Around 100 delegates from 19 southern provinces gathered on June 23 in Vung Tau to review State management of resources and the environment from 2006-09. Organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), the conference heard that 75 per cent of lawsuits were related to land issues, but that progress had been made in administration.
"Additionally, environmental pollution and natural resources exploitation are emerging as hot topics," MoNRE Minister Pham Khoi Nguyen said during his opening speech. He said the meeting would help officials to update laws and policies, and improve inspection and staff training.
According to a report released by the ministry, for the last three years, there has been progress in state management. For example, most southern provinces have finished 80 per cent of the necessary work.
"From the database that has been made, southern provinces have met the development demand for urbanisation and industrialisation," said Nguyen Thanh Minh, head of the ministry’s Natural Resources Department.
However, Minh also pointed out that the boom in industrial parks and residential areas in every province had adversely affected the environment.
"The low prices for agricultural land compensation and suspended master plan are two of the reasons for long-term complaints," he said.
How to manage water resources was another concern. In southeastern provinces, the water level depends on the volume of rain. There is little rain for six to seven months of the year.
In the Mekong Delta, only 5 per cent of water volume comes from within the region, with 95 per cent outside.
"The Delta is very affected by water exploitation and socio-economic development from the upstream countries of the Mekong River. Natural disasters, including flooding, dry salty intrusions and pollution, are seriously increasing," Minh said.
Organisations and individuals exploiting underground water should be more tightly controlled, he added.
Pollution will increase in every locality if strong action was not taken, he said.
Air and water pollution is rising because of activities from factories, transportation, hospitals and residential areas, leading to the decline of forestry biodiversity and affecting residents’ health.
As planned, the area for industrial parks would double in 2010 from 15,000 hectares in 2003, and reach 50,000ha in 2020.
At the conference, a master plan for sea and islands, which could contribute to an important role for the economy as well as national security, was discussed.
The ministry also announced its development plan for 2010-2014.
In land management, the ministry plans to carry out a land fund creation programme to serve public demand. It would readjust the market and support resettlement.
Next year, a major land investigation will be carried out nationwide to help the Government and local authorities review the land-use plan.
For water management, the ministry has set a goal to manage all water exploitation works by 2011, as well as fines. It will also work to control water pollution and recover exhausted rivers.
The ministry will closely co-operate with environmental police to discover, stop and fine all activities that cause pollution. Educational activities to increase awareness about environmental protection will also be increased.
"To better manage, the ministry should review all legal procedures. We work in localities and in many cases, incomplete laws have caused us difficulties," Tran Thi Kim Van, vice chairwoman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee, said.
She also asked for faster administration reform as the province has had to wait one and half years for the master plan approval.
Nguyen Thanh Son, vice chairman of the Can Tho Province’s People’s Committee, asked the ministry to open a training course for environmental staff as well as improve salary for those who work in remote areas.