10/10/2016
After five-years implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development in many provinces, environmental protection in Việt Nam has been paid attention and achieved considerable outcomes: clean water supply system has been invested and put into operation; rural area landscape has been renovated and upgraded; good models in development of rural environment are in place… In addition, environmental protection of commercial and service entities, animal husbandry entities, industrial units and craft villages have been strengthened and better managed. However, the outcome and efficiency in implementing environmental criteria are limited compared to the set targets.
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| Phong Điền (Cần Thơ province) - A new rural district |
According to statistics by the end of April 2016, there are 1,834 communes achieving the new rural areas standards nationwide (making up 20.5% of the total communes in the country) and 23 districts receiving the Prime Minister’s Decision on achieving the new rural areas standards, of which 42.38% of communes achieve environmental criteria. This is one of the criteria currently having the lowest achievement. Moreover, through meetings and pilot surveys in some typical new rural communes, the reality shows that the proportion of communes meeting five environmental indexes is much lower than that in the report.
In terms of the criterion on the proportion of households using sanitary clean water according to regulations, in general, new rural communes meet this indicator; however, the quality of clean water should be tested by Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In addition, the volume of sanitary clean water supplied to households in rural areas meeting the demand or not should also be examined.
With this criterion, 90% of production - commercial enterprises in the area meeting environmental standards (10% remaining violating but having overcoming actions), the appraisal result in some provinces only takes into consideration of the number of production and commercial enterprises having profiles on environment (environmental protection commitment, environmental impact assessment, environmental protection scheme…). In addition, almost all localities do not have information on the status whether waste treatment is carried out in production and commercial enterprises in the area. Furthermore, almost all production entities operating in the rural area have not strictly followed regulations on environmental protection, particularly small-scale entities or household business.
In terms of the criterion on green - clean - beautiful village roads, lanes, landscape, having no environmental degradation activities, many localities usually organize Green Sundays, tree plantation, sanitation, community linkage… However, this criterion is non-quantitative and mostly objective, hence in practice, the implementation and assessment is not consistently implemented in localities.
In terms of the criterion on cemetery that it is included in a plan and managed according to the plan, majority of localities have paid attention to. However, due to domestic habits and spiritual views, tombs have not been moved to the planned area in many localities.
In terms of the criterion on collection and treatment of waste and wastewater, the implementation result in practice is limited. Majority of localities only have “water discharge planning” and invest in water discharge system, but not pay attention to investments in wastewater treatment; waste of animal husbandry entities have not been treated to meet the regulated standards; the proportion of central solid waste collection in many localities is low (below 50%). Some localities apply insanitary treatment methods such as unsafe landfills, small-scale incinerators, and open burning (many localities in the Mekong Delta). While according to National Technical Regulations on domestic waste incinerators (QCVN 61-MT:2016/BTNMT), the capacity of domestic solid waste incinerator must not be less than 300 kg/h.
Main causes leading to these issues are limited resources; localities usually prioritise to implement infrastructure criteria, invest in basic construction, change in production models… not focus on environmental indicators. Due to time pressure, many activities that have periodic manners, are not regularly and continuously supervised and inspected. In addition, some environmental indicators at communes are not quantitative; criteria for new rural districts have not been adequately assessed and the achievement is the physical calculation from the achieved communes. Majority of people in rural areas only focus on economic development, production expansion according to the market demands and consider the collection and treatment of waste to be the state responsibility while the local authorities have not paid proper attention and priorities for rural environmental protection…
To enhance rural environmental protection through the implementation of environmental criteria in the National Target Program on New Rural Development, in the upcoming time, it is necessary to focus on some specific solutions:
Enhancing environmental protection in new rural construction; guiding, supervising the implementation status in localities through which to enhance and promote the roles of departments of natural resources and environment.
Adding specific guidance on environmental criteria so communes and districts can implement and regulating responsibilities of state management agencies on environment at localities on guiding, monitoring and assessing the implementation of these criteria.
Enhancing the roles and responsibilities of natural resources and environment agencies at all levels in guiding, monitoring and assessing environmental criteria in new rural recognition process; conducting prior-review and post-review for recognized localities and for those are being considered for new rural communes/districts.
Enhancing environmental supervision and assessment of those communes and districts that are recognized as meeting national standards to maintain and enhance achievements on rural environment.
Revising contents of criterion 17 on environment and detailed regulations on implementation criteria. Accordingly, promoting the development of traditional and environmentally - friendly craft products; discouraging the model of “one craft one village” using chemicals that potentially cause environmental pollution such as refuse recycling, leather… Environmentally - friendly traditional craft villages will be prioritized to be recognized; recycling villages that cause environmental pollution must have pollution treatment plans, to be considered as a condition for consideration and recognition of new rural areas.
Rural environment has been suffered the pressures of agriculture production, daily activities, craft villages… for many years; therefore, thorough treatment is always a significant challenge. Therefore, it is necessary to have efforts of authorities from central to local levels, particularly close coordination and unification in views and implementation methods among Ministries, sectors and localities. In addition, it is necessary to enhance awareness, responsibility and mobilization of active participation of people in rural areas.
Nguyễn Hoàng Ánh
Deputy Director of Pollution Control Department
Vietnam Environment Administration
