International workshop on plastic waste reduction in the ocean

Update: 23/08/2019
(TITC)-On 19th August, the Meet Vietnam Association, the Loyola University Chicago and the International Geographical Union held an international workshop in Quy Nhon City (Binh Dinh Province) on reducing ocean plastic waste: educating the educators approach.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the association Tran Thanh Van said the workshop discussed the measures to implement project “Reducing ocean plastic waste through education in Viet Nam” focusing on training teachers and students how to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment. Binh Dinh is the first province nationwide to be chosen to pilot the project.

According to Professor Tran Thanh Van, Viet Nam's rapid economic and industrial development has recently improved the livelihood for people. However, it also creates a great challenge to the environment.

The environment in some rural and urban areas in Viet Nam is polluted, which tends to increase along with industrial and urban development.

In addition to pollution caused by industrial emissions, pollution from waste and household waste is also very serious. One of the urgent problems now is pollution of plastic waste from the use of disposable plastic items ...

Attending at the workshop, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said that the Vietnamese government has been actively involved in proposing global cooperation mechanisms for reducing plastic waste. Economic, social and environmental dimensions are the 3 pillars for Vietnam sustainable development.

The Government has issued and is implementing mechanisms, policies to control environmental pollution caused by plastic waste.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Ministry of Education and Training signed the cooperation program on environmental protection for the period of 2019-2025. The Prime Minister has called for drastic measures to control and reduce plastic waste.

In the framework of workshop, scientists and environmental economists from American universities provided environment lectures for teachers of 20 high schools in Binh Dinh.

The contents of lectures included: Introduction to environmental science and sustainable development; Human impact on the marine environment; Plastic waste pollution: past, present and future; Effects of plastic waste pollution on the environment / ecosystem and economic development; Plastic waste reuse and other options of Viet Nam and the world; Policy and management of environmental pollution in Viet Nam; The importance of education for environmental protection; The importance of sustainable development ...

After that, this knowledge will be diseminated to students in order to raise awareness of environmental protection and the importance of reducing plastic waste.