VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment made public the sector’s top ten highlights of 2013 on January 3.

1. Party Central Committee promulgates a resolution on actively coping with climate change, increasing natural resources management and protecting the environment

This is the first resolution to take a comprehensive look at guidelines and solutions to actively cope with climate change, increase natural resources management and protect the environment. It plays an important role in directing those working in the field and contributing to the country’s sustainable development.

2. National Assembly approves revised Land Law

The revised Land Law was adopted on November 29 during the National Assembly’s sixth working session of the 13th tenure.

Including 14 chapters and 212 articles, the new law features updated content addressing the current pressing issues relating to land use, land price frames and compensation for acquired land.

It also defines regulations on effectively using land, maximising the potential of land resources for the country’s socio-economic development, and increasing State management on land.

3. Prime Minister approves the Strategy of the sustainable exploration and use of natural resources and protection of the marine environment by 2020 with vision to 2030

Joint effort needed to protect the environment.

The Strategy, adopted on September 6, identifies the goals of doing research and surveys on marine resources and the environment, developing the capacity of warnings about natural disasters and impacts of climate change on seawaters.

4. Accomplishing the granting of land-use rights certificates throughout the country

The MONRE has implemented a wide range of measures to realise the NA Resolution and the Government Instruction on speeding up the processing of land-use rights.

As of December 30, 2013, more than 40 million certificates had been granted to the owners of 22.3 million hectares, accounting for 92% of the total land area and 94% of total cases that require land-use rights certificates.

5. The promulgation of Resolution No. 35 on urgent issues of environment protection and the approval of the National Strategy on Biodiversity (NSB) by 2020 with a vision to 2030

Resolution No. 35, promulgated by the Government on March 18, focuses on protecting the environment at industrial zones.

Meanwhile, the NSB has been designed to realise Vietnam’s commitment to the international community in preserving the country’s biodiversity.

6. Prime Minister’s message at national meeting to mark 2013 World Water Day in Can Tho City

The United Nations chose the theme of ‘Water Co-operation’ for the 2013 World Water Day (March 22). At the national meeting to mark the event in Can Tho city on March 21, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivered a key speech delivering a message that if we share, everyone will have an equal opportunity to use water.

He called for co-operation in water issues for better exploration and use of water resources. He also stressed the need to raise public awareness and change people’s bad habits and the behaviours of water usage in the country.

7. The MONRE promulgates a resolution on job rotation among leaders and managers

The MONRE-promulgated resolution aims to implement human resources planning and create favourable conditions for young officers to cultivate themselves to meet their working requirements.

This was done in a bid to live up to the directives of the Party Central Committee and Politburo on the issue.

8. Completion of a project to upgrade Vietnam-Laos border marker system

Vietnam and Laos share a border of more than 2,000km running from north to south.

Over the past five years, Vietnam and Laos have officially completed the increase and upgrade of border markers along their border, positioning 835 border markers in 793 locations and 20 benchmark pillars, thanks to the efforts of the two countries’ joint committee on border marker planting, relevant ministries, agencies and localities.

9. The establishment of Vietnam’s negotiating group on climate change

The group is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister in giving directions in the working field, co-co-ordinating with relevant agencies in international negotiations on the basis of protecting the country’s legitimate rights and interests.

It is also in charge of mobilising international support for coping with climate change and raising Vietnam’s position in the global fight against climate change.

10. Successfully receiving and processing images sent from remote sensing satellite, VNREDSat-1

On May 7, 2013, Vietnam's first remote sensing satellite, VNREDSat-1, was launched into orbit from the European Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. VNREDSat-1 – short for Vietnam Natural Resources, Environment and Disaster Monitoring Satellite – can take high-resolution images of any location on Earth's surface.

With VNREDSat-1, Vietnam has fully mastered the small satellite technology, thus independently processing images of all regions belonging to the country’s territory.

Source: Nhan Dan