Drawing contest on environmental protection launched hinh anh 1At the launch ceremony (Photo: toquoc.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) - A drawing contest aimed at raising community awareness about protecting the environment was launched in Hanoi on June 30.

Vice head of the cultural department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vi Thanh Hoai underlined at the launch ceremony that environmental pollution has emerged as a major challenge for the world.

In Vietnam, efforts have been made to improve environmental quality and biodiversity protection, she noted.

The contest aims to disseminate the policies of the Party and the State on environmental protection and honour collectives and individuals with major contributions to related efforts, Hoai added.

It will focus on the major topics of reducing plastic waste and putting an end to single-use plastics, bolstering tourism in line with biodiversity protection, and encouraging the use of environmentally-friendly products.

Professional and amateur artists in Vietnam and abroad are eligible to enter. Entries must not have been submitted to other contests or popularised in any form, and close on August 21.

The winner will receive a prize of 15 million VND (640 USD) while the two runners-up will receive 8 million VND each.

An awards ceremony and an exhibition of entries are set to take place in November./.

VNA