Vietnamplus

Winners of the Press Award in “Mitigating marine plastic debris” were honoured at a ceremony in Hanoi on December 10.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on May 28 launched the Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States for the 2021-2025 period, which provides a solution-focused joint strategy to address marine plastic debris across the region.

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) of Indonesia on January 21 terminated the search operation for the bodies of passengers and debris of the crashed Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ-182 after a period of 13 days, according to Antara news agency.

“It is time for us to take drastic and effective action to change models of production and the consumption of traditional plastic products in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner,” Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has said.

One more body was retrieved from debris of a landslide in Tra Van commune, Nam Tra My district in the central province of Quang Nam, on October 29.

An international centre on marine plastic debris is to be built in Vietnam as a regional forum for sharing knowledge and information relevant to plastic waste and plastic pollution.

The southern central province of Khanh Hoa has issued an action plan on marine plastic waste management, aiming to cut down half of its plastic debris at sea in the next five years.

Experts and researchers gathered at a national conference held in the central city of Da Nang on October 20 to discuss measures to reduce ocean debris from aquaculture activities.

The 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME 15) and related meetings concluded in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on October 9 and released a joint statement.

A project funded by the Norwegian Government made debut at a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on October 4, aiming to help Vietnam turn plastic wastes from the oceans into chances in a circular economy.

The amount of marine debris generated in Thailand has dropped to 21,700-32,600 tonnes annually, after the initial success of a project to increase the reuse and recycling of materials by 25 percent.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) has said it will prioritise much of its 1 billion USD fund to curb plastic waste in Southeast Asia.

The Government has assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Vietnam Administration of Sea and Islands to design a national action plan on reducing marine debris towards 2030.

Vietnam stands ready to join regional and international efforts in building mechanisms and regulations in order to promote cooperation in tackling marine litter, Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed on July 25.

At the 30th ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment Meeting, Thai delegates have raised the issue of marine debris and will submit a proposal to nominate Thailand as the Chairman of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME).

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha chaired an international press conference in Bangkok on June 23 to make known the outcomes of the 34th ASEAN Summit.

Regional cooperation to preserve the marine environment and ensure sustainable fisheries management and food security in the ASEAN region will be the focus of discussion at an international workshop to be held in Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa from May 13-15.

Thailand, as chair of ASEAN, has hosted the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Marine Debris. All member countries agreed to the Bangkok Declaration and the Framework of Action on marine debris management in the ASEAN region.

Malaysian Minister of Transport Anthony Loke on March 3 announced that the country will consider resuming the search for the missing plane of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 if companies interested in the hunt come forward with viable proposals or credible leads.

There are two key components needed to rid the oceans of plastic, a senior professor has warned.