A series of activities to celebrate the World Environment Day this year washeld by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), the Vietnam Women's Union and the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province on June 4 and 5 with many practical activities to raise public awareness. It was also the chance for experts, managers, scientists to discuss on policy and find effective solutions to protect environment.
Delegates press button to launch the Action Month for Environment
* Awarding 50 Vietnam environment prizes
The remark of this series of activities is the launching ceremony of the action month for environment and the awarding the Vietnam environment prizes in the evening of June 4.
The "Action month for environment" was started in 2016 for the first time. Instead of organizing a meeting to celebrate the World Environment Day as usual, MONRE started to launched the "Action month for environment" two years ago, aiming to spread the message of environmental protection.
The "Action month for environment" this year was held nationwide in order to call and encourage community for their connection with the nature, so that they can feel its beauty and importance to their environment and life; at the same time, share the call to protect the Earth as well as the harmonized and durable relationship between human and nature as the theme of the world environment day this year.
Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized five key tasks
Attending the ceremony, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan emphasized that environmental protection should receive attention, agreement and participation of the whole political system, enterprises and community.
In order to live in a harmony with nature, Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan said that we need to change the mindset of environmental protection from only prioritizing the economic development and not paying attention to environmental protection into a systematic approach which considering that environmental management should haveits inter-regional and market economic approach; environmental protection should prioritize preventive measures. It is time for Vietnam to adopt policies to encourage investment in sectors and fields that are less polluting environment and use advanced and environmentally friendly production technologies.
The President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan asked to strictly implement the sustainable development strategy and mobilize all resources for this mission,at the same time, to complete the institutions and inspect the environmental violation on time. In particular, he emphasize the important role of early monitoring to avoid environmental incidents.
At the launching ceremony, MONRE also awarded the Vietnam environment prizes for 50 organizations, individuals and communities who had achievements in environmental protection. Many prizes were awarded in the fields of production, business, services, education and training, environmental science and technology,communication, education and awareness raising on environmental protection. It is an opportunity to recognize and honor the efforts of the community in sharing hands to protect environment. Moreover, this is an opportunity for organizations and enterprises to introduce and promote the image of production associated with environmental protection and sustainable development.
Organizations and individuals won the Environment Prize 2017
* Sharing hand to perform five key tasks
On behalf of the Party Central Committee and leaders of MONRE, Minister Tran Hong Ha suggested that every individual, organization and enterprise should use their strength of solidarity with practical actions to change the mindset and raise awareness on environmental protection. The minister proposes to focus on five key activities in the action month for environment:
Firstly, enhancing propaganda and education to raise awareness on environment natural heritages protection with diversified and creative contents in order to convey fully the message on the value of nature and environment to the people nationwide.
Secondly, launching movement of sharing hands to protect environment, landscape, natural resources; change habits of living towards harmony with nature; replicating effective management models of protected areas which linked to people's livelihood and participation.
Thirdly, strengthening the role of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front Central Committee and its member organizations, communities in monitoring activities in order to detect and promptly prevent the serious violations on environment and landscape protection.
Fourthly, Increasing investment in environmental protection based on the principals "Environmental polluters should pay" and "Beneficiaries from the environment should pay"; replicating the effective models of handling with waste and emission, and models of recycling and reusing waste into energy.
Fifthly, improving institutions, policies and laws on natural resource management and environmental protection, responding to climate change in accordance with the demand for perfecting the socialist-oriented market economy institution issued by the Central Resolution 5 of the 12th Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam . This is an important task and it is necessary to have the contribution of socio-politic organizations and people.
* Many activities responding this event
Although the launching ceremony took place only on June 5 but the activities of the action month for environment had been coordinated by MONRE from mid-May. It included:the Eco-Products International Fair (EPIF) 2017;International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB); Photo Contest on Environmental Protection
The activities of the action month for environment also include organizing a number of workshops such as "Vietnamese women in protection of natural resources and environment"; “Environmental classes for junior high school students with planting trees activity”; "Policy dialogue on environment and sustainable development"; "Raising awareness on environment and health risks caused by outdoor burning activities"; "Dialogue on the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, social and professional organizations in promoting the participation of community in environmental protection"; “State management training on environmental protection in the Central and Central Highlands of Vietnam”, etc.
Planting trees to response to the World Environment Day 2017
In Ba Ria - Vung Tau,two communication events to raise public awareness were also organized, including: planting trees and environmental teaching section.
The tree planting activitywith the participation of leaders MONRE, the People's Committee of theprovince, the United Nations and other agencies have encouraged community in taking actions for environment from smallestthings.
The environmental teaching section can be considered as a remarkable event in the series of activities this year. The environmental teaching sectionwas held at Le Quang Cuong secondaryschool at Ba Ria citywith about 100 pupils at grade 6 and 7. The teachers were experts of the VietnamEnvironment Administration and Panasonic company. Unlike the regular lessons, the environmental teaching section focus on practical activities and organize recycling activities. With its visual and lively featuresof the teaching sectionwillbe definitely a memorable memory of participated pupils.This is also a suggestion for the school to organize similar activities.
In addition to the communication activities, this series also focuses on thematic workshops. Two workshops "Vietnamese women in protection of natural resources and environment" and "Raising awareness on environmental and health risks caused by outdoor burning activities". These workshops aims to discuss onmobilizing the participation of women in environmental protection as well as providing solutions for people to protect their health.
Perhaps the policy dialogue session is the activity received great attention at every celebration. Because legal policy is an important basis for guiding the environmental management, putting this task in order.
The "Policy Dialogue on Environment and Sustainable Development"conference held on June 5 focused on the key solutions toimplement of the Directive No. 25 issued by the Prime Ministeron current urgent issues, especially the urgent environmental problems in the South.
The conference focused on discussion and clarifying the amendment and finalization of the environmental protection law, related legal documents, investment resources for sustainable production and consumption, environmental treatment technology and environmentally friendly technology, urgent environmental issues for the south in the current period such as environmental management for economic zones, industrial zones, practical issues with enterprises in complying with laws and regulations relevant to environmental protection, control of water pollution, environmental impact assessment, hazardous waste management, testingwaste treatment works, inspection and supervision of environmental protection activities.
The respecting to, protecting and living in harmony with nature is more and more being an urgent issue. Because humanisoriginally a part of nature so they can not live apart from the environment.
The World Environment Day 2017 with the theme "Connecting People to Nature" encourages us to live closer to nature, protect and preserve the values of nature for usand future generations. Let’slive and protect nature with practical actions for our life today and for future generation.
Mai Dung