Issue No.06/2012 (16-31 March, 2012)
AIR QUALITY
Air quality improvement to be discussed
20 Mar, 2012
A symposium themed, “Air Quality Improvement and Urban Transport: Best Practice and Cooperative Projects” will be held in Hanoi on March 21. Talking with the press on March 19 in Hanoi, Director of UBIFRANCE Trade Agency of the French Embassy in Hanoi Marc Cagnard said that France wants to develop its trade, industry and technology relations with Vietnam.
The symposium, sponsored by the French Embassy and the Vietnam Ministry of Natura
http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=115142&C...
Vietnam – France seminar to discuss air quality and urban transport
21 Mar, 2012
A seminar titled “Air quality improvement and urban transport: Best practice and cooperative projects” will be held in Hanoi on March 21. The seminar, held under the auspices of the French Embassy in Vietnam and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, will be an important event to promote environmental research and Vietnam-France cooperation in this area.
http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=115210&C...
Transport vehicles are the culprit that cause air pollution in urban areas
22 Mar, 2012
The air quality of Vietnam's urban centers has been degrading with the pollution reaching alarming levels in some areas, many areas of environmental pollution problems have been at an alarming rate. In major cities, road motor vehicles are the main culprit causing air pollution problems. Nguyen Hoang Duc, a senior official of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) said on Dai Doan Ket newspaper that the air pollution in urban areas caused by the transport vehicles accounts for 70-80
percent.
http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=115273&C...
US, VN agree on cutting emissions
23 Mar, 2012
The governments of the United States and Viet Nam yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding on a Low Emission Development Strategy in Ha Noi. The signing was held with the participation of the US Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment Robert Hormats and the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang. Under the memorandum, Vietnamese and US experts would join hands in developing a national greenhouse gas inventory system, identifying sources of emissions for analysis to encourage energy efficiency and production of renewable energy while optimising agricultural and forest production.
http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=115319&C...
Noise pollution tortures urbanites
25 Mar, 2012
LookAtVietnam – The improper and spontaneous hooting of many car drivers annoys millions of people in traffic and urban dwellers. Vietnamese people now have to live together with the serious noise pollution.
One month ago, a representative of Ford Vietnam, an automobile manufacturer, in the conversation with reporters, revealed that he was preparing for the “no horn” campaign to be launched in Vietnam.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/03/noise-pollution-tortures-urbanites....
Capital's air still worst in SE Asia
26 Mar, 2012
Four years ago, experts declared that the air in urban Ha Noi was the most polluted in South East
Asia. Since then an increasing number of cars and motorbikes has led to an assessment that they are
creating 70 per cent of the dust, nitric oxides and sulphur compounds found in the city's air. Acting director of the Environment Observation Centre, Nguyen Van Thuy, announced this at a workshop on Air Quality Improvement and Urban Transport held by the French Embassy on Wednesday.
http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=115385&C...
Hundreds of villagers protest against factory pollution
26 Mar, 2012
Hundreds of local people protested against two steel companies over pollution in Hoa Vang District, Danang Province. Having had enough of both noise and air pollution from the facilities' around- the-clock operations of Dana-Y and Pacific Steel Companies, more than 300 locals from Van Duong 2 Village, in Hoa Lien Commune, assembled outside two companies on March 24 to call for its closure.…Residents say they have sent a number of complaints to authorities at many different levels, but they have not
been answered
http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=115382&C...
No one takes responsibility for dirty air
27 Mar, 2012
LookAtVietnam – The recent reports released by different institutions all affirmed that Hanoi is the city with the worst air in South East Asia. However, no report pointed out which agency has to take responsibility for the dirty air. Hanoi is one of the cities in the world which has the most polluted air in Asia. Vietnam ranks the 123rd among 132 countries in terms of air quality. The ranking was released
at the Davos Economic Forum.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/03/no-one-takes-responsibility-for-dir...
ENERGY
Latest renewable energy technology exhibited
23 Mar, 2012
Scientists and businesses involved in renewable energy are flocking to an international exhibition to learn about advanced technology in renewable energy production from around the world. Co-organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s National Technology and Science Information Department and Messe Munchen, the second international exhibition on renewable energy will run until Friday at the Ha Noi International Exhibition Centre, 91 Tran Hung Dao Street.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/03/latest-renewable-energy-technology-...
TRANSPORT
Ha Noi traffic ‘a planning headache”
16 Mar, 2012
LookAtVietnam – Traffic congestion in Ha Noi has long been a problem, and urban planners are struggling to find immediate strategies or a long-term solution to address the issue. Experts at a workshop yesterday, March 15, in Ha Noi jointly held by the ministries of Construction and Transport and Health Bridge Canada said they did not expect an improvement in the next five or 10 years if traffic infrastructure did not change.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/03/ha-noi-traffic-a-planning-headache....
Proposal to increase fines on traffic offenders
22 Mar, 2012
During an online meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday, representatives of provinces and cities proposed an increase on the penalty amount on traffic law offenders According to Dinh La Thang, Minister of Transport, a staggering 1,940 traffic accidents were reported nationwide in the first two months of this year, killing 1,665 people and injuring 1,481.
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2012/3/100439/
Transport Minister proposes higher fees on personal vehicles
22 Mar, 2012
VietNamNet Bridge – While the “personal vehicle circulation fee” is still a controversy, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has suggested calling it as “personal vehicle restriction fee” and to raise the fee by five percent per annum. The suggestion is mentioned in a Ministry of Transport’s report on traffic fees, recently sent to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/society/20253/transport-minister-propose...
Hanoi’s public transport use among the lowest in Asia
25 Mar, 2012
Hanoi is one of the Asian cities with the lowest rate of public transport utilization, according to a press briefing on Monday to introduce the symposium on air quality in Hanoi. With some four million personal vehicles, Hanoi is facing severe congestion and extreme pollution, heard the press briefing held by the French Agency for International Business Development (Ubifrance) on Monday.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/03/hanois-public-transport-use-among-t...
Road, sea, and air transport costs rising, following the fuel price hike
27 Mar, 2012
LookAtVietnam – The fuel price increase commencing from mid March 2012, has triggered a new price wave. Road, sea air transport service providers all have announced the fee increases After enterprises raised the shipping fees, reasoning the fuel price increases, the orders from enterprises have decreased sharply.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/03/road-sea-and-air-transport-costs-ri...
CLIMATE CHANGE
Netherlands funds climate change project in Long An
30 Mar, 2012
LookAtVietnam – A project worth more than 365,000 euros has been launched in Long An province to
help build a strategy for climate change adaptation in the Vam Co River basin. The Netherlands committed 312,786 euros to the project and the rest of the capital came from local budget.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/03/netherlands-funds-climate-change-pr...
