20/05/2021
Cooperation in waste management and the building of emission-free circular economy was highlighted at the third meeting of the Joint Committee of Việt Nam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (MOEJ) on March, 2021
According to the Vietnam Environmet Administration (VEA) under the MONRE, Việt Nam has faced a number of new issues in the collection of fees for domestic solid waste gathering, transport and treatment and the roadmap for the reduction of production and import of goods having microplastic components.
MONRE and MOEJ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on environmental co-operation on December 13th, 2013. Since then, the two sides have had many dialogues on policy making. The two agencies at the fourth dialogue on March 26, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan agreed to set up a joint Committee for waste management and 3Rs, which will help improve Việt Nam’s public sanitation system and environmental protection. VEA was assigned to host annual meetings in which policies are made and technical assistance is delivered. Under the agreement, the Committee is accountable for exchanging bilateral information and experience in waste management and 3R principles; connecting two sides’ government agencies, companies, experts and other stakeholders to develop a streamlined waste management system based on 3R principles and proper technologies.
Deputy Director Genaral of the VEA Nguyễn Thượng Hiền said that, in order to support the implementation of the Law on Environmenttal Protection (LEP) 2020, Japan's sharing of experience in waste management and implementation of other relevant regulations is very necessary, especially those related to managing solid waste and criteria in choosing urban and rural domestic waste treatment technologies and models, the collection of fees for domestic solid waste gathering, transport and treatment.
The MOEJ agreed to continue cooperation and share information with Việt Nam on the building of relevant standards and criteria as well as the building of legal documents in preventing, sorting, transporting, recycling and treating of waste. Japan can support Việt Nam by sending its experts to Việt Nam to help in building and reviewing guiding documents on the implementation of the LEP 2020. In the coming time, the two sides will soon hold a video conference to clarify issues related the building of circular economy to protect the environment.
Việt Nam proposed that the Japanese side continue to implement works related to the intensive research for economic tools in managing domestic solid waste to contribute to building the circular economy, thus assisting Việt Nam in designing decrees and circulars to guide the implementation of the Law.
Mr. Hideki Wada, a Japanese expert, said that the Japanese side has chosen the two localities of Bắc Ninh and Bình Dương for support. In Bắc Ninh Province, the supporting activities include making region-based planning on waste management, controlling targeted waste through waste sorting at source and building plans for waste management with pilot models in a commune. Meanwhile, Japan will help Bình Dương control targeted waste like it does in Bắc Ninh. However, with difficulties facing the southern province in waste treatment, Japan will help the province in making a pre-feasibility study for a waste-to-power project and estimating risks of the project.
He said that currently, the two localities are working with advisory agencies to make a report on specific necessary support activities to submit to the MOEJ.
Participants at the meeting discussed topics such as incineration-based solid waste management, planning for at-source waste treatment facilities, Japan’s incineration technologies and ash treatment and the future operation of the joint Committee.
Gia Linh
(Source: Vietnam Environment Administration Magazine, English Edition I-2021)
