Dialogue discusses environmental protection measures hinh anh 1A trê planting event in Vung Tau (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)
Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly held a policy dialogue on environment and sustainable development in Ho Chi Minh City on June 5.

Participants from various enterprises in the southern region and relevant agencies focused on issues related to the adjustments and completion of the Law on Environmental Protection and relevant legal documents, as well as resources for sustainable production and consumption, environment treatment technology and a number of urgent environment problems in the southern region.

They also discussed challenges facing enterprises in observing legal regulations in protecting the environment, the control of water environment pollution, the assessment of environmental impacts as well as the management of harmful waste and environment monitoring.

According to MoNRE Deputy Minister Nguyen Linh Ngoc, Vietnam is burdening many pressures from socio-economic development activities.

Currently, the country has 67 industrial parks and 532 industrial clusters operating without complete wastewater treatment system, along with more than 5,000 craft villages directly affecting the community.

At the same time, 36 industrial production facilities need special monitoring and 132 projects are rated as unfriendly to the environment, he noted.

Vo Tan Thanh, VCCI Vice President in Ho Chi Minh City said that Vietnam has yet to pay adequate attention to the protection of environment. Climate change and extreme weather conditions require the country to change its growth model towards minimising and stopping the exploitation of fossil fuel and increasing the use of renewable and green energy.

He called for business community to green the production through the increase of advance technology.

Nguyen Van Tai from the Vietnam Administration of Environment said that the MoNRE is working to implement the Prime Minister’s direction on a number of urgent solutions on environmental protection, laying the foundation for sustainable economic development in coming years.

Also on June 5, as part of the Action Month for the Environment and World Environment Day 2017, another conference was also held in Vung Tau city, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on measures to enhance public awareness of risks to health and environment due to burning activities.-VNA
VNA