Hanoi is planning to take control of illegal sand mining that is threatening the stability of agricultural production and the environment in and around the city.
A police officer inspects a barge carrying sand on the Red River. (Photo: tienphong.vn)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Hanoi is planning to take controlof illegal sand mining that is threatening the stability of agriculturalproduction and the environment in and around the city.
The capital currently has four authorisedsand mines, but illegal exploitation is rife in the outlying districts ofPhuc Tho, Ba Vi and Dong Anh, Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaperreported.
In early May, several sand dredges wereseen brazenly operating on the Hong (Red) River in Phuc Tho district. The mining has been slowly eating away at agriculturalland in Van Ha commune.
People in Dai Mach commune, Dong Anh district, are facing a similar situation. The issue has been persisting for more than adecade and has changed the Red River’s flow. Hundreds of fruit trees have been swept away whilelandslides have destroyed residential land, posing a threat tolocals.
Although the problem has been reported toauthorities several times, nothing has been done.
The People’s Committee of Dong Anh district said it wasdifficult to catch miners in the act. This passive response has allowed the crimeto continue.
At the end of May, Hanoi Water Police uncoveredtwo cases of illegal sand mining in Cam Thuong commune, Ba Vi district, and VanHa commune, Phuc Tho district.
However, according to experts, they were justthe tip of the iceberg, and simply patrolling the river was notenough to deter illegal sand miners.
A representative from the Department of NaturalResources and Environment said the city had not renewedmining licences for some time.
There had been ten mines with validlicences, but one had been suspended as the owner violated the law onnatural resources and the other five had yet tostart operations due to lack of road access.
♓ Authorities had approved five other sandmines in Ba Vi and Bac Tu Liem districts and planned to organise auctions forthe exploitation rights for these mines in the third quarter of2019.-VNS/VNA
Night after night, thousands of cubic metres of sand and gravel have been illegally mined from a portion of the Cau River, causing erosion and affecting the dyke system for 200ha of agricultural land, online newspaper phapluatplus.vn reported.
The People’s Committee of Bien Hoa city in the southern province of Dong Nai will install cameras to monitor illegal sand exploitation on the Dong Nai River.
The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh will build embankments to protect an important coastal section in Hiep Thanh commune, of Duyen Hai town, as it is facing increasingly serious erosion along its coastline.
Ho Chi Minh City plans to call for investment in new materials that could replace sand used in some construction projects in response to an increase in illegal sand mining activities, according to Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee.
Mariam Sherman, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, said the World Bank remains committed to working with the Vietnamese government to develop the next phase of climate resilience and transformation for the Mekong Delta.
Under the directive, the PM instructed relevant agencies to regularly inspect, supervise and proactively implement disaster prevention, response and rescue measures in line with their assigned roles and mandates, ensuring readiness, avoiding passivity or delays, and maintaining operational continuity amid ongoing political and administrative restructuring at levels.
According to Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Space Centre and head of the project, this is the first study in Vietnam to simultaneously employ Sentinel-2 satellite data, advanced machine learning algorithms, and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform to model and monitor key seawater quality parameters.
The Deposit Return System is seen as a potential instrument for effectively advancing Vietnam’s vision of a circular economy, as outlined in Article 142 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection.
The figures were highlighted in a Pre-Feasibility Study on a DRS tailored for single-use beverage packaging in Vietnam, conducted by Eunomia Research & Consulting.
Young people should not view AI as salvation but rather as a tool under human control. Young creators should focus on learning and accumulating practical knowledge, using AI as a tool to carry out artistic projects in the most effective and cost-efficient manner.
Saigon Hi-Tech Park’s ambitious 50% renewable energy goal far exceeds the city’s 15% target, positioning the park as a trailblazing “living lab” for sustainable energy solutions.
Vietnam's economic losses from natural disasters are estimated to account for 1 to 1.5% of GDP annually - a steep price that will continue to rise unless the country takes strong action.
Wutip, the first storm in the East Sea so far this year, has wreaked havoc across central Vietnam, claiming lives, displacing residents, and causing widespread damage to houses, crops, and infrastructure, the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention and Control reported as of 6:30 pm on June 13.
The tremor occurred at 7:39:46 am (Hanoi time), with the epicentre located at latitude 14.924°N and longitude 108.236°E, at a depth of approximately 8.1 kilometres. The natural disaster risk level was classified as 0 – the lowest on the scale.
Addressing a session on “Accelerating Financing for Resilience: Tailored Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction,” Deputy Minister Hiep emphasised Vietnam's proposal in building sustainable financing in response to natural disasters, which aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction's goals.
Vietnam has demonstrated its strong commitments by participating in global sustainable development forums, signing multiple free trade agreements, and attracting support from international partners for the implementation of the SDGs.
The fight against plastic pollution could not succeed through isolated efforts, but it must be a collective endeavour involving the entire political system, businesses, citizens, and the international community, said Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy.
Lang Son Global Geopark, with its outstanding geological values, cultural heritage, and unique natural landscapes, represents a valuable addition to UNESCO’s global geoparks system.
In 2019, Quang Ninh became one of the first localities in Vietnam to launch a province-wide campaign against plastic waste, mobilising the participation of the political system, the business sector, and the general public. Other localities—such as Hai Phong, Da Nang, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City—have also effectively implemented waste-sorting initiatives at source, along with models for plastic-free markets and urban areas.
This year’s World Oceans Day on June 8 is themed 'Wonderful Oceans: Sustaining What Sustains Us', while World Environment Day is on June 5 with the theme: 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.
According to Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan, a fire prevention and control plan has been in place since the dry season began, including round-the-clock patrols and rapid-response teams to snuff out fires before they could spread.
Renowned artists including Ha Anh Tuan, Den Vau, and Phan Manh Quynh, along with many directors and attendees, took part in planting hundreds of rare tree species such as mun (Diospyros mun) and cho chi (Parashorea chinensis) in the Thung Bong area of the Cuc Phuong National Park, contributing to forest ecosystem restoration.
A police officer inspects a barge carrying sand on the Red River. (Photo: tienphong.vn) 
