Rural areas grapple to meet environmental criteria

Criteria related to environmental conservation has become the most difficult to achieve among the 19 criteria of the national target programme on building new-style rural areas, with only 26 percent of the communes under the programme currently meeting this requirement
Criteria related to environmental conservation has become the mostdifficult to achieve among the 19 criteria of the national targetprogramme on building new-style rural areas, with only 26 percent of thecommunes under the programme currently meeting this requirement.

The programme, initiated by the Government in 2010, sets 19 criteriaon socio-economic development, politics, and defence, aiming to boostrural areas of Vietnam.

The environmental criterionstipulates a commune must ensure 75 percent of its households use waterthat meets national quality standards and all production and businessfacilities satisfy environmental requirements. It must also ensure agreen and clean local environment, build graveyards in line with urbanplanning, and collect and treat waste and wastewater properly.

According to the programme’s steering committee, more than 1,000centralised clean water facilities, 500 dumping grounds and 1,200drainage ditches have been upgraded in rural areas nationwide.

The low rate of communes meeting the environmental criterion isattributable to the growing population, uncontrolled use of fertilisersand pesticides and the neglect of daily, agricultural, and productionwaste treatment.

The limited available land area andfunding shortage have also hindered efforts in planting trees andconstructing standard dumping grounds and waste treatment facilities.

The prevalence of outdated production equipment andauthorities’ slack supervision over production activities has furthercomplicated environmental protection activities.

Thenational programme’s steering committee said 785 communes had satisfiedall 19 criteria by the end of 2014, accounting for 8.8 percent of thecommunes across Vietnam, as reported on the Government Portal.

The country aims to have 20 percent of all communes nationwide meetall the requirements by the end of 2015, bringing it up to 50 percent by2020.

To enhance the new-style rural area building,the committee plans to step up communication activities to raise publicawareness and encourage community involvement in the programme.

It will also ask local authorities to harness resources to improvebasic infrastructure, especially those serving economic activities;restructure agriculture towards higher added value and sustainabledevelopment; and facilitate technological transfer to apply advancedequipment in agricultural production.-VNA

See more

A newly built house under the substandard housing elimination programme in Dak Lak (Photo: VNA)

Dak Lak completes nearly 90% of plan to eliminate substandard houses

As of July 9, 8,526 houses had been newly built or repaired, including 6,626 new constructions and 1,900 repairs, achieving 89.5% of the target. Over 6,000 houses have been handed over and are now occupied, providing stable accommodation for families benefiting from social policies, as well as low-income and near-poor households.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien receives the token of 82 billion VND from Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong. (Photo: VNA)

Banking sector donates 3.1 million USD to housing programme

Since April 2024, the banking sector has committed a total of 1.36 trillion VND to the programme. Of this amount, 1.1 trillion VND has already been disbursed, while the remaining funds will be released following the issuance of allocation guidelines by the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs (180 billion VND) and the submission of complete documents by localities (85 billion VND).

The two-week programme gathers nearly 40 scientists, young researchers, PhD students, engineers, technicians, and students from five countries. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam fosters young talent in astrophysics through int'l summer school

The SAGI 2025 Summer School is one of the flagship initiatives of the Simons Astrophysics Group at ICISE (SAGI), which was recently established in Gia Lai with support from the US-based Simons Foundation and the guidance of Vietnamese-origin scientists such as Dr. Nguyen Trong Hien, Professor Hoang Chi Thiem (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), and Dr. Nguyen Luong Quang.

Officers check a fisherman's compliance with regulations on combating IUU fishing. (Photo: VNA)

Can Tho reports no fishing violations in foreign waters for three years

Can Tho city is now home to 795 registered fishing vessels with a combined capacity of 209,648 horsepower. Among those, 346 vessels measure 15 metres or longer, requiring the installation of monitoring systems, and 28 vessels provide logistical support services to the fishing industry.

Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, President of the Vietnam Youth Federation, and head of the forum organising board Nguyen Tung Lam speaks at the press briefing. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese young intellectuals’ forum to highlight national development

Since its inception in 2018, the global forum of Vietnamese young intellectuals has attracted over 1,000 young intellectuals worldwide, contributing to programmes and policies related to developing young talents in Vietnam. The Global Vietnamese Young Intellectuals Network now has over 2,000 active members globally.

Young OVs visit Nha Rong wharf in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)

Young overseas Vietnamese write next chapter of peace

Organised annually by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs since 2004 (with a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19), Vietnam Summer Camp serves as a meaningful platform for young expatriates to reconnect with their roots, strengthen bonds with their peers in Vietnam, and foster a deeper love for the homeland.

Berlin exhibition highlights the beauty of Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam’s charm captured in Berlin photo exhibition

The exhibition offers an authentic, vivid portrayal of a developing Vietnam entering a new era. He expressed his hope that the event would enhance cultural ties between the two countries and help German audiences, including the Vietnamese community, better understand Vietnam.

China triumphs at DIFF 2025 grand finale (Photo: VNA)

China wins championship at DIFF 2025

China’s Jiangxi Yangfeng team won the 2025 Da Nang International Fireworks Festival with an emotionally resonant performance titled “Da Nang: shining gem, city of the future,” showcasing advanced lighting effects and a ten-song musical display.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet visit a UXO clearance site in Quang Tri province on April 2, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, US see encouraging results in settling war consequences

The two former adversaries have worked together to tackle the lasting impacts of the war, including UXO detecting and clearance, the search for those missing in action, and dioxin/Agent Orange remediation. These efforts have become a foundation of the Vietnam–US relationship, helping to elevate it to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam’s achievements in population management spotlighted

Vietnam still faces challenges in meeting its population and development goals. These include a rapidly declining birth rate (in 2024, the fertility rate dropped to just 1.91 children per woman) and a rapidly ageing population. Vietnam is among the fastest ageing countries, due to the low birth rate. The imbalance in the sex ratio at birth remains high, and teenage pregnancies are on the rise.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Pham Thanh Ha chairs the press conference. (Photo: VNA)

Nine newly adopted laws made public

These laws address key areas, including education, employment, taxation, advertising, energy efficiency, and the use of state capital in enterprises.

The Hanoi People’s Court on July 11 issues verdicts for 41 defendants in a major corruption case involving real estate firm Phuc Son Group JSC and senior former provincial officials. (Photo: VNA)

Phuc Son Group Chairman sentenced to 30 years in prison in major corruption trial

Nguyen Van Hau, Chairman and CEO of Phuc Son Group, was charged with giving bribes and violating bidding and accounting regulations, causing serious consequences. He received a combined jail sentence of 30 years - 14 years for bribery, nine years for the bidding violation, and seven years for accounting irregularities.