Vietnam has rolled out multiple programmes to tackle plastic waste in the context of the region emerging as a “hot spot” for plastic pollution.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has rolled out multiple programmes to tackle plastic waste in the context of the region emerging as a “hot spot” for plastic pollution.
Statistics from the World Economic Forum (WEF) reveal that every year, the world produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastics, of which 75-199 million tonnes are currently found in oceans.
The amount could triple in the next two decades if no actions are taken.
A study published by the WEF in 2021 showed that among the 10 countries that discharge the most plastics into the ocean, five are in ASEAN.
Apart changes in plastic use, Vietnam has put into use many initiatives towards a circular economy.
Most recently, Plastic People has been the only Vietnamese innovator in the Top 5 of the Plastic Waste to Value Southeast Asia Challenge to tackle plastic waste mismanagement in the region.
The challenge was jointly launched by The Incubation Network, in partnership with the Global Plastic Action Partnership, UpLink by theWEF, and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, aiming to accelerate innovative solutions that are focused on plastic recycling and upcycling in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The top five innovators will be participating in the tailored development programme over the course of five months.
Moreover, the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection officially came into force in 2022, with the supplement of regulations on plastic waste reduction, recycling, reuse and treatment.
The national action plan on marine plastic waste management also aims to cut half of plastic debris in the ocean by 2025, and 75% by 2030.
Vietnam will ban the use of all plastic bags, even in wet markets, from 2030, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment./.
VNA
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A workshop was held in Ha Long city, northern Quang Ninh province, on August 26 with the aim of promoting public awareness of marine plastic waste and actions against single-use plastic products in Ha Long Bay, a world natural heritage site.
Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh has approved a proposal to continue a zero-plastic-waste programme on the local Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hoai stressed that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility of authorities, businesses, organisations and citizens, calling on the public to adopt practical measures such as reducing litter, limiting single-use plastics, conserving resources, planting trees and sorting waste at source.
In the appeal, the VFF Central Committee's Presidium noted that environmental protection has been identified by the Party and State as a strategic priority. The 14th National Party Congress highlighted the need to harmonise economic, cultural and social development with environmental protection and improvements in living standards.
The Phuoc Thuan Border Guard Station and competent units in Ho Tram commune, Ho Chi Minh City, on June 4 rescued a rare sea turtle caught in a fishing net and safely released it back into the sea.
The elongated tortoise is one of the most beautiful and rare terrestrial tortoise species, listed in both the Vietnam Red Data Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. It typically inhabits tropical and subtropical forests and plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance. However, due to illegal trade and habitat loss, its wild population has been declining sharply.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded technical cooperation project on drainage management for climate resilience in Can Tho aims to improve planning capacity for wastewater collection, enhance operations and management of existing treatment plants, and the city’s ability to run public awareness campaigns.
A series of environmental and marine-related events to held in the central province of Nghe An from June 4-6 will generate a broad social impact, helping transform awareness into action and commitments into concrete results, and contributing to Vietnam’s goals of green growth, circular economy development, net-zero emissions and harmonious coexistence between people and nature.
According to marine experts, the repeated appearance of dolphins near the shore of Cai Chien Island is a positive sign that the local marine environment is well protected.
According to the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection, as of May 12, more than 1,350 communes and wards nationwide were under the highest forest fire warning of Level 5, while 294 others at Level 4.
To support conservation efforts, the national park has invested in a comprehensive system of breeding enclosures, quarantine areas, reproductive research facilities, wastewater treatment systems and surveillance cameras.
The climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure project in Lang Son consists of two main components, focusing on sustainable infrastructure and environmental improvement; and technical assistance and capacity building, with AFD experts expected to train project management officials and local agencies in disaster response and climate adaptation.
Beyond helping Hai Phong tackle environmental issues, Eco Hopia's primary objective is to transfer advanced technologies to Vietnam, enabling local partners to master them and contribute to the sustainable development of the country's agricultural sector.
The number and activity of tropical cyclones and depressions over the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, and their direct impacts on mainland Vietnam are expected to be comparable to the multi-year average. The long-term average over the East Sea is 5.2 typhoons, with 1.9 making landfall.
Launched in 2021 with funding from the Norwegian people through WWF-Norway and WWF-Vietnam, the “Hue – Plastic Smart City in Central Vietnam” project aims to help Hue protect rivers, wetlands and coastal ecosystems from plastic pollution while building the city into a model plastic-reduced urban area in central Vietnam.
The Bac Lieu Forest Protection Unit under the provincial Forest Protection Sub-Department said that it had completed procedures to transfer and release the animal into its natural habitat.
Initiatives on biodiversity finance, carbon credits, public – private partnerships, nature-based tourism, and private sector investment are creating more opportunities to increase resources for ecosystem conservation and restoration, said an official.
Vietnam has established a network of 180 terrestrial and marine nature reserve covering more than 2.67 million hectares. These sites are being further strengthened to improve ecological connectivity, restore habitats and conserve endangered species. Forest cover remains stable at over 42%, contributing to water protection, climate adaptation and carbon absorption.
The animals included two masked palm civets, four stump-tailed macaques, and seven rhesus macaques. All belong to Group IIB under Circular No. 85/2025/TT-BNNMT issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on the management of endangered, precious and rare species, as well as the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The animal was identified as a clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus), weighing approximately two kilograms and measuring around 70 centimetres in length. The species belongs to Group IB — a category of endangered and rare forest wildlife species given the highest level of protection in Vietnam, with all forms of commercial exploitation and use strictly prohibited.
The stump-tailed macaque, scientifically known as Macaca arctoides, is classified as a rare and endangered species under Group IIB in Vietnam’s regulations on endangered wildlife management.
Ho Chi Minh City aims to push urban green coverage above 1 sq.m per person by 2030, while stepping up greenhouse gas reduction initiatives on the way to Net Zero by 2050.