A contest, “Community-based environmental protection of the To Lich River”, was launched in Hanoi on March 9.

The contest includes proposing schemes for the community to engage in improving the environment of the To Lich River and the collection of photos on its environment.

Contestants have to put forward practical and concrete solutions that are easy to implement and have direct and safe results to address the pollution of rivers and lakes.

The ideas must not be suitable to solving problems only in one particular place, but be applicable to other localities. Also, the contestants must put forth strategies for maintaining and developing their projects even in the absence of financial aid from the Asia Foundation.

The contest’s organising board will select the prizewinners, each of which will receive 50 million VND or less in financial assistance for each scheme’s implementation.

Entries will be received from March 9 until June 9, 2010. The results will be announced on June 26, 2010 and exhibited in early October 2010./.