the smell."
The management board assigned 17 environment workers to clean up and collect about 2.5 tonnes of waste from the market everyday, he said. The board also hired an environmental hygiene company to collect and destroy waste. Despite environmental workers' best efforts, their cleaning has had little effect, because of the sheer amount of waste being discharged.
Traders must commit to seriously obeying environmental protection regulations when doing business in the market, he said. But the sanctions in place have not managed to deter violators.
According to Thanh, the People's Committee of Ba Dinh has planned to spend VND70 billion (US$3.3 million) to upgrade the market. The construction is expected to start on December 30.
The Long Bien Market covers 27,100sq.m and hosts 1,100 traders
Read more…
Organic waste to be turned into renewable energy
Mekong Delta urged to control flooding amid climate change
IZs told to protect environment
The 22-year-old market has polluted the surrounding environment for a long time, said Hoang Dinh Thanh, deputy head of Long Bien Market Management Board. The broken drainage system leaves wastewater collecting in the market, causing a putrid odor, he said.
Waste is thrown everywhere in Ha Noi's Long Bien Market. Rotten produce and wastewater smells have disrupted the daily lives of residents living near the market for years
"The stinky smell from the market bothered our family even when we closed the doors very tight," said To Thi Lieu, who lives by the market. "Sometimes, we had to wear masks when we slept due to the smell."
The management board assigned 17 environment workers to clean up and collect about 2.5 tonnes of waste from the market everyday, he said. The board also hired an environmental hygiene company to collect and destroy waste. Despite environmental workers' best efforts, their cleaning has had little effect, because of the sheer amount of waste being discharged.
Traders must commit to seriously obeying environmental protection regulations when doing business in the market, he said. But the sanctions in place have not managed to deter violators.
According to Thanh, the People's Committee of Ba Dinh has planned to spend VND70 billion (US$3.3 million) to upgrade the market. The construction is expected to start on December 30.
The Long Bien Market covers 27,100sq.m and hosts 1,100 traders
New rules govern discarded products
4:28 PM |Discarded phones and tablets are among waste products that will be retrieved and processed from January 1, 2015, under a decision taken by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Prospectors move in on illegal gold mining operation
Toxic oil to be sent to treatment plant
Bio-tech crucial to cutting emissions
Designed to improve environment protection efforts in the country, the decision divides waste products into six groups: batteries and accumulators; electronic devices, industrial and household electricity products; chemicals used in industry, agriculture, fisheries and medicines for human use; oil and lubricants; tires and inner tubes; and vehicles.
Manufacturers, importers, consumers, organisations and individuals involved in the retrieval and disposal of discarded products in Viet Nam will have to abide by the new decision.
Enterprises producing and importing waste products will be responsible for setting up points of collection, dealing with consumers on transferring and receiving waste products at the collection points, and transporting waste products to processing facilities.
However, both residents and enterprises have said they are still confused about several aspects of the decision.
For instance, deciding when to discard a product is difficult as many of them do not have an expiry date.
A Samsung Vina Electronics Co. Ltd representative told the Gia dinh va Xa hoi (Family and Society) Newspaper that the company was yet to receive any information from authorised agencies about the decision.
When it was implemented, the company would inform customers of the decision's provisions via the media, the representative said.
A Canon Viet Nam representative told the newspaper that there was no expiry date for electronic products and consumers would use them until they broke down.
Nguyen Quang Tien, a resident of Hai Ba Trung District, also told the newspaper that he had no idea about expiry dates for electronics products, particularly products like mobile phones and tablets.
"We often use these products until they break and will throw discarded products away or sell them to scrap-iron dealers.
"However, if the decision comes into effect, we are willing to hand in unused products," he said.
Duong Thanh An, head of the Policy and Law Department of the Viet Nam Environment Administration, told the Phap luat va Doi song (Law and Life) Newspaper that under current regulations, manufacturers must publicise the life of their products.
However, consumers could continue using them beyond their expiry dates if they were still usable, and handed over those they were not using or have stopped using to authorised agencies for proper disposal, he said.
In many other countries, manufacturers were now responsible for collecting and processing the discarded products, and this would apply in Viet Nam now, he said,
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was drafting a circular with guidelines for both residents and businesses on implementing the decision, he added.
Read more…
Prospectors move in on illegal gold mining operation
Toxic oil to be sent to treatment plant
Bio-tech crucial to cutting emissions
Designed to improve environment protection efforts in the country, the decision divides waste products into six groups: batteries and accumulators; electronic devices, industrial and household electricity products; chemicals used in industry, agriculture, fisheries and medicines for human use; oil and lubricants; tires and inner tubes; and vehicles.
Discarded phones and tablets are among waste products that will be retrieved and processed from January 1, 2015.
Manufacturers, importers, consumers, organisations and individuals involved in the retrieval and disposal of discarded products in Viet Nam will have to abide by the new decision.
Enterprises producing and importing waste products will be responsible for setting up points of collection, dealing with consumers on transferring and receiving waste products at the collection points, and transporting waste products to processing facilities.
However, both residents and enterprises have said they are still confused about several aspects of the decision.
For instance, deciding when to discard a product is difficult as many of them do not have an expiry date.
A Samsung Vina Electronics Co. Ltd representative told the Gia dinh va Xa hoi (Family and Society) Newspaper that the company was yet to receive any information from authorised agencies about the decision.
When it was implemented, the company would inform customers of the decision's provisions via the media, the representative said.
A Canon Viet Nam representative told the newspaper that there was no expiry date for electronic products and consumers would use them until they broke down.
Nguyen Quang Tien, a resident of Hai Ba Trung District, also told the newspaper that he had no idea about expiry dates for electronics products, particularly products like mobile phones and tablets.
"We often use these products until they break and will throw discarded products away or sell them to scrap-iron dealers.
"However, if the decision comes into effect, we are willing to hand in unused products," he said.
Duong Thanh An, head of the Policy and Law Department of the Viet Nam Environment Administration, told the Phap luat va Doi song (Law and Life) Newspaper that under current regulations, manufacturers must publicise the life of their products.
However, consumers could continue using them beyond their expiry dates if they were still usable, and handed over those they were not using or have stopped using to authorised agencies for proper disposal, he said.
In many other countries, manufacturers were now responsible for collecting and processing the discarded products, and this would apply in Viet Nam now, he said,
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was drafting a circular with guidelines for both residents and businesses on implementing the decision, he added.
No time to lose for climate change action
4:26 PM |Across East Asia, we have been witnessing deadly flooding and winds unleashed by another super typhoon. Local governments, people and communities are working to rebuild their shattered homes and livelihoods.
Hai Phong police seize tonne of ivory
Natural disasters out of control
Cement company fined for noise pollution
The scenes of destruction in the Philippines, Viet Nam and China are a reminder of why we, and leaders everywhere, have an urgent responsibility to act now to reduce climate and disaster risks.
We must do more to invest in resilience to help communities stand up to a future of more extreme weather. That includes investing in infrastructure, social safety nets, micro-insurance, and other programs and projects that bind communities together. Worldwide, we must reduce activities that are fueling climate change.
None of this can be delayed – we are running out of time.
Years of international and decades of measurements show that global greenhouse gas emissions are rising and climate change is worsening, threatening agriculture and water security and contributing to extreme weather. In coastal communities and the fisheries that millions of people rely on for food and livelihoods are at risk as warming oceans grow more acidic and sea levels rise.
In the end, the dangers are unfolding before the residents' eyes as salt water inundates once farmable and livable land. Their calls for action are among the most urgent in a long list of cultures and communities and countries at risk. The islanders didn't create the problem, but they are paying the price.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is convening world leaders for a climate summit in New York to mobilise international, national and local actions as we head toward a new international climate agreement in 2015.
He is looking for leaders.
Leadership means driving smart policies that lift people out of poverty today, increase prosperity, and leave a better world for future generations.
It means instituting policies that catalyze green investment and give companies the certainty they need to green their industries and supply chains. That may include putting a price on carbon to set in motion the shift toward cleaner investment, without prejudice on the right to sustainable development.
It means promoting energy efficiency through performance standards on buildings, cars, and appliances.
It means setting targets for renewable energy and investing in a clean energy future.
For investors, leadership means sound choices, such as – now a $20 billion market and growing – that bring a healthy return for putting money into low-carbon projects, such as renewable energy, reforestation, and low-carbon transportation.
Climate leadership is expanding and maturing. We see it here in Asia.
Viet Nam, while being one of the countries most affected by sea level rise, is pursuing a low carbon growth path and working to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as mass transit options in cities. As part of its Green Growth Strategy it aims to reduce the intensity of GHG emissions by 2020 and beyond. And Viet Nam, along with other countries that share the Mekong Delta, is bringing science and decision-making together for innovative solutions to water resources and coastal zone management to protect threatened communities and livelihoods in the Delta. Viet Nam hopes to get more international co-operation and support for effective responses to climate change.
The Philippines is working on a replicable model for increasing the scale and effectiveness of climate and disaster financing, and it has increased climate-smart investments, particularly for flood control, energy efficiency, and reforestation. It has also set a goal of tripling its renewable energy by 2030 and approved a set of renewable energy incentives including feed-in-tariffs and net metering to promote its use.
And China has launched seven local pilot carbon markets in the past two years, creating the second largest carbon market in the world, and has invested heavily in low-carbon cities and renewable energy.
Forward-thinking leaders are showing that with , development that their communities already need can also reduce emissions and build resilience to future extremes.
Developing countries have learnt from the poor, choices now evident in developed countries and are leapfrogging to climate-smart, low-carbon solutions – and benefiting from the competitive advantage.
As we head into the UN Secretary-General's Climate Summit, we each have a responsibility to our generation and that of our children's generation to act. We cannot wait – the costs are only rising. We have the knowledge. We understand the urgency. It's now up to each and every one of us to act. — VNS
* The Joint Op-Ed was released on the occasion of the UN Climate Summit.
Read more…
Hai Phong police seize tonne of ivory
Natural disasters out of control
Cement company fined for noise pollution
The scenes of destruction in the Philippines, Viet Nam and China are a reminder of why we, and leaders everywhere, have an urgent responsibility to act now to reduce climate and disaster risks.
We must do more to invest in resilience to help communities stand up to a future of more extreme weather. That includes investing in infrastructure, social safety nets, micro-insurance, and other programs and projects that bind communities together. Worldwide, we must reduce activities that are fueling climate change.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim have released a joint Op-Ed on the need for the world leaders to take action on climate change
None of this can be delayed – we are running out of time.
Years of international and decades of measurements show that global greenhouse gas emissions are rising and climate change is worsening, threatening agriculture and water security and contributing to extreme weather. In coastal communities and the fisheries that millions of people rely on for food and livelihoods are at risk as warming oceans grow more acidic and sea levels rise.
In the end, the dangers are unfolding before the residents' eyes as salt water inundates once farmable and livable land. Their calls for action are among the most urgent in a long list of cultures and communities and countries at risk. The islanders didn't create the problem, but they are paying the price.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is convening world leaders for a climate summit in New York to mobilise international, national and local actions as we head toward a new international climate agreement in 2015.
He is looking for leaders.
Leadership means driving smart policies that lift people out of poverty today, increase prosperity, and leave a better world for future generations.
It means instituting policies that catalyze green investment and give companies the certainty they need to green their industries and supply chains. That may include putting a price on carbon to set in motion the shift toward cleaner investment, without prejudice on the right to sustainable development.
It means promoting energy efficiency through performance standards on buildings, cars, and appliances.
It means setting targets for renewable energy and investing in a clean energy future.
For investors, leadership means sound choices, such as – now a $20 billion market and growing – that bring a healthy return for putting money into low-carbon projects, such as renewable energy, reforestation, and low-carbon transportation.
Climate leadership is expanding and maturing. We see it here in Asia.
Viet Nam, while being one of the countries most affected by sea level rise, is pursuing a low carbon growth path and working to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as mass transit options in cities. As part of its Green Growth Strategy it aims to reduce the intensity of GHG emissions by 2020 and beyond. And Viet Nam, along with other countries that share the Mekong Delta, is bringing science and decision-making together for innovative solutions to water resources and coastal zone management to protect threatened communities and livelihoods in the Delta. Viet Nam hopes to get more international co-operation and support for effective responses to climate change.
The Philippines is working on a replicable model for increasing the scale and effectiveness of climate and disaster financing, and it has increased climate-smart investments, particularly for flood control, energy efficiency, and reforestation. It has also set a goal of tripling its renewable energy by 2030 and approved a set of renewable energy incentives including feed-in-tariffs and net metering to promote its use.
And China has launched seven local pilot carbon markets in the past two years, creating the second largest carbon market in the world, and has invested heavily in low-carbon cities and renewable energy.
Forward-thinking leaders are showing that with , development that their communities already need can also reduce emissions and build resilience to future extremes.
Developing countries have learnt from the poor, choices now evident in developed countries and are leapfrogging to climate-smart, low-carbon solutions – and benefiting from the competitive advantage.
As we head into the UN Secretary-General's Climate Summit, we each have a responsibility to our generation and that of our children's generation to act. We cannot wait – the costs are only rising. We have the knowledge. We understand the urgency. It's now up to each and every one of us to act. — VNS
* The Joint Op-Ed was released on the occasion of the UN Climate Summit.
Japanese firm provides funds for water purifier
12:25 AM |The Halvo Ltd company of Japan has successfully tested its technology in Viet Nam that will be used to purify water and treat waste water.
Dong Nai cracks down on pollution
High salinity triggers water shortage in Da Nang
Quang Binh fines company for causing pollution
The company's technology, which uses condensed organic substances, will be used to supply clean water in a sustainable manner in the central province of Ha Tinh and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Vinh Long. Later, the company will expand its activities to HCM City and other provinces.
The main component of the organic substance is volcanic ash sourced from Japan.
Over the last three years, Halvo has given funds to 29 localities in Ha Tinh and Vinh Long provinces to buy its products, Kiyomarukun and HOH, which treat wastewater and purify water.
The products are used at preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, hospitals, municipal offices and dormitories.
The water treatment technique can be easily installed, and saves time and money.
"At first, the price of the product will be the same as other treatment techniques, but it will fall later, depending on the market. However, it is environmentally friendly and takes much less treatment time, five times less, compared with other methods," Yoshiharu Yagyu, director of Halvo Viet Nam Ltd Company, told Viet Nam News.
The company established Halvo Viet Nam One Member Ltd. in April in Long An Province's Phuc Long Industrial Zone.
Its activities are part of a project to support developing countries that use technologies invented by small- and medium-sized enterprises from Japan.
Halva is funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).
Rapid development, industrialisation and modernisation in Viet Nam have caused industrial wastewater, pesticides and other pollutants to affect lakes and underground water.
Water pollution has become an urgent national issue, as water treatment facilities, particularly in poor rural areas, are limited.
The lack of such treatment facilities has led to increased cases of diarrhea and skin and eye diseases among the public.
Household water in many rural areas, as well as in some areas in Ha Noi and other large cities, does not meet safety standards, a Halvo company press release said.
Read more…
Dong Nai cracks down on pollution
High salinity triggers water shortage in Da Nang
Quang Binh fines company for causing pollution
The company's technology, which uses condensed organic substances, will be used to supply clean water in a sustainable manner in the central province of Ha Tinh and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Vinh Long. Later, the company will expand its activities to HCM City and other provinces.
The Halvo Ltd company of Japan has successfully tested its technology in Viet Nam that will be used to purify water and treat waste water
The main component of the organic substance is volcanic ash sourced from Japan.
Over the last three years, Halvo has given funds to 29 localities in Ha Tinh and Vinh Long provinces to buy its products, Kiyomarukun and HOH, which treat wastewater and purify water.
The products are used at preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, hospitals, municipal offices and dormitories.
The water treatment technique can be easily installed, and saves time and money.
"At first, the price of the product will be the same as other treatment techniques, but it will fall later, depending on the market. However, it is environmentally friendly and takes much less treatment time, five times less, compared with other methods," Yoshiharu Yagyu, director of Halvo Viet Nam Ltd Company, told Viet Nam News.
The company established Halvo Viet Nam One Member Ltd. in April in Long An Province's Phuc Long Industrial Zone.
Its activities are part of a project to support developing countries that use technologies invented by small- and medium-sized enterprises from Japan.
Halva is funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).
Rapid development, industrialisation and modernisation in Viet Nam have caused industrial wastewater, pesticides and other pollutants to affect lakes and underground water.
Water pollution has become an urgent national issue, as water treatment facilities, particularly in poor rural areas, are limited.
The lack of such treatment facilities has led to increased cases of diarrhea and skin and eye diseases among the public.
Household water in many rural areas, as well as in some areas in Ha Noi and other large cities, does not meet safety standards, a Halvo company press release said.
Illegally logged timber haul discovered
10:36 PM |Quang Nam's Forest Ranger have recovered a large stack of illegally sawn timber logs in Que Lam commune of Nong Son district.
Quang Nam suffers effects of illegal gold exploitation
Provinces develop waste master plans
Firm told to deal with toxic substance threat
Chief Officer of Quang Nam's Forest Ranger, Phan Tuan said that 257 sawn timber logs measuring a total volume of 51 cubic metres had been found. The haul ranged from samples of first class (highest quality) timber to seventh class (second lowest quality) timber.
The illegal timbers were pending at sector 640 and 642 of the commune for a Thu Bon River transfer to the delta region for sale.
Quang Nam's Forest Ranger and the local authority have preserved the crime scene to prevent criminals from removing the timber.
More than 100 timber logs have been removed from the forest. Quang Nam's Forest Ranger is investigating the case.
Read more…
Quang Nam suffers effects of illegal gold exploitation
Provinces develop waste master plans
Firm told to deal with toxic substance threat
Chief Officer of Quang Nam's Forest Ranger, Phan Tuan said that 257 sawn timber logs measuring a total volume of 51 cubic metres had been found. The haul ranged from samples of first class (highest quality) timber to seventh class (second lowest quality) timber.
Quang Nam's Forest Ranger have recovered a large stack of illegally sawn timber logs in Que Lam commune of Nong Son district.
The illegal timbers were pending at sector 640 and 642 of the commune for a Thu Bon River transfer to the delta region for sale.
Quang Nam's Forest Ranger and the local authority have preserved the crime scene to prevent criminals from removing the timber.
More than 100 timber logs have been removed from the forest. Quang Nam's Forest Ranger is investigating the case.
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