Seminar on environment and sustainable development in Vietnam
Ha Noi, Aug. 18 (VNA) -- Some 400,000 nomadic families who use forests for farming and housing and 300,000 poor rural families have put pressure on Viet Nam's policy makers to find an appropriate solution for their sustainable development.
The question was discussed at a seminar on environment and development in Ha Noi this week.
The most serious environmental problems currently faced by Viet Nam are deforestation, overuse of biological resources, degradation of soil, ineffective preservation of fresh water sources, growing pollution, and war aftermath on the environment. Those problems have become even more challenging for the country as it has not yet found comprehensive solutions for its fast-rising population and poverty.
The assessment was shared among well-known scientists and policy makers, including Prof. Academician Vu Tuyen Hoang, Prof. Vo Quy, Dr. Nguyen Huu Ninh, Prof. Dang Trung Thuan, Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Minister Nguyen Thi Hang, and Science, Technology and Environment Deputy Minister Pham Khoi Nguyen, at the seminar.
Speakers at the seminar said that Viet Nam has not yet escaped from the deforestation threat resulting from economic development.
New requirements on environment protection in the 21st century clearly revealed Viet Nam's shortcomings in this domain, Deputy National Assembly Vu Dinh Cu told the seminar.
Cu further pointed out that Viet Nam's forest coverage shrank to 28 percent from 43 percent within the past five decades with natural forests accounting for about 10 percent of the total. Forest area, which made up 95 percent of the northern region's total area 48 years ago, now covers only 17 percent.
Forest coverage in a number of highland provinces dropped drastically in the reviewed period with forest area making up 7.9 percent of Lai Chau's total area and 5.4 percent of Lao Cai. Four central Highland provinces destroyed more than 18,500 ha of forest in just four years from 1995 to 1999. A majority of the deforestation area as a result of economic development and population growth became infertile soil. At present, as many as one-third of the country's natural area is classified as barren. The rate of watershed forest coverage in Viet Nam is 20 percent or 10 percent lower than the warning rate.
In spite of afforestation efforts, Viet Nam's forests continue to deteriorate and are far from playing their role of protecting the environment. Between 120,000 and 150,000 ha of forest is estimated to disappear each year without calculating overall forest and forest products losses. Even if the on-going national programme on planting 5 million hectares of forest is completed at a tempo of 300,000 ha/year, the newly-planted forest area still fails to make up for the present lost forest area.
Deforestation directly worsens soil quality. At present, Viet Nam has 8.5 million ha of thin surface land in mid-land regions, 0.5 million ha of deserted land, and more than 4.1 million ha of uncultivated land. More than 6,000 kg of soil nutrients are washed away from the basalt area in the central highlands of Tay Nguyen. Soil deterioration has led to the degradation of the fauna and flora system.
Viet Nam is believed to be one of the richest countries in terms of water resources, 64,000 cu. m. per person per year. However, its hydro-electric power plants face water shortage now and then. Worse still, too many people in the northwestern province of Lai Chau and in central Ha Tinh and Quang Tri provinces have to cover long distances (a few kilometres) to access water resources.
Domestic and industrial waste water has polluted water sources in many localities. Meanwhile, water sources in coastal areas have been facing the problems of salination as a result of economic development activities and over-exploitation of underground water.
Only 50 percent of Vietnamese people have access to clean water. Clean water shortage and environmental hygiene are issues that need to be addressed urgently in a number of Viet Nam's rural areas.
The State management system in the environment domain is viewed as inadequate. Viet Nam has four environment management officials per 1 million people. The rate is considerably lower than that of other countries. Investment for environmental protection was far from sufficient. Those activities received only VND 200 billion (USD 14 million) from the State budget last year. In addition, the country is required to complete its legal documents on waste management, pollution control, and handling environmental incidents. Even if the efficiency of environmental management activities are improved in the future, there remains strong economic development pressure on the environment.
Thus, the issue of sustainable development, particularly in agriculture and hunger elimination and poverty reduction, is considered the most important factor in the country's strategy for environmental protection.--VNA
