On December 28, 2012, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment issued the Decision No. 2434/QD-BTNMT announcing the top 10 events of natural resources and environment in 2012.
1. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order on 10th anniversary (2002 -2012)
In the past 10 years of construction and development, State management over natural resources and environment has been enhanced, thus contributing increasingly to socioeconomic development; policies and laws on natural resources and environment have been gradually perfected; personnel apparatus has been consolidated.
With those excellent achievements, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, on the behalf of the sector, was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order on its 10th birthday.
2. Review of the implementation of the Resolution of the Central Party Committee on continued adjustment to land policies and laws in the process of accelerating industrialisation and modernisation to lay the groundwork for Central Party Committee to issue the Resolution 19-NQ/TW
The outcomes of the review conference to this effect provided the basis for the Party to issue Resolution 19-NQ/TW on continuing renovation of land policies in a bid to create background for Vietnam to become a basically modern-oriented industrial country by 2020. Accordingly, 11 major issues oriented by the Party aim to enhance land resource management and use.
3. Law on Water Resources adopted by the National Assembly
The Law on Water Resources was passed by the National Assembly on June 21, 2012 at its third session meeting. The kaw marks a substantial change in water management mechanisms in Vietnam. For the first time, water is considered as an important asset of the country. Accordingly, water exploitation must be at a cost and water consumption must be economically and efficiently. This is extremely important when water security is threatened while pollution, degradation, and depletion of water resources are not tightly controlled.
4. Successfully building National Strategy for Environmental Protection till 2020 and National Target Programme on environmental pollution mitigation and environmental improvement
The Prime Minister issued the Decision 1216/QD-TTg dated September 5, 2012 to ratify the National Strategy for Environmental Protection till 2020, vision to 2030. Earlier, he issued the Decision 1206/QD-TTg dated September 2, 2012 to adopt the National Target Programme on environmental pollution mitigation and environmental improvement.
These documents are comprehensive directions on environmental protection for related organs and individuals to build and carry out environmental protection.
5. Introduction of detailed climate change and sea level rise scenarios and action plans for Vietnam to respond to climate change
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment officially made public the climate change and sea level rise scenarios for Vietnam on May 23, 2012. This is the second time Vietnam announces this kind of documents. Compared to the first scenarios published in 2009, this year’s scenarios show that some of climate indexes are increasingly worsening. The updated scenarios also specify the levels of flood in every province and city.
6. Completion of project on building and perfecting national gravity system
After 10 years, the project on building and perfecting the national gravity system was completed, providing a set of basic gravity data for the measurement of gravity on land and at sea. For the first time, the whole territory of Vietnam has built a system of 11 gravity bases, 29 first-grade gravity points.
7. Recognition of two Ramsar sites by Ramsar Convention Secretariat
Tram Chim and Mui Ca Mau National Parks were recognised by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat as the Ramsa sites. This aims to promote the position and effort of Vietnam, reflect the commitment of the Government in protecting floodplains.
8. Underground water source found in Dong Van Rock Plateau, Ha Giang
The discovery of a significant source of underground water was found in the northern mountainous Ha Giang province's Meo Vac district at an altitude of 1,000 - 1,500 metres. The quality and quantity of the water source satisfy the needs of local people and socioeconomic development in the northern mountainous region and.
9. Vietnam Environment Administration’s website wins Asia - Pacific Prize for “Green E-Government”
This prestigious award is dedicated to agencies with excellent achievements in applying information technology. The winners were selected out from 652 nominations from 20 countries and organisations around the world. It also reconfirms Vietnam’s efforts to apply information technology to environmental management and e-government development. This helps uplift Vietnam’s position in IT application ranking in Asia and the world as well.
According to the announcement from the Organisation Board for Most Effective IT Applications Awards for State-run agencies in 2012, the Vietnam Environment Administration was the runner-up. In 2012, the VEA’s website has over 20 million hits and 12,615 news articles updated.
10. Establishment of natural resource and environmental database centre
The natural resource and environmental database centre was approved for establishment by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment at the Decision 2111/QD-BTNMT dated October 29, 2009. The centre started official operations in 2012 to serve the demand for information and data management, storage, update, mining and sharing in seven fields.
Do Ngoc
Vietnamese
