Launched in 2021 with funding from the Norwegian people through WWF-Norway and WWF-Vietnam, the “Hue – Plastic Smart City in Central Vietnam” project aims to help Hue protect rivers, wetlands and coastal ecosystems from plastic pollution while building the city into a model plastic-reduced urban area in central Vietnam.
The Bac Lieu Forest Protection Unit under the provincial Forest Protection Sub-Department said that it had completed procedures to transfer and release the animal into its natural habitat.
Initiatives on biodiversity finance, carbon credits, public – private partnerships, nature-based tourism, and private sector investment are creating more opportunities to increase resources for ecosystem conservation and restoration, said an official.
Vietnam has established a network of 180 terrestrial and marine nature reserve covering more than 2.67 million hectares. These sites are being further strengthened to improve ecological connectivity, restore habitats and conserve endangered species. Forest cover remains stable at over 42%, contributing to water protection, climate adaptation and carbon absorption.
The animals included two masked palm civets, four stump-tailed macaques, and seven rhesus macaques. All belong to Group IIB under Circular No. 85/2025/TT-BNNMT issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on the management of endangered, precious and rare species, as well as the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The seminar is held in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Vietnam and the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment (ISPAE).
Vietnam always wishes to continue strengthening cooperation with UK partners in capital market development, green transition, green finance, and the establishment of Vietnam international financial centre (VIFC), said Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan.
For many years, the campaign “Vietnamese people prioritise using Vietnamese goods” has played an important role in promoting domestic consumption and supporting local businesses. Today, alongside traditional trade fairs and distribution channels, digital platforms are creating new opportunities for Vietnamese products to increase their competitiveness.
The animal was identified as a clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus), weighing approximately two kilograms and measuring around 70 centimetres in length. The species belongs to Group IB — a category of endangered and rare forest wildlife species given the highest level of protection in Vietnam, with all forms of commercial exploitation and use strictly prohibited.
The stump-tailed macaque, scientifically known as Macaca arctoides, is classified as a rare and endangered species under Group IIB in Vietnam’s regulations on endangered wildlife management.
Ho Chi Minh City aims to push urban green coverage above 1 sq.m per person by 2030, while stepping up greenhouse gas reduction initiatives on the way to Net Zero by 2050.
Designed to process 2,000 tonnes of waste per day and generate 45MW of electricity for the national grid, the project is the first high-tech waste-to-energy plant in southwestern Hanoi, where large-scale solid waste treatment facilities have long been lacking.
The figure includes losses of 6.7 billion VND in Cao Bang province and 3.5 billion VND in Dak Lak province, while Quang Ninh and Thanh Hoa provinces have yet to report estimated damages.
The three turtles, each weighing around 1.5 kilogrammes with shells measuring about 25 centimetres long and 20 centimetres wide, are green sea turtles. They were accidentally caught in fishing nets and found drifting at sea near Con Co waters on May 16 by fisherman Bui Dinh Thuy in Cua Viet commune during a fishing trip.
In the central province of Dak Lak, violent rainstorms with strong winds and lightning injured one person and damaged 27 houses, one of which collapsed entirely. Seven houses suffered severe damage and 13 had roofs ripped off in Ea Kar commune.
The Hanoi People’s Committee organised Green Transition Day 2026 on May 16 under the theme “Green Transition - A Driver for Vietnam’s New Growth Model.”
Amid the scorching dry season in the dipterocarp forests of Buon Don, mahouts from the Dak Lak centre for elephant conservation, wildlife rescue, and forest protection management trek alongside elephants in search of water and food, while tending to their health.
On average, the East Sea records about 11–13 storms and tropical depressions each year, with 5–6 making landfall. This year, fewer than 11 systems are forecast to form, with fewer than five expected to directly impact the mainland.
Nguyen Van Sinh, Director of the reserve, said on May 14 that the rare predator was captured by a camera trap system installed in the reserve’s natural forest.
The shipment includes several endangered Vietnamese species such as the Indochinese box turtle (Cuora galbinifrons), Bourret’s box turtle (Cuora bourreti), keeled box turtle (Cuora mouhotii), and black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda spengleri), all considered highly endangered and increasingly threatened in the wild by habitat destruction, poaching, and illegal trade.
Notably, the Netherlands has proposed a project on establishing a strategic offshore sand reserve and supply chain management centre for the Mekong Delta.
On May 11, the Quy Chau Forest Protection Department, along with local police and authorities, took in a critically endangered pangolin, handed over by a resident. The animal was discovered a day earlier by Thai Doan Tuan, from Viet Huong village in Quy Chau commune, after it wandered into his garden. Recognising it as a protected Sunda pangolin, he contacted authorities for assistance.
The black-necked crane, also known locally as the black-headed crane, is listed in both the Vietnamese and global red lists due to its small population and shrinking habitat.
Pangolins, scaly mammals capable of curling into a ball for self-defence, are classified as critically endangered and are strictly protected under both Vietnamese and international law.
Both sides expressed confidence that continued dialogue and knowledge-sharing will deepen cooperation in hydrometeorology, helping enhance disaster response capacity and climate change adaptation in the years ahead.
Local authorities have instructed village leaders to urgently assess and report damage to homes, infrastructure and crops. Relevant agencies are coordinating site inspections to evaluate impacts and propose timely recovery measures, while mobilising local forces to help residents stabilise their lives.
The renewed status reflects Cao Bang’s sustained efforts to preserve and promote geological, cultural and natural heritage while linking conservation with community livelihoods.
Authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap are strengthening environmental oversight at industrial zones and clusters, focusing on upgrading centralised wastewater treatment systems, to support sustainable development goals.
