HCMC allows massive tourism project near biosphere reserve to expand: report

The complex of hotels, resorts and a shopping mall has received permission to eat into the sea despite environmental concerns

A tourism project near a treasured biosphere reserve on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City has been allowed to encroach on 1,080 hectares of sea area, news website Saigon Times Online reported on Tuesday.

Can Gio Tourist City Corporation will conduct a feasibility study for the tourism complex, known as Saigon Sunbay, and submit its revised design to the city's government next month, it said.
Originally the project only planned to take over 600 hectares of the sea. 

The investor has been ordered to create plans and make sure the construction of transport infrastructure will not affect the biosphere reserve in Can Gio District, which has been recognized by UNESCO.

Part of the Saigon Sunbay project as seen in a map released by Can Gio District in 2012

First announced 15 years ago with a projected cost of around VND8.47 trillion (US$374.61 million), Saigon Sunbay was set to have construction work begin in 2007.

But it was soon delayed due to financial reasons.

The project was resumed in June, after the city named real estate giant Vingroup as its "strategic investor." The project is now expected it to be completed in 2022, Saigon Times reported.

According to the initial plan, Saigon Sunbay would consist of hi-end hotels and resorts, along with an international convention center, a shopping mall, and an aquarium. It would also have wharfs for cruises and seaplanes as well as a helicopter pad.

Its investor planned to assign about one third of the designated area for an artificial bay with its beach made from white sand brought in from central Vietnam.

Dubbed "the green lung" of Ho Chi Minh City, Can Gio boasts more than 70,000 hectares of mangrove forests, and rivers and canals, and around 200 different species of wildlife and 150 species of flora. Half of its area was recognized as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2000.

Experts have warned that tourist projects near the reserve could disturb it and cause irreparable damage.

Ha Noi records 900 power safety violations

Violations of safety regulations for the high-voltage grid have fallen dramatically compared with last year, according to Industry and Trade Department Director Lê Hồng Thăng.

The department in co-ordination with the relevant agencies have uncovered 883 violations of regulations on the high-voltage grid safety corridor during their investigation. Of these, 236 cases have been handled, while the rest have not been resolved.

The City Steering Committee also asked the committees of 16 districts to deal with violations strictly and to prevent new violations.

The violations were caused by a lack of knowledge of power safety amongst residents and contractors of construction projects.

Nguyễn Đinh Thắng, deputy head of the power management office, said the project contractors had not followed procedures to protect the power network.

Many power networks in rural areas have been seriously affected by building projects due to the infrequent inspection of local authorities, he said.

The power management units need to request project investors and contractors to sign an agreement on the necessary measures to be adopted to ensure the safety, he said.

To ensure the integrity of the high-voltage grid safety corridor, power management agencies need to strengthen close co-ordination with local agencies for inspections and handling violations and must release campaigns to educate people about safety. 

Only one investor urged for NH 22 upgrade

The People's Committee of HCM City has asked the Ministry of Transport to select just one investor instead of two for upgrading the National Highway No. 22 under Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT). 

The highway, also named as Trans-Asia Road, stretching over 58 kilometres, is the arterial road connecting HCM City, Tay Ninh, and provinces in the south-east region and Cambodia. 

The committee said that only one investor should implement the project, because if they choose two, there would be two toll stations within the 58km stretch.

"It is unreasonable for road users," the committee said.

The committee asked the ministry to allow them to call for investments for the project.

The upgrade plans emerged after traffic jams often occurred during rush hour on several stretches of the national highways due to an increasing number of vehicles, especially on the stretch linking An Suong and Cu Chi Flyover.

Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway repairs soon

Subsidence appearing in nine spots along the Noi Bai – Lao Cai Expressway will be fixed before October 31, as per the directives of Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang.

The nine spots cover a total area of over 90,000sq.m.

Dao Quang Tuan, director of the expressway's Management Board said the contractors had completed fixing eight of the nine spots. The last spot was under repair today, he said.

Tuan said that the expressway's contractors have taken the responsibility for any new subsidence found within 24 months of the expressway having begun operations.

The 245-km expressway was opened in September 2014, and runs through the northern provinces of Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho and Yen Bai before reaching Lao Cai.

It helps shorten travel time from Ha Noi to Lao Cai to three and a half hours from seven. 

Frauding 300 people with job offers

As many as 300 graduates in four central provinces were scammed into paying a woman who claimed she could help them secure a job in healthcare.

Police in central Thua Thien - Hue Province yesterday prosecuted and arrested Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, 53, a resident of Hue City for allegedly defrauding VND33 billion (US$1.34 million) from newly-graduated students, who were searching for hobs in the in health sector.

Col. Ho Quang Minh, head of the Thua Thien - Hue investigation agency announced that his agency had prosecuted Hoa for fraud. Minh said his staff has been working with police in other localities on the case.

About 300 people in Da Nang City and Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces were deceived by claims that Hoa had a close relationship with officials in the health sector and hospitals.

She promised to get them a job with an advance payment of VND80-120 million ($3,500-5,300) depending on the position. Hoa delivered a piece of paper with her handwriting, stating the amount and conditions to each victim.

Hoa began the scheme in March 2013, when Hue International Hospital was about to open and was offering about 1,000 vacancies.

By March this year, when Hoa's victims began to report to Thua Thien - Hue police, she had defrauded up to 300 people.

Hoa admitted to police that she had got in big debt and the fraud helped her pay this.

Observers said the investigation should not finish with Hoa's case but should also look into the transparency of the hospitals in recruitment procedures. 

Coconut trees shouldn’t be grown along Ho Chi Minh City streets: transport dept

Coconut trees should not be grown along streets in Ho Chi Minh City, as they are among a number of species banned from being planted in such places, the municipal transport authorities have confirmed.

The Department of Transport made the confirmation in a report sent to the People’s Committee on Thursday, rejecting a proposal that coconut trees should be planted along newly built streets and canals in the city.

The local administration had earlier asked the department to coordinate with the Green Park Co. Ltd. and scientists to study the feasibility of the plan, which was put forward by the Vietnam Coconut Association.

In its proposal, the association said coconut trees, one of the rain- and storm-resistant species, would help protect the city during bad weather.

The trees could be planted on almost any type of soil, and would not require much effort to tend to, and thus result in economic effectiveness, according to the association.

It added that the trees would create beautiful and environmentally-friendly landscapes typical of Vietnam’s southern region.

The association suggested that coconut trees be planted on a pilot basis along the two sides of the Tau Hu Canal in District 8.

Meanwhile, Tran The Ky, director of the department, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that coconut trees are banned from being grown on streets, as fruits may fall and cause danger to people traveling on the streets.

Besides the trees, 27 other plant species are prohibited from being planted on streets, under Decision 52 dated November 25, 2013 by the municipal administration, Ky added.

These species are banned because they contain substances toxic to human beings or pose other dangers to people and the environment, the official further explained.

Around 5,000 people will receive free health check-up at the festival for Vietnamese health which will be held in two days October 24 and 25 at the Military Medical Institute, the Vietnam Medical Association said.

Up to 700 physicians in the country who are members of the Vietnam Medical Association  and working in big hospitals will provide health check-up and consultation to people in the festival

The festival will include comprehensive health check-up and consultation; diagnosis of heart problem, diabetes, respiratory, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nutrition, bones, examination for senior residents and exchange with experts. Festival participants will have respiratory function, blood pressure and bone mineral density measured.  

Doctors will check diabetes test for those who have demand.

This is a meaningful activity aiming to provide people general knowledge of healthcare; hence they can protect themselves and their relatives from chronic diseases and have good nutrition.

Hanoi to host 9th national internal medicine conference

Leading professors and doctors from the US, Europe and Vietnam will gather at the 9th national internal medicine conference in Hanoi on October 24-25. Latest reports on healthcare and treatment in Vietnam and the world will be presented. 

The event is co-organised by Vinamilk SurePrevent and the Vietnam Internal Medicine Association.

Reports on cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory, digestive and urinary infection issues will be delivered.

On this occasion the Internal Medicine Association and Vinamilk will launch the first Vietnamese Health Festival, a component of the communication program on the health of the Vietnamese people. Accordingly, doctors will provide free heath checks and consultancy for more than 3,000 people.

Dr Szabolcs Peter from Switzerland’s DSM Nutrition is invited by Vinamilk SurePrevent to report on the application of micronutrients in functional foods for patients and the elderly. 

Japan to replace damaged money found by Vietnamese scrap vendor

The Japanese central bank has agreed to replace all the damaged money that a Vietnamese scrap vendor accidentally found in a speaker sold to her as junk, local media reported.

Huynh Thi Anh Hong, 36, will get more than one million Japanese yen (US$8,340) as the Bank of Japan has finished assessing the 124 mutilated notes and agreed to replace them for her.

Previously, Hong changed 400 intact notes worth around 4 million yen and received a total VND691 million (US$31,000).

Hong, who moved to Ho Chi Minh City nearly two decades ago, found more than five million yen in a small wooden box hidden inside a speaker that she had bought from a stranger in late 2013 for VND100,000 (US$4.63). 

She had kept the speaker and broke it open in March 2014 to recycle the metal.

Japanese bank notes flew out of the box and people in the vicinity tried to grab some.

Soon strangers lined up outside her door, all demanding some of the money.

Hong was afraid and called the police in Tan Binh District, where the woman from the central province of Quang Ngai has been living for nearly 20 years.

The police confiscated the money and issued a note asking the owner to come and claim the money on April 28, 2014.

Soon before the deadline, a woman came to the police and claimed the money belonged to her South African husband. But the police investigated and then rejected the claim.

They announced Hong would get all the money.

Wild animals rescued in central provinces

Fishermen in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has rescued a 35kg green sea turtle that got lost in a shrimp pond and returned it into the sea.

The turtle, which has the scientific name Chelonia mydas, is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

A fisherman in the province's Thuan An Township yesterday found the turtle in his pond and informed the local authorities. Specialists from local department of seafood exploitation and protection arrived and ensured that the turtle was in good health.

The experts assisted local fishermen in releasing the giant turtle back into the sea yesterday afternoon. This is the third turtle to be rescued by residents in the township.

In related developments, four pangolins, a threatened species according to the IUCN, were rescued in the neighbouring Quang Tri Province after local police captured a trafficker.

Chu Van Luu, 26, a resident of the central Nghe An Province, was yesterday found transporting the wild mammals in Cam Lo District in Quang Tri Province. He did not have any legal documents for his cargo.

Luu told the police that the pangolins were meant to be consumed as food. Eating wild animals is a rising trend among consumers of alcohol in Viet Nam.

Vietnamese laws prohibit the hunting, capture, transport and consumption of wild animals. 

Switzerland helps Can Tho build model city

Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) will support a project that helps turn the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho into a model urban city adaptive to climate change, Martin Shenton, a SECO representative, said on October 22.

Specifically, SECO will help Can Tho develop an integrated flooding risk management and early warning system to quickly respond to climate change impacts.

It will also consider providing the city with technical assistance to help it understand more about flooding risks and effectively operate the integrated infrastructure system so that to mitigate risk consequences.

Vo Thi Hong Anh, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, affirmed that the support from the Swiss agency will help the city better its coordination in implementing the project, especially in infrastructure upgrading.

The project, expected to be implemented from 2016 and 2021, will target to consolidate the city’s financial system in order to improve budget spending and management, expand programmes to support vulnerable residents, and improve local authorities’ capacity of monitoring development activities.

Police arrest 15 persons for stealing motorcycles

The Ha Noi Police has arrested 15 members of a ring of suspected motorcycle thieves and seized 23 two-wheelers from them, the Government Portal reported today.

Three suspects who were identified as leaders of the ring were Nguyen Duc Tho, 25, of northern Vinh Phuc Province; Ha Van Phuc, 22, of central Thanh Hoa Province; and Nguyen Van Chin, 31, of northern Thai Nguyen Province.

It is believed to be one of major rings of motorcycle thieves in Ha Noi. The suspects admitted to the police that they had stolen the two-wheelers to make money.

Tho and Phuc said they had stolen all 37 motorbikes between March and June.

The police are investigating further.

Youngsters should open businesses

The Youth Union should launch a national business start-up programme for young people aiming to create new-styled co-operatives and high-tech enterprises.

Nguyen Thien Nhan, a member of the Politburo and President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee, raised the opinion in a conference held by the Viet Nam Youth Union on Wednesday.

The conference aimed to collect opinions of young people nationwide for the coming 12th Party Congress.

Speaking at the conference, Nhan said, "This was a chance for young people to contribute to the country's development drive."

The Forum posed the question, what should young people do to contribute to the country's development in the next five years?

"At present, the country has 500,000 businesses. So what should young people do to increase the number to 1 million in the next 5 or 10 years?" he said.

"The Youth Union should launch projects to form enterprises and establish new-styled co-operatives in localities for agricultural development," he added.

Contributing opinions to young people-related activities, Standing Secretary of the Youth Union Nguyen Manh Dung proposed that the Party and State should create favourable conditions for young people so as they could further contribute to the country's development.

Meanwhile, Mai Huu Tin, president of the Young Businessmen's Association, said it was necessary to have policies that support the private economic sector because the sector fuels economic development.

"Our young businessmen always compare themselves to other countries' businessmen. We are lagging behind them in terms of capital, management skills and information technology," Tin told the conference.

"To stay determined, we need a belief, to be protected, to create favourable conditions and a business environment for small- and medium-scaled businesses," he said.

Preferential policies together with a transparent business environment were good conditions for private business development, which is a catalyst stimulating young people to start their own businesses and get rich, he said.

Nguyen Ngoc Ho, deputy head of the HCM City's Industry and Commerce Department, said so far there was lack of models mobilising farmers to establish co-operatives.

According to Ho, it was necessary to form new-styled co-operatives applying hi-tech in production to get a breakthrough in the agriculture sector.

He suggested that the Youth Union should form a special task force to set up new-styled co-operatives in localities.

Prof. Dr. Phan Thanh Son Nam from the National University of HCM City, said the State should focus on fostering young human resources in universities.

At present, many talented young people had to quit their scientific research career due salary policies which undermined their dedication, Nam said.

Agreeing with Nam's opinion, Vu Mao, the union's former first secretary, stressed the importance of developing human resources.

"Training human resources was training a young work force with high qualifications for economic development," he told the conference. 

Vietnamese, Cambodian localities boost youth exchange

Young people from the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum and the Cambodian bordering province of Rattanakiri gathered in an exchange held in Kon Tum city on October 22.

The activity aimed to bolster traditional relations and mutual understandings between the two localities’ younger generation.

At the event, participants exchanged views on youth activities and shared experience in developing voluntary campaigns.

On the occasion, the Kon Tum Youth Union and the Rattanakiri Youth Federation signed the minutes on alternatively organising an annual exchange between young people of the two provinces.

The two sides also agreed to guide the local youth organisations to raise the public awareness of consolidating security, friendship, cooperation and development along the shared borderlines.

France considers support for Can Tho’s climate change response

The French Development Agency (AFD) will consider financing a river embankment project to help the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho cope with climate change, according to Jose Tissier, Deputy Director of the AFD’s Agriculture and Rural Development Division.

Tissier made the remark during a working session with Can Tho authorities on October 22.

Accordingly, Can Tho is one of the three Vietnamese localities favoured by the AFD to receive metropolitan development loans. The other localities are central Ha Tinh province and northern Ninh Binh province.

The three provinces are expected to get a total financing of 55 million EUR, of which Can Tho is likely to get 20 million EUR.

According to the agency’s representative, Can Tho needs to complete required procedures within this October so that they could be approved by the Government in December. The loan agreement will only be signed after the approval.

Vo Thi Hong Anh, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee expressed her hope that the AFD will further support the city’s constructions towards climate change adaption.

The Can Tho river embankment project, part of a dyke system for flood control in Can Tho city, has an expected length of over 5 kilometres with the highest point of the dyke reaching 3.05 metres.

RoK firm provides optical glasses for Binh Phuoc people

The Republic of Korea’s (RoK) optical glasses company Davich Optical has carried out a campaign to give eyeglasses to the elderly and children in the southern province of Binh Phuoc.

According to the company, Davich Optical General Director Kim In-gyu and volunteers, including senior officials, joined a four-day voluntary programme starting from October 13 in Vietnam.

Accordingly, the company handed over eyeglasses, clothes, and school aid to impoverished people in Binh Phuoc province. 

The RoK company pledged to provide scholarships, eyeglasses for students of Chon thanh secondary school in Binh Phuoc. 

Last year, Davich Optical carried out a similar activity in Cambodia.

Founded in 1986, Davich Optical Chain Store is the largest eyewear retail chain in the RoK with 170 stores across the country.

Workshop highlights Vietnam-RoK technology transfer

Fifty enterprises from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) discussed opportunities to transfer technologies during a workshop held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 14. 

Co-organised by the State Agency for Technology Innovation (SATI) and Korea Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation Association (INNOBIZ), the event aims to directly connect Vietnamese business having demand for technologies with their RoK suppliers. 

Hong Chang Woo, deputy head of the 17,000-member INNOBIZ, said the workshop offers a good chance for both sides to set up partnerships that will generate substantial mutual benefit. 

According to Tran Vu Hai, head of SATI’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, over the past time, many programmes have been deployed to promote bilateral collaboration in technological transfer as a large number of the RoK’s technologies are applicable in Vietnam. 

He added that his agency will continue to support Vietnamese enterprises in applying technologies from the RoK in a quick and effective way.

HCM City, Austria look to emergency response technology cooperation

Tat Thanh Cang, Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, received Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Christoph Matzne on October 22 to discuss potential cooperation in information technology in rescue and emergency response services.

The Austrian Government has provided Vietnam with firefighting equipment under an ODA-funded project to improve local firefighters’ capacity, the official stated in the meeting, adding that the two governments are working to start the following phase of the project.

He said Austria hopes to help Ho Chi Minh City build an advanced emergency response centre that would effectively connect emergency response forces like 113, 114 and 115.

Highly speaking of the proposal, Deputy Chairman Cang pledged he will ask the Department of Information and Communication to learn about the project from the Austrian side.

He stressed that a detail plan for technology transfer should be also included to ensure compatibility between the new and old systems of the city.

The two officials later shared some more issues regarding the building of the emergency centre and experience from other countries.

Vietnamese, Thai hospitals work to improve cancer treatment

The Hanoi-based Hong Ngoc general hospital and Thailand’s BNH hospital sealed a cooperation pact on cancer treatment on October 21. 

Their joint programme focuses on gynaecological cancer’s early diagnosis, patient consultation and treatment using advanced methods, which combine radiotherapy with chemotherapy with less harmful impact on patients. 

The BNH hospital, one of the leading medical facilities in Thailand, is experimenting with genetics and robot-surgery to treat the disease. 

Following the signing ceremony, Thai and Vietnamese experts will carry out consultations at Hong Ngoc general hospital. 

A 2014 study conducted by the Bach Mai national hospital reported that approximately 110,000 new patients were diagnosed with cancer every year, 73.5 percent of them or 82,000 people failed to survive. The fatality rate far exceeded the global average of 59.7 percent. 

It was estimated that 20 in 100,000 women in Vietnam suffered from cervical cancer, which resulted in the death of nine women each day across the nation. 

According to medical experts, almost 100 percent of cervical cancer cases can be cured when detected early, while the rate of cure for breast cancer is 80 percent.

Bac Thang Long-Van Tri water plant expansion begins

The work on the expansion of the Bac Thang Long – Van Tri water plant commenced in Dong Anh district, Hanoi on October 22. 

With an investment of 152 billion VND (6.9 million USD), the project will tap surface water from the Hong (Red) River for the plant, which is currently exploiting underground water for supply. 

Upon completion, the plant’s capacity will increase to 50,000 cu.m per day, supplying additional 30,000 cu.m per day for the city. 

This is one of the projects welcoming Hanoi’s upcoming 16 th Party Congress. It realises the roadmap for reducing the exploitation of underground water. 

The plant, built with the Japanese Government’s loan, went into operation in 2007. 

Hanoi’s current combined clean water supply capacity is 900,000 cu.m per day but it still fails to meet demands, especially in the summer. 

The city plans to build a plant with a capacity of 300,000 cu.m per day using surface water from the Red River in Dan Phuong district later this year.

Tourism sector prepares human resources for ASEAN integration

Vietnam’s tourism sector has been preparing its human resources in the event of the formation of the ASEAN Community that allows the free flow of labourers in the hospitality industry. 

Speaking at a news conference in Hanoi on October 22, Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the ASEAN countries signed eight Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs), including the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP). 

Sieu said the VNAT has disseminated information and documents relating to the MRA-TP at workshops in the north, central and south regions, on the VNAT’s information portal and via local tourism managerial agencies, travel firms, training establishments, central and local relevant agencies, as well as labourers. 

Vietnam has sent suitable personnel to take part in training programmes organised by ASEAN to develop a pool of ASEAN Trainers and ASEAN Assessors for housekeepers, chefs, receptionists, and restaurant waiters. 

The country has also involved in building and distributing guidelines on training and assessing tourism labourers and the curriculum for joint ASEAN tourism training courses. 

The tourism sector has been developing a set of Vietnam Tourism Occupational Standards (VTOS). 

Sieu said the MRA-TP opened up many opportunities but also posed challenges, requiring Vietnam’s tourism sector to be well prepared. 

More information on the VTOS, the joint ASEAN tourism training course curriculum, and the guideline book on MRA-TP can be found at http://vietnamtourism.gov.vn.

Health department to verify baby’s death after vaccination

Dr. Bui Dinh Long , director of the Department of Health in the central province of Nghe An, yesterday said that inspection team has been set up to check injection, transport and preservation of five-in-one vaccine related to the death of a 3 month old baby.

As Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper published, on October 20, couple Lo Van Muoi in Co HUong  village in Que Phong District took their 3 month old baby Lo Tuan Truong to the commune medical clinic for vaccination. However, 4 or 5 minutes after injection, baby Truong cried loudly and died soon.

Dr. Long added that baby Truong is the 26th baby who were immunized the vaccine in the day. After Truong, three other babies were also injected with the same vaccine. 28 babies immunized with the vaccine in the day were reported normal. 

After the death, medical workers stopped injecting and sealed the vaccine lot to wait for the conclusion of the scientific council. The Department of Health in Nghe An Province also asked the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology to liaise with scientific council to verify the cause of the baby’s death.

Hai Duong opens Han Bridge to traffic

The northern Hai Duong provincial People’s Committee on October 22 opened the Han Bridge to traffic, connecting National Highway No. 5 with No. 37.

The 10.9km long project starts at Ngo Quyen intersection on Highway No. 5 in Hai Duong city and ends at Highway No. 37 in Nam Sach district.

Han Bridge was built with reinforced concrete at a length of 983.8m and a width of 15m.

Construction of the bridge started in June 2009 with a total investment of VND721.5 billion (US$32.5 million) sourced from both central and local budgets.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Hien said that Han Bridge is the province’s key project to connect Hai Duong city with Nam Sach district and Chi Linh town.

It also helps meet the travel needs within the province as well as localities of the northern key economic region, while accelerating urbanisation alongside Thai Binh River and increasing investment attractiveness for provincial socio-economic development.

The facility is expected to be in full operation by the first quarter next year, shortening the distance by 8km compared with the current route.

Workshop seeks better implementation of biodiversity policies in Vietnam

Participants discussed implementation of policies and legislation on biodiversity in Vietnam at a seminar in Hanoi on October 19 co-organised by the National Assembly's Commission of Science, Technology and Environment and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE).

Speaking at the opening, Deputy Head of the NA’s commission Nguyen Vinh Ha said that the Biodiversity Law, which took effect in 2009, is the highest legal force in the field of State management over biodiversity in the country. After more than six years of implementation, the management of the State on biodiversity has changed significantly, with biodiversity management bodies formed at all levels in both the environment and forestry sectors.

According to reports from MoNRE, biodiversity is being protected in 166 conservation areas with a total area of more than 2.1 million ha. In addition, Vietnam has formed and managed 134 specialised forest conservation areas, six marine protection areas and two world natural heritage complexes.

Biodiversity contributes to socio-economic development through ecological tourism activities and use of genetic resources for livestock development, healthcare, and scientific research.

Practical supervision over the implementation of policies and laws on biodiversity have also showed some inadequacies, including slow issuance of guidelines for Biodiversity Law enforcement, a lack of human resources for conservation work, unclear assigned responsibility on biodiversity management among State agencies and local functions, and limited funding for biodiversity conservation.

Director Pham Anh Cuong of the Biodiversity Conservation Agency under MoNRE’s Vietnam Environment Administration said that Vietnam is recognised as a country with high levels of biodiversity with various types of natural ecosystems, species, and abundant endemic genetic resources.

However, State management of biological diversity is mainly concentrated at the central level and limited at the grassroots level. Interdisciplinary collaboration, primarily between the environmental sector, agriculture and rural development, has not been promoted.

Delegates at the event suggested reviewing and modifying laws related to biodiversity, which define Biodiversity Law as a legal framework for managing and conserving biodiversity in protected areas and biodiversity corridors, while enhancing management by unifying State management agencies on biodiversity and strengthening law enforcement on biodiversity.

The Vietnam Environment Administration General Environment Agency proposed to strengthen financial resources for biodiversity, which determine the GDP rate to be used for the work each year, in addition to adopting new financial initiatives for conservation.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri