Vietnam shows support for emergency declaration on nature, people
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has joined other leaders around the globe in voicing their support for an emergency declaration for nature and people ahead of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly this September.
A rice field in An Tinh commune of Hoai An district, the central province of Binh Dinh, dries up in July (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuchas joined other leaders around the globe in voicing their support for anemergency declaration for nature and people ahead of the 74th session of the UNGeneral Assembly this September.
The Vietnamese PM raised his voice in a shortvideo screened at the “Leaders for Nature and People” event in New York city,the US, on September 23. The event gathered state leaders, members of royalfamilies, corporate leaders and influential persons worldwide.
In his message, PM Phuc emphasised that Vietnamhas been exerting efforts to join hands with the world in shifting towards agreen and circular economy. It resolutely does not exchange the environment foreconomic growth that will affect sustainable development.
The country always puts climate change response,natural resources management and environmental protection in an importantposition in its resolutions on and orientations for development, he affirmed.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF) – an organiser of the “Leaders for Nature and People” event, the planetis in a crisis. Since 1970, wildlife populations have declined on average by 60percent, while humanity’s impact and overexploitation of natural resources havegrown exponentially. The consequences for people can be seen already throughincreasing fires, floods and extreme weather. Science shows that without urgentaction, they will only get worse.
In 2020, many international treaties, includingthe Sustainable Development Goals and the climate treaty, will bere-negotiated. The WWF and other organisations have called for a new deal fornature and people.
Vietnam is one of the countries most vulnerableto climate change – a factor that has been making the threats to itsenvironment like habitat loss, biodiversity loss and unsustainable exploitationof natural resources increasingly serious, according to the communicationcentre for natural resources and environment under the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment.
The emergency declaration for nature and people,expected to be signed by heads of states at the 75th session of the UN GeneralAssembly in New York in September 2020, will reflect a strong politicalcommitment to the ambitious goals on climate, biodiversity and oceans, as wellas to the Sustainable Development Goals./.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested ministries to prioritise capital in the medium-term public investment plan for 2016-2020 to natural disaster prevention and climate change response in the time ahead.
An international workshop, titled ‘Climate Change and Agriculture: Status, Impact, Adaptation, Insurance in Vietnam and Taiwan’ has been held in Hanoi.
Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the UN, the WTO and other international organisations, is leading a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the impact of climate change on human rights, which opened in Geneva on September 9.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2019, has reiterated the commitment of the grouping to partnering with the international community to cope with climate change.
The Mekong Delta has restructured agriculture towards climate-change adaptation and market demand by establishing specialised farming areas for its key agricultural products, and by growing other crops on ineffective rice fields or rotating rice with other crops on the same field.
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.
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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 rice field in An Tinh commune of Hoai An district, the central province of Binh Dinh, dries up in July (Photo: VNA) 
