Environmental news

MoIT concerned over potential electricity shortages Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh sounded the alarm about the high risk of power shortages at a meeting earlier this week. In a report sent to the Government and the National Assembly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said extreme weather conditions have left many hydropower plants without enough water to produce electricity. The MoIT plans to import 20 million tonnes of coal in 2020 and 35 million tonnes in 2035. It also added the local supply of gas was not enough to generate electricity for projects in the southeast and the southwest of the country. There are more than 10 projects in the area accounting for 16 percent of total capacity in Viet Nam. MoIT said demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) will continue to be strong, outpacing domestic production by 2020 requiring the country to import around one million cubic metres a year. Phung Van Sy, general manager of the ministry’s oil and gas division, said … [Read more...] about VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS HEADLINES NOVEMBER 20

Human activities in the Son Tra Nature Reserve had changed the basic instincts of langurs and monkeys, while threatening the primate population with human-to-wildlife transmitted diseases, according to biologist Tran Huu Vy. A troupe of endangered red-shanked douc langurs can be found living near a resort in Son Tra Nature Reserve in Da Nang. Booming construction and poor control of mass tourism has threatened the existance of the species and biodiversity in the reserve. — VNS Photo Le Phuoc Chin Rangers have witnessed the red-shanked douc langur – an endangered primate only found living in Vietnam and Laos – crossing power lines to seek food in separated jungles. Scientists have voiced their concerns about the negative impacts on the habitat of monkeys and langurs in the Son Tra reserve caused by humans feeding them. The city has yet to find an effective solution to deal with the conflict between humans and wildlife in the reserve, including feeding wildlife, … [Read more...] about Sustainable protection needed for Son Tra Reserve

The HCM City Department of Industry and Trade has established linkages between 32 biodegradable plastic bag production enterprises and food enterprises. Biodegradable bags in Vietnam and barriers HCM City to reduce plastic waste HCM City encourages food enterprises to use eco-friendly packaging instead of plastic. —Photo ffa.com.vn The eco-enterprises are given preferential treatment for housing, technologies and equipment. Besides supporting policies, the government also has policies to minimize the use of plastic bags, such as increasing environmental protection taxes on goods using plastic bags for packaging from VND10,000 (US$0.43) to VND50,000 (US$2.14). According to the city department, these plastic bag production enterprises have not cooperated with enterprises in the food sector. This cooperation will give enterprises an opportunity to understand each other's demands, and bring eco-friendly bags into the food industry, according to the department’s … [Read more...] about HCM City connects biodegradable production enterprises with food enterprises

Maritime safety and environmental protection in Asia will be promoted according to the International Maritime Organisation’s conventions. — Photo asiancs.org The importance of maritime safety and environmental protection in Asia was highlighted at the 27th Annual Executive Committee meeting (EC27) in Phu Quoc, the southern province of Kien Giang on Wednesday. The two-day event, hosted by Vietnam Register (VR), gathers representatives from the Association of Asian Classification Societies (ACS), including Biro Klasfikasi Indonesia, China Classification Society, Indian Register of Shipping, Korean Register, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, Ships Classification Malaysia and VR. Speaking at the opening ceremony, General Director of VR Tran Ky Hinh, who chaired the meeting, said the strategic directions of ACS are to pursue improvement of ACS members’ performance and their technical contributions to the international maritime community. “It’s necessary to strengthen … [Read more...] about Vietnam Register hosts the annual meeting of ACS EC27

Provided with beautiful landscapes, long beaches and rich cultural and marine resources, Binh Dinh Province is expected to transform into a key destination for both domestic and foreign visitors. Provided with beautiful landscapes, long beaches and rich cultural and marine resources, Binh Dinh Province is expected to transform into a key destination for both domestic and foreign visitors.— Photo vietnamnet But like some other areas, the province's biggest hurdle in becoming more attractive to tourists is its lack of developed infrastructure. “Binh Dinh’s tourism sector has been developing less than expected because the infrastructure and facilities are still limited and underdeveloped,” said Nguyen Tien Dat, deputy director of tourism company Transviet. The underdevelopment of infrastructure connecting different tourism sites has made it hard for visitors to come to the province, according to Ho Quoc Dung, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee. … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s tourism sector must focus on infrastructure, regulatory changes