Yen Bai Department of Natural Resources and Environment: Ongoing Effort to Realize All Tasks

In the past years, the Yen Bai Department of Natural Resources and Environment has actively and firmly carried out all its assigned tasks and worked with relevant bodies to clear existing hardships in resource management and environmental protection. Particularly, the department has made clear persons in charge, works to be done, processes, responsibility and performance.

In 2018, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment defined 10 key tasks in 2018 at the Resolution 485-NQ/DU dated January 25, 2018, drastically and effectively carried out practical tasks and solutions based on policies and directions of the Provincial People’s Committee and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. On land, the department recommended the Provincial People’s Committee to allocate and lease ​​1,262,801.2 square meters to 78 organizations and approved land changes to licensed projects in 2018. It also assessed land-use demands for 196 projects. The department actively carried out activities to create a clean land fund, organized land-sale auctions, and completed budget collection targets. At the same time, the department granted 111 certificates of land-use rights to organizations. In addition, it issued 9,890 certificates of agricultural land use rights and received 15,046 cadastral records from Van Yen, Yen Binh, Tran Yen, Van Chan, Mu Cang Chai, Luc Yen, Tram Tau, Nghia Lo Town and Yen Bai City.

On the environment, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment suggested that the Provincial People’s Committee approve 37 environmental impact assessment reports and 15 environmental renovation and restoration plans; developed and submitted to the Provincial People’s Committee for issuance of such plans as monitoring industrial wastewater in production facilities generating industrial wastewater in Yen Bai province in 2018 and deploying models of collecting, transporting and handling pesticide packages in Tran Yen district. In particular, the department continued to focus on prevention and control of environmental pollution, not allow environmental hotspots in the province. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment also hosted activities in the Environmental Month to respond to the World Environment Day on June 5, 2018, themed “Beat Plastic Pollution”.

On mining, the department suggested the Provincial People’s Committee to grant three mineral exploration permits, seven mining licenses, six mineral reserve decisions, three decisions on mine shutdown proposals, one mine shutdown decision, one decision on return of mining permit, one associated mineral production permit, and one decision on production of minerals for construction materials. The department proactively proposed the District-level People’s Committees to strengthen management and protection of unexploited minerals and prevent illegal mining in areas under its jurisdiction.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment collected VND58.922 billion from mining rights grants in the year, 31% higher than the initial estimate made by the Ministry of Finance; got VND547.80 billion of land-use fees for the State budget, 5.3% higher than the value assigned by the Provincial People’s Committee; and took VND784.44 million from water exploitation permits granted to 13 units.

To effectively exercise State management of natural resources and environment, in the coming time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and its affiliates need to work out political ideological communication and education to raise awareness and responsibility of specialized units and public employees and to create consensus of organizations involved. It will continue to review functions and tasks to arrange and consolidate organizational structure and streamline staffing in agencies and units. It will review and evaluate the performance of the planning system in the State management of natural resources and environment so as to propose additions and improvements for mechanisms, policies and plans on fields under its jurisdiction.

At the same time, the department will need to strengthen inspection and supervision of legal policies on natural resources and environment at organizations and communities; improve environmental quality, prevent pollution and control, thus thoroughly handling pollution sources and biodiversity conservation; actively implement professional tasks according to its assigned functions and tasks to ensure requirements, quality and progress for better support for State management of natural resources and environment across the whole province to successfully complete its political tasks in 2019.