Mainstreaming environmental and climate change concerns into national socio-economic development strategies, policies and plans was highly critical for the sustainable development of Viet Nam, Professor Truong Quang Hoc of the Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies has said.
“Gearing up toward environmentally sound growth is by no means an easy feat because with a developing country like Viet Nam, attaching more significance to environmental conservation in relation with economic activities is one of the greatest challenges,” he said.
Hoc was speaking at the second national workshop on Environment and Sustainability Studies held in Ha Noi last Saturday. Nearly 150 scientists and representatives from Government agencies gathered to discuss the different impacts of climate change throughout the country.
Although Viet Nam had signed and committed to implement a number of international conventions on climate change and biodiversity, and achieved some results, many more efforts were needed at the macro level since Viet Nam had long applied a single-disciplinary based approach in natural resources and environmental management.
Director of the Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Hoang Van Thang said the lack of a mechanism and commitment to implementing policies at local levels was also a drawback, although a number of laws had been introduced over the last decade.
Nguyen Le Thuy, from the Ministry of Investment and Planning, said awareness about sustainable development was still not sufficiently comprehensive.
“Violations in the fields of natural resources and environment are still rampant.”
Nguyen Danh Son, director of the Institute for the Sustainable Development of Northern Viet Nam, said the draft socio-economic development strategy for the next 10 years, left out the target for natural resources management.
“Natural resources management emerges as an urgent issue which underscores the need for a strategic vision in the same way environmental issues do. About 70 per cent of the population depends on natural resources for their livelihood,” he said.
