Day: April 16, 2024

Authorities of the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang have coordinated closely to popularise regulations to prevent and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing among the local fishermen. On April 15, the Trung Binh Border Post based in Tran De district, the Fisheries Sub-Department, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang jointly held a conference on anti-IUU fishing rules for nearly 100 local fishermen as well as captains and vessel owners in the district. At the event, participants were updated on the European Commission (EC)'s regulations on fishing, the impacts of the EC's yellow card warning against Vietnamese seafood exports, as well as the Prime Minister's directions on urgent tasks and measures to remove the warning, along with legal regulations regarding fisheries. They also received guidance on processing procedures to make port enter and exit registration on the fishing vessel management system. According to leaders of the Soc Trang Border Guard Co mmand, the activity aims to enhance local fishermen's awareness and sense of responsibility on legal fishing activities, while calling for the engagement of all sectors and localities in encouraging fishermen to strictly implement fisheries regulations. Alongside, the popularisation of laws and policies also helps mobilise the engagement of fishermen in protecting the national sovereignty over seas and islands in the new situation. On the occasion, 100 national flags and 50 lifebuoys were presented to local fishermen./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam will need to invest 20-30 billion USD on water supply and drainage to make sure that 100% of the population has access to clean water, according to experts. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment forecasts that water use demand by 2030 is about 122.47 billion cubic metre per year. Urban development, discharge of untreated industrial wastewater, and use of fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture, are putting great pressure on river basins, affecting clean water sources. This is particularly the case for large cities where clean water sources are a concern. Chairman of the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association Nguyen Ngoc Diep said Vietnam is a water-abundant country but it still confronts many issues as a result of climate change, including saltwater intrusion, floods and drought. Water use in agricultural production, along with thousands of irrigation and hydroelectric dams that ensure water source security pose deterioration and potential safety risks. The online system for monitoring water consumption and exploitation will be maintained and operated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for approximately 600 projects by 2024. Additionally, it has encouraged the creation and use of digital maps for drought warning and forecasting. Public health has been impacted by water contamination, and socioeconomic growth has decreased. As this is happening, the majority of wastewater in Vietnam is not treated before release into the environment. Urban flooding has also grown to be a major issue, particularly in major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Vinh and Da Lat. Several streets in Hanoi and HCM City have remained submerged after heavy rains in recent years. The National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting consistently issues warnings about floods in metropolitan areas. According to Diep, there are 750 clean water treatment facilities in Vietnam as of right now, with a combined capacity of over 1 million cubic meters each day and night. Up to 92% of people living in cities have access to clean water. The country has nearly 410 industrial parks using and treating wastewater with a capacity of 400,000cu.m per day and night. There are 71 drainage and wastewater treatment enterprises operating 82 wastewater treatment plants. Despite having a design capacity of one million cubic metres per day, the plants have only been used to a capacity of roughly 700,000cu.m per day. The real wastewater collection rate is only about 60%, and the treatment rate is only 17% of the approximately 80 operational wastewater treatment projects, each having a capacity of more than two million cubic meters per day and night. Professor Nguyen Viet Anh, Director of the Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering (University of Civil Engineering) said Vietnam's water industry has faced too rapid urban development. Infrastructure cannot keep up with growth, and essential water services fail to meet requirements. He cited the Mekong Delta region as an example, where seve ral provinces have had to establish water delivery systems upstream, kilometres away from the province boundary, as another challenge brought about by climate change. 'A lot of localities have to bring water from other places to supply agricultural production and domestic water. This shows that the challenge of climate change is increasingly fierce and present," he told VietnamPlus.vn, saying that it is necessary to find new solutions to droughts and saltwater intrusion. He said Vietnam still relies on ODA capital. The water sector is not attractive for private sector investment due to low profits, although it benefits society. Diep, Chairman of the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association, said in order for 100% of people to have clean water, Vietnam will have to make a large investment of about 9 billion USD by 2030, a "very challenging" issue for Vietnam when investment resources are still limited. Anh said with current water resource challenges, in the next 10 years, Vietnam's water industry will need to raise about 20-30 billion USD to meet all water supply and drainage requirements, including clean water supply projects, and domestic and industrial wastewater treatment. In order to develop a suitable policy framework, he advised managers to do a thorough assessment of the value of water. He stated that funding must be raised in order to invest in this field's infrastructure. Halla Maher Qaddumi, a senior water economist at the World Bank, said Vietnam might lose 6% of its GDP every year until 2035. Water pollution alone may cause a drop of 3.5% of GDP. To resolve issues in the water sector, the World Bank said attracting investments from the private sector should be done to replace old infrastructure. To attract investments, the government needs to have strong financial policies and legal frameworks, Halla said./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has seen successes in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, with no violations by its fishing vessels reported since 2022. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that in the first quarter of 2024, it collaborated with the provincial Border Guard Command, the Naval Region 2 Command, the Coast Guard Region 3 Command, and other relevant agencies to hold two sessions to raise awareness of IUU fishing regulations for nearly 250 fishermen. Additionally, 600 informational materials and 1,000 national flags were distributed to them. So far, all fishing boats have been equipped with the vessel monitoring systems and have been put into operation. Col. Truong Cong Sau, Deputy Commander of the provincial Border Guard Command, said the border control stations have effectively controlled and verified compliance to prevent IUU fishing violations. They strictly ensure that offshore fishing vessels do not violate the sovereign ty of neighbouring countries. Those lacking the necessary monitoring equipment are prohibited from leaving ports. Tien Giang is now home to 1,275 fishing vessels with over 9,140 fishermen. Its total output of caught seafood reached 18,658 tonnes in Q1./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

The northwestern province of Dien Bien is installing a system of mega outdoor LED screens, each measuring 40-60 square metres, to serve the celebration of 70 years of Dien Bien Phu victory. According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 15 screens will be put up across Dien Bien Phu city, including May 7 Square, Him Lam Square, Dien Bien Phu victory monument and Dien Bien Phu Airport. Besides popularising this important event, the screens will help public enjoy the grand celebration on May 7. On the occasion, the relic site of Muong Thanh bridge will be illuminated under a project funded by the French Development Agency and France's Lyon city. In the same vein, the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum will open an exhibition themed "Duong Len Dien Bien" (The odyssey to Dien Bien) in Hanoi on April 26, introducing 70 art works that highlight the Vietnamese people's heroic battles and solidarity during the national struggle for independence. Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Digital Awards 2024 was launched by the Vietnam Digital Communications Association (VDCA) and VietTimes Magazine in Hanoi on April 16 with a view to fostering the development of the digital government, digital economy and digital society. It will honour state agencies and businesses with excellent digital transformation, outstanding digital products, services and solutions for the community, as well as foreign products, services and solutions. Ho Duc Thang, Acting Director of the Department of National Digital Transformation under the Ministry of Information and Communications, said the awards will be a launching pad that promotes the development and application of digital solutions in key fields of the economy, including health care, education, finance-banking, agriculture, transport and logistics, energy, environment and industrial production. Entries should be sent to the organising board through website www.vda.com.vn by June 30. An awarding ceremony will be organised in early October in r esponse to the National Digital Transformation Day (October 10). The Vietnam Digital Awards has attracted the participation of 16,000 organisations in all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities over the past six years./. Source: Vietnam News Agency