The Hanoitimes - Vietnam is one of just three countries in the top ten Happy Planet Index rankings with an Ecological Footprint that is small enough to be considered environmentally sustainable. Vietnam has surpassed Bhutan to become the fifth happiest country in the world and ranks the second position in Asia-Pacific, Russian newspaper Sputnik reported. The given information is based on the recently released data by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), U.K. According to the NEF, the country with the highest Happy Planet Index (HPI) is Costa Rica (44.7), which ranks number one among 140 countries and territories. Countries in the top five are Mexico (40.7), Columbia (40.7), Vanuatu (40.6), and Vietnam (40.3). Little girls from flower H'Mong ethnic group in Sapa town, Lao Cai province. Photo: My Vietnam Now. Bhutan, the renowned Himalaya country that is considered as “the happiest kingdom in the world” with several million people living in peace and tranquility, beautiful natural scenery at the foot of the “world roof”, according to the NEF’s index, is only ranked 56th in the world and 13th in the Asia-Pacific region. “Vietnam ranks fifth in the Happy Planet Index results, and second in the Asia Pacific region,” the HappyPlanetIndex.org affirmed. According to the website, this South-East Asian country, characterized by its mountains and tropical forests, has a strikingly low Ecological Footprint and economic output per head almost 24 times smaller than nearby Hong Kong. Kids from black H'Mong ethnic group in Sapa town, Lao Cai province. Photo: S Vietnam. Vietnam is one of just three countries in the top ten Happy Planet Index rankings with an Ecological Footprint that is small enough to be considered environmentally sustainable. So, what’s working well in Vietnam? While wellbeing in Vietnam is more modest than in other countries in the top ten HPI rankings, its average wellbeing score is still higher than …
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Vietnam in fifth place in happy planet index rankings
According to the Happy Planet Index (HPI) as announced by UK-headquartered New Economics Foundation (NEF), the country, which is home to an array of mountains and tropical forests, has a strikingly low Ecological Footprint and economic output per head, almost 24 times smaller than that of Hong Kong (China). Indeed, it is one of just three countries to mark the top 10 of the Happy Planet Index rankings with an Ecological Footprint that is small enough to be considered environmentally sustainable. The report also notes that, “While wellbeing in Vietnam is more modest than in other countries in the top 10 HPI rankings, its average wellbeing score is still higher than Hong Kong’s – despite the Vietnamese economy being significantly smaller and Vietnam’s Ecological Footprint being less than a fifth of the size of Hong Kong’s.” “Vietnam has an impressive average life expectancy. Both Vietnam and the Gambia have similar sized economies with similar levels of GDP per capita, yet on average, people from Vietnam live more than 17 years longer.” Vietnam’s inequality of outcomes rating, which measures inequality in wellbeing and life expectancy scores within the country, is better than that of HPI’s first-placed country Costa Rica - a likely testament to Vietnam’s robust public service provision. School enrolment is among the highest in the world at 98% in 2012, and the number of colleges and universities continues to grow rapidly. Vietnam is on a steep development trajectory. The country has been hailed as a global poster child for poverty reduction - the number of people living in poverty fell from 58% in 1993 to 10.7% in 2010,” the report outlines. Costa Rica tops the overall list with 44.7 points. Making up the rest of the top five are Mexico with 40.7 points, Colombia with 40.7 points, Vanuatu with 40.6 points, followed with the nation fifth on 40.3 points. Other Southeast Asian countries also have high places in the rankings, including the Philippines at 14th, …
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COVID-19: Four new infections bring overall number to 1,509
All the new patients came from the United States, and entered Cam Ranh Airport on flight VN44 after transiting in the Republic of Korea on January 1. Their test results came back positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus at Nha Trang Pasteur Institute on January 6. They are currently being isolated to receive treatment at Phu Yen General Hospital. Earlier, 7 cases were confirmed positive for the virus on this same flight. Among the patients currently undergoing treatment nationwide, 14 have tested negative for the virus once, six have tested negative twice, and seven have recorded negative tests three time, while the number of deaths related to the disease remains at 35. As of January 7, the nation’s total number of infections stands at 1,509, with locally transmitted cases accounting for 693 of the overall figure, whilst imported cases make up 816, with each of these being immediately placed into isolation upon entering the country. Furthermore, up to 19,392 individuals who came into close contact with COVID-19 patients or who entered the nation from pandemic-hit regions are currently in quarantine nationwide. Moreover, during a meeting held on January 7 the Standing National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control outlined the increasingly complicated developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic globally. At present the country is preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year festival, known locally as Tet, and organise the National Party Congress. In order to cope with this situation, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a series of directives relating to pandemic prevention and control. Members of the Steering Committee and health experts said that despite the emergence of a new strain of COVID-19, the nation must move forward with effective pandemic countermeasures, particularly the 5K campaign launched by the Ministry of Health. This includes, “Khau trang”, “facemask, “Khu khuan”, “disinfection”, “Khoang cach” “distance”, “Khong tu tap”, …
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