COUNTRY PROFILE
STATUS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
INSTITUTION SET-UP
OUTLINE
VIETNAM
COUNTRY PROFILE
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia
Geography
The coastline:
over 3,200 km long
Capital: Hanoi
The land borders: 4,510 km
Area: total surface area of 331,900 km2.

Vietnam has two seasons: cool and dry from November to April and hot and rainy from May to October.
The difference between summer and winter temperatures is dramatic in the North (varying up to 12 degrees Celsius).
The South is warm year-round, with seasonal variations in temperature averaging just three degrees Celsius...
Climate
Population
The twelfth most populous country in the world
Estimated at 82.2 million (2004)
Ethnic Vietnamese (Kinh) make up 85% of the population, a mixture of over 50 ethno-linguistic groups make up 12% and ethnic Chinese comprise the remaining 3%

Economic
GDP: $ 45.2 billion (2004)
Agriculture: 21.8%
Industry: 40%
Service: 38.2%
Per capital income: $ 485/year
Major export goods: crude oil, garments and textiles, sea products, rice, coffee,…
Major import goods: capital equipment, refined petroleum, steel…
Education
Education system is relatively well developed
Most children enter schools 82,600 kindergarten schools
23,419 schools (including primary, secondary and high schools),
247 vocational secondary schools and 123 universities and colleges (except private schools).
Land-use
A land use certificate was issued to the different land users and serves as evidence of the land use right.
The law also gave land users with land use certificate a series of rights, including the right to exchange, transfer, lease, inherit and mortgage the land use rights.

The State allocates or leases land to individuals, households and organizations for their “stable and long term use”.
STATUS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Land Environment
Land degradation tends to become prevalent in whole territory.
Land degradation has resulted in a large number of barren and uncultivable areas and increasingly decertified areas.
The overuse of agrochemical, pesticides and technically improper farming practices are causing pollution and degradation to numerous land zones nationwide
Water Environment
Upstream water quality of most rivers remains relatively good
Downstream water quality is polluted (main cause: from industrial enterprises and sewage from households that are being discharged directly to rivers)
Surface Water:
Concentrations of organic materials, heavy metals and pesticides in some places are beyond the permissible range.
The oil content also tends to rise rapidly due to the oil spills
Coastal Water: have revealed signs of contamination
Water Environment
Groundwater resources are inclined to be depleted in the dry season and contaminated as observed in certain places.
Groundwater:
Water Environment
Air Environment
In rural and mountain areas: Air quality remains relatively good
In urban and industrial centers: Dust pollution is becoming a pressing concern.
The rapid growth of vehicles has contributed to air pollution in many places
Forest fires: have declined air quality and resulted in other abnormal natural phenomena.
Forests and Vegetation Cover
Forest area of approximately more than 12 million hectares (9.7 millions hectares is natural and 1.6 millions hectares planted).
Forests and Vegetation Cover
The forest cover significantly increased from 27.2% (1990) to 33.2% (2001), 34.4% (2003) and 37,3% (2004) respectively. However, the quality of forests is yet to improve. In fact, it continues declining.
Natural upstream and mangrove forests continue to be severely destroyed.
Biodiversity
Vietnam is one among ten countries with the highest biodiversity in the world.
There are some species of large mammals such as Sao La ox (Pseudonym nghetinhensis) and Large-antlered Muntjac (Megamunticus vuquangensis) firstly discovered in Vietnam.
Sao La ox (Pseudonym nghetinhensis)
Large-antlered Muntjac (Megamunticus vuquangensis)
Biodiversity
There are presently 17 national parks, 60 natural conservation areas, 47 nature reserve, 13 protected species and habitat areas and 28 protected landscapes.
Over the last five decades, the area of mangrove forests has been decreased by 80%. There are 96% of coral reefs in grave danger. Many wildlife species have everlastingly disappeared.
Urban & industrial environment
The environment in many of our urban centers is polluted due to obsolete and rapidly degraded sewer and drainage systems;
The development of urban infrastructure does not keep pace with urban population growth, which has led to the inadequacies of other urban social and sanitary aspects.

Rural & Mountainous Environment
Rural and mountain areas are home to 75% of the population.
Secured drinking water supply and environmental sanitation remains a great challenge.
Pollution is particularly rife in craft villages and considered a most pressing environmental problem.
The overuse of agrochemical and pesticides has resulted in cultivated land deterioration, water pollution and biodiversity loss.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
PLEASE PROTECT OUR EARTH !
ViewPoints
Ø    The National Strategy for Environmental protection is an inseparate part of the National Socio-economic Development of the country. Environmental protection investment means the investment for sustainable.
ViewPoints
Ø        Environmental protection must be the task of the whole society, all levels of the authority, sectors, organizations, communities and all citizens; as environmental protection is national, regional and global in its nature, it requires to bring into full play the country’s internal strength combined with the extension of international cooperation
ViewPoints
Ø Environmental protection must base on the strengthening of the state management, institutional and legislation capacities, along with the raising of awareness and consciousness of environmental protection stewardship among the people and the whole society.
ViewPoints
Ø        Environmental protection is a constant and long lasting work. Pollution prevention must be viewed as the key solution in combination with pollution control and treatment, remedy of degradation and improvement of the environmental quality; the implementation of these activities must aim at the focal points and locations; and science and technology must be viewed as effective tools for environmental protection
Issues and Problems
  Pollution on the rise versus pressing environmental problems unresolved: War remnants, adverse impact by a long period of economic development without due attention to the environment; Water sources, rivers, lakes… traversing major urban centers and industrial areas are severely contaminated; The indiscriminate mining and deforestation for the expansion of cultivated land.
Issues and Problems
 Short-term economic gains versus long-term environmental benefits and sustainable development.
 Obsolete technical infrastructure for environmental protection while limited resources for environmental protection provided by the government and enterprises
Issues and Problems
  Pollution growth, spontaneous migration and poverty: The population grows at a rather high level (1.2% per year). Spontaneous migration and the practice of cutting down forests for rice and cash cropping remain rife. Poverty in remote rural areas has not yet been up-rooted.
Issues and Problems
  Low public consciousness of environmental protection
 International economic integration is posing more strictly environmental protection.
 Greater and more complex impact of global and regional environment concerns.

Policies
  The National Strategy for Environmental Protection is an in separate part of the National Socio-economic Development Strategy, and serves as grounds for sustainable development of the country. Environmental protection investment means the investment for sustainable development
Policies
  Environmental protection must be the task of the whole society, all levels of the authority, sectors, organizations, communities and all citizens; as environmental protection is national, regional and global in its nature, it requires to bring into full play the country’s internal strength combined with the extension of international cooperation.
Policies
Environmental protection must base on the strengthening of the State management, institutional and legislation capacities of, along with the raising of awareness and consciousness of environmental protection stewardship among the people and the whole society.
Policies
 Environmental protection is a constant and long lasting work. Pollution prevention must be viewed as the key solution in combination with pollution control and treatment, remedy of degradation and improvement of the environmental quality; the implementation of these activities must aim at the focal points and locations; and science and technology must be viewed as effective tools for environmental protection.
Strategy
 To restrict increases in pollution, remedy environmental degradation and improve the quality of the environment; to fundamentally address environmental degradation in industrial and densely populated areas within major cities and several rural regions; rehabilitate and treat contaminated rivers, canals, ponds and lakes.
Strategy
 To improve capacities in the prevention and control of adverse impacts of natural disasters, particularly those of climate change; effectively respond and rescue, and remedy environmental incidents caused by natural disasters.
Strategy
 To rationally extract and use natural resources, ensure the preservation of ecological balance at a high level, and conserve natural and biodiversity resources.
To proactively implement, and respond to, environmental requirements in the process of international economic integration and to control negative effects caused by the globalization on the environment.
Legislative Mechanism/Enforcement
Environmental management capacity should be strengthened for the central level management system including the provision of facilities to ensure its operations, especially environmental inspection and monitoring.
A local environmental management system should be established and developed in the direction of a combined management of natural resources and the environment.

Legislative Mechanism/Enforcement
Strengthening environmental legislation consists of: completing the system of statutory instruments on environmental protection, ensuring the strict enforcement of the Law on Environmental Protection.

Solution
 Promote propaganda, education, and public awareness of environmental protection responsibility
 Strengthen the state management, institution and legislation of environmental protection
Promote the introduction of economic instruments to environmental management

Solution
Harmonize links between economic development, social equality and advancement, and environmental protection
Create significant increase in investment in, and diversify funding sources for, environmental protection
Enhance scientific research and technological development capacities for environmental protection
Solution
Promote the socialization of Environmental Protection
Extend International cooperation in the field of Environmental Protection

INSTITUTION SET-UP
Position and function 
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is an organization of the Government, performing the function of State management over land, water and mineral resources, environment,hydro-meteorology,survey and mapping for the whole country; state management over public services and representing the owners of State capital portions at enterprises with State capital in the fields of land, water and mineral resources, environment, hydro-meteorology, survey and mapping in accordance with the provisions of law.
Conclusion
Vietnam has made significant achievements in socio-economic development, culture, foreign affairs and national security in the past several years.
Environmental protection has produced results, initially restraining increase in pollution, partly remedying environmental deterioration and gradually improving the quality of the environment in certain places, which lay essential pre-conditions for sustainable development in the future.

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
Webside
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment:
http//www.monre.gov.vn

National Environmental Protection Agency:
http//www.nea.gov.vn