Top 10 events in natural resources-environment sector

The recognition of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark in Cao Bang province as a UNESCO Global Geopark is among the outstanding events in 2018 selected by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment 

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has selected 10 top events in fields under its management in 2018.

The following are the events:

1. The 8th plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee issued Resolution 36-NQ-TW dated October 22, 2018 on the Strategy on Sustainable Development of the Marine Economy to 2030 with a vision to 2045. The resolution outlines five major policies on developing the marine and coastal economy along with three breakthroughs and seven key groups of solutions.

2. The 14th National Assembly adopted the Law on Measurement and Map. This is the first time Vietnam has had a law regulating professional activities in the field of measurement and mapping, which is significant in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

3. Many policies of the Party regarding the management of land and natural resources, environmental protection and response to climate change have been reviewed and assessed in a comprehensive manner. The policies included the 11th Party Central committee’s Resolution 19-NQ/TW dated October 31, 2012 on continuing to reform land-related policies and law, and Resolution 24-NQ/TW on making proactive response to climate change, strengthening the management of natural resources and environmental protection. The assessment helped pinpoint outstanding problems and shortcomings which must be addressed in the time ahead.

4. The Prime Minister issued Directive 27/CT-TTg dated September 17, 2018 on urgent measures to tighten management of the import of waste and use of imported waste as production materials amid the piling up of imported waste at sea ports. The MoNRE also promulgated circulars on national environmental standards for six types of imported waste in high demand which are scrap iron, steel; plastics; paper; glass; non-ferrous metals; and slag.

5. The sixth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) took place in Vietnam with the participation of nearly 1,500 delegates, including heads of State, Government leaders, ministers, heads of environmental agencies of 183 countries, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, international financial institutes, and experts. The same year, Vietnam successfully organized several key international events in the field of natural resource and environment, such as the 50th session of the Typhoon Committee, the 15th Regional Congress on Geology, Mineral and Energy Resources of Southeast Asia, and the 25th meeting of the Mekong River Commission Council.

6. The initiatives on forming a global cooperation mechanism for reducing plastic waste and building a regional partnership in management of plastic waste in Southeast Asia proposed by Vietnam at the expanded Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Canada and the 6th GEF Assembly won appreciation of the international community. In implementing the initiatives, the MoNRE launched a large-scale campaign to reduce plastic waste and the use of disposable plastic goods, which received warm response from agencies, organisations and the community.

7. The Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark in the northern province of Cao Bang was recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark at the 204th session of the UNESCO Consecutive Council in April. It is the second UNESCO-recognised Global Geopark in Vietnam after Dong Van Karst Plateau, which was accredited in 2010. The park is also the eight of its kind in Southeast Asia to receive the status. The Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark covers more than 3,000 sq.km. spreading across nine districts.

8. Hanoi becomes the first city in the country to invest in an air monitoring system meeting national standards, with 10 automatic air monitoring stations put into use in 2018, a mobile air monitoring vehicle, six water surface monitoring stations and an information and operation centre. Data on air quality are updated around the clock and publicised using various media for the public to keep check of the air quality where they live.

9. Speeding up the implementation of the e-Government, IT application, administrative reform and streamlining of business conditions and commodities subject to specialised inspection in the field of natural resources and environment. An interactive network has been completed connecting the MoNRE, the departments of natural resources and the environment of 63 provinces, the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, and governmental agencies, allowing them to contact, send and receive documents. A total of 102 out of 163 business conditions were abolished (62.6 percent, surpassing the Government’s target of 12.6 percent), and the number of commodities subject to specialised inspection was reduced by 38, from 74 to 36 (51.3 percent).

10. Freshwater was found at a depth of 80m on Bach Long Vi Island, an offshore district of the northern city of Hai Phong. The island, which is 100km from the mainland, often suffers from water shortage. The two drilled wells have a combined flow of 75 cubic metres per day.-VNA