Special edition » Green development
Building a sustainable pathway
Sustainable development is an inevitable growth trend for Vietnam. The Communist Party of Vietnam’s guidelines and the Vietnamese government’s policies have stressed the priority goal of sustainable development in national socio-economic development strategies.
On August 17, 2004, the Vietnamese prime minister issued “The Strategic Orientation for Sustainable Development in Vietnamâ€, commonly called Vietnam Agenda 21, which provides broad directions for the country’s sustainable development and set priority policies, legal documents and priority action plans needed to be done in the 21st century.
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The 10th Communist Party Congress in April 2006 adopted the slogan of “solidarity, intelligence, reform and sustainable development†as the vital drivers of Vietnam development process. The congress also concluded the necessity of ‘fast but sustainable development’ as foremost important lessons drawn from the implementation of Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategies in the past years.
Key orientations and principal objectives of sustainable development were then integrated in the Vietnam’s Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan during 2006-2010, which reflect that sustainable development was adopted by the long-term growth of Vietnam.
In line with that, Vietnam’s National Sustainable Development Council was established in September, 2005 and it is now chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan. The Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc acts the steering deputy chairman of the council with leaders of the ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Education and Training also acting deputy chairmen. The council also has 24 members who are representatives of other relevant ministries, social organisations, businesses and mass media.
Five-year achievements
The five-year achievements of the Vietnam Agenda 21 can be summarised as follows:
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Priority sectors |
Implementation |
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Economic development: |
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1. Maintain rapid and sustainable economic growth on the basis of continual economic reform, effective application of advanced science and technology, efficient use of natural resources and improvement of environmental quality |
Fast and intensive economic growth |
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2. Transform production and consumption patterns in a greener and more environmental friendly manner on the basis of non-renewable energy efficiency, reduction of hazardous pollutants and improved harmony between man-made and natural environment. |
- Vietnam Cleaner Production in Industry Strategy towards 2020 (Government Decision 1419/QD-TTg issued on September 7, 2009) - Vietnam National Energy Efficiency Program during 2006-2015 (Prime Ministerial Decision 79/2006/QD-TTgissued on April 14, 2006) - Vietnam Power Savings Programme during 2006- 2010 (Governmental Decision 80/2006/QD-TTg issued in 2006) |
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3. Implement the “Clean Industrialisation†process on the basis of proper industrial planning with use of environmentally-sound technology, prevention and mitigation of industrial pollution, build-up of the green industry. |
- Vietnam National Environmental Protection Strategy towards 2010 with a vision until 2020 (Governmental Decision 256/2003/QD-TTg issued on December 2, 2003) - National Programme for Environmental Pollution Control towards 2010 (Governmental Decision 328/2005/QD-TTg issued December 12, 2005) |
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4. Develop sustainable agriculture and rural sector on the basis of improved production of safety goods to meet the market demand, protection and conservation of soil, water resources, forests and biodiversity. |
- Governmental Resolution on Food Security (Resolution 63/NQ-CP issued on December 23, 2009). - Strategic Orientation for Vietnam’s Irrigation Development (Government Decision 1590/2009/QD-TTg issued on October 9, 2009) - National Action Plan for Food Hygiene and Safety towards 2010(Governmental Decision 43/2006/QD-TTg issued on February 20, 2006) |
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5. Regional and community sustainable development. |
Development strategies for key economic regions |
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Social development pillar: |
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6. Eradicate hunger and poverty, reach social progress and equity, improve the quality of people’s lives in terms of food, clothing, housing, travel, health treatment, education and employment. |
- Vietnam National Programme for Poverty Reduction, during 2006-2010. - Programmes 135, 134, 30A. |
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7. Continue to reduce population growth, reduce pressure of population growth on employment, healthcare, education and training and ecological protection. |
- Population Strategy during 2001-2010 (Decision 147/2000/QD-TTg issued on December 22, 2000) - Draft of Vietnam Strategy of Population and Maternal Health during 2011-2020 |
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8. Urban planning and orientation, population migration planning, proper distribution of population and labour force to ensure regional socio-economic development and environmental protection. |
Law on Urban Planning (The National Assembly issued on June17, 2009) |
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9- Nâng cao chất lượng giáo dục để nâng cao dân trÃ, trình Ä‘á»™ nghá» nghiệp thÃch hợp vá»›i yêu cầu của sá»± nghiệp phát triển đất nÆ°á»›c. |
ChÆ°Æ¡ng trình mục tiêu quốc gia giáo dục và đà o tạo (Quyết định số 07/2008/QÄ-TTg ngà y 10/1/2008)  |
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10. Develop and improve the quality of healthcare sector, improve occupational conditions and living environment conditions. |
- National Strategy for Health Care and Protection during 2001 - 2010. |
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Environmental development: |
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11. Prevent land degradation and use land resources in an effective and sustainable manner. |
- Land Law 2003 - Decree for amendments and additions to land planning, land use, land prices, land withdrawal, land compensation and resettlement (Decree 69/2009/ND-CP issued on August 13, 2009) |
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12. Protection of water environment and sustainable use of water resources. |
- National Strategy on Water Resources towards 2020 (Decision 81/2006/QD-TTg issued on April 14, 2006) |
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13. Effective exploitation and use of mineral resources. |
- Law on Royalties(The National Assembly issued on November 25, 2009) - Governmental decrees that provide guidance for implementation of Mineral Law (Decree 160/2005/ND-CP issued on December 27, 2005 and Decree 07/2009/ND-CP issued on January 22, 2009) and governmental decrees that provide guidance on environmental fees in mining (Decree 63/2008/ND-CP issued on May 13, 2008 and Decree 82/2009/ND-CP issued on October 12, 2009). |
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14. Protection of marine, coastal and island environments and promotion of marine resources. |
- Decree on Integrated Management and Protection of Marine and Island Environment (Decree 5/2009/ND-CP issued on March 6, 2009) - Decree on Management of Vietnam’s Protected Marine Areas (Decree 57/2008/ND-CP issued on May 2, 2008) |
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15. Forest protection and afforestation. |
- Law on Forest Protection and Development (The National Assembly issued on December 3, 2004) - Decree that provides guidance for implementation of Law on Forest Protection and Development (Decree 23/2006/ND-CP issued on March 3, 2006) - Decree on Establishment of Forest Protection and Development Fund (Decree 05/2008/ND-CP issued on January 14, 2008) |
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16. Reduce air pollution in urban areas and industrial parks. |
Serious pollution has not been addressed. |
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17. Solid waste and toxic waste management. |
- Decree on Solid Waste Management (Decree 59/2007/ND-CP issued on April 9, 2007) - National Strategy for Solid Waste Management towards 2025 with a vision until 2050 (The government issued on December 17, 2009) |
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18. Biodiversity conservation. |
- Law on Biodiversity (The National Assembly issued on November 28, 2008) |
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19. Mitigate climate change and minimising impacts of climate change, prevent and control natural disasters. Â |
Vietnam National Programme to Respond to Climate Change (Decision 158/QD-TTg issued on December 2, 2008) |
Major evaluations
Natural Resources and Environment Sector:
There is a lack of legal documents in relation to environmental protection tariffs, environmental audits, insurance for responsibility to pay back environmental damage, promotion of cleaner production, promotion of environment industry, socialisation of environmental protection and promotion and market incentives for green production.
Industrial sector:
Progress has been made in promoting cleaner production on a national scale. The government issued Decision 1419/QD-TTg on September 7, 2009, to approve the Vietnam Cleaner Production in Industry towards 2020, which aims to effectively use natural resources and non-renewable energy, reduce emissions, control pollution, improve the quality of the environment and people’s health and ensure sustainable development.
The strategy is phased into two periods with the first towards 2015 aiming to ensure 50 per cent of industrial manufacturing bases which are fully aware of cleaner production benefits, 25 per cent of industrial facilitiesthat apply cleaner production and 70 per cent of central and local industrial officials who are capable of providing consulting services of cleaner production. In the seconde phase during 2016-2020, the objective is that all of Vietnam-based industrial manufacturing facilities are fully aware of cleaner production benefits.
Mining:
It is common sense that central and local governments have not adopted strategic policies and orientations for mining sector. The public and scientists have raised growing concerns about Vietnam’s increasingly rampant mining of coal at a time when the country is facing shortages of industrial feedstocks and it is forecasted that Vietnam will have to import coal post 2015. Other large-scale mining projects such as bauxite mining in the Central Highlands, coal mining in the Red River Delta and iron ore mining in Ha Tinh province and titanium in the central coastal regions are argued to put threats to Vietnam’s sustainable socio-economic and environmental development.
Energy efficiency:
The government approved the Vietnam National Energy Efficiency Programme (VNEEP) during 2006-2015 in accordance with the Decision 79/2006/QD-TTgissued on April 14, 2006. The VNEEP is a set of activities to encourage, promote, and disseminate energy efficiency and conservation in the public sphere, in science and technology research activities and in management measures needed to carry out synchronous activities on energy efficiency and conservation throughout the society. The programme’s energy savings goal is 3-5 per cent of total energy consumption during 2006-2010 and 5-8 per cent of the total energy consumption during 2011-2015.
In general, the implementation of Vietnam Agenda 21 has made its footprint on every sector in Vietnam. However, we see that the implementation progress has remained slow, while sustainability targets in some specific sectors remain fragile.
Recommendations
Our following recommendations should take into account:
- Vietnam’s sustainable development coordinating agencies such as the National Sustainable Development Council and Sustainable Development Office need to enhance their working effectiveness so as to provide timely guidance and instructions, improve collaboration of different agencies and organisations involved in implementing the Vietnam Agenda 21 and ensure that sustainablity of economic growth must be integrated in sustainable social and environmental development.
- It is urgent to develop national action plans on sustainable development which should act as a legal framework to implement sustainable development specific objectives on a national scale.
- Local governments and leaders of industries should timely build a roadmap for their own implementation of sustainable development action plans and they should work together to promote sustainable developmention on trans-sectoral and trans-regional scales.
- The public should be encouraged to participate in the decision-making process for sustainable development and supervising the implementation of sustainable development action plans.
- Public awareness raising is vital so that ordinary people and policy-makers are fully aware of the need for sustainable development.
- It is necessary to mobilse, distribute and use all resources for sustainable development in the most effective manner.
- Special mechanisms should be established to report, assess, collect and disseminate updated information on sustainable development in Vietnam.
- Should these recommendations be done, it is urgent to finalise insitutional systems and coordination mechanisms that are able to address the requirements of sustainable development and ensure the set targets will be met.
(*) Head of Sustainable Development Office and Head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Department of Science-Education-Natural Resources and Environment
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