International Support Group pledges US$ 4.45 bil. for Vietnam's environmental protection
VNGOVNet – The Ministry of Resources and Environment (MORE) and the World Bank convened in the afternoon of January 18 in Hanoi a plenary meeting of the International Support Group on the Environment (ISGE) 2007 under the theme “Environmental protection in process of the global integration in Vietnam.” Minister Mai Ái Trực and WB Director Klaus Rohland presided over the Meeting.
Photo: VNGOVNet
The Meeting was an interactive talk of policy between the MORE and the donor community, domestic and international organizations and business on Vietnam’s commitments to environmental protection during integration; international support for environmental protection in Vietnam; and environmental protection from the angle of enterprises’ challenges and opportunities.
According to Minister Mai Ái Trực, the plenary meeting was an open forum to exchange information and experience and come up with ideas on natural resources management and environmental protection in the new stage of Vietnam’s development.
By becoming a full WTO member, Vietnam will have more opportunities for economic development and environmental protection, including access to advanced technologies and skills in environment management and Vietnamese enterprises will likely be more exposed to environmentally friendly technologies.
The meeting recognized that the management of land, minerals and environment pollution is the top issue Vietnam must pay attention to when joining WTO. While the legal system on environmental protection is still under construction, increased economic activities are likely to put Vietnam at the risk of a “dumping ground” for environmentally unsound goods. How to effectively manage and use land and minerals still proves a difficult problem to solve. By opening the environmental service market, Vietnam’s licensing authority and localities should make sure that domestic and international investors are employing clean technologies.
Mr. Klause Rohland suggested that the licensing authority should incorporate requirements of clean technology in the first place when it comes to licensing. There should be incentives for enterprises with viable business on sustainable development and strict punishments for those violating environmental rules and this should be done in combination with the Government’s administrative reform.
The ISGE has pledged US$ 4.45 billion for programs and projects on environmental protection and sustainable economic development in Vietnam.
By Hoàng Nguyên
