Though we know that Vietnam is likely to receive some of the worst punishment from global warming, our environmental target set for next year will only handle the cases of 65 percent of our worst polluters due to a shortage of human resources.
Before 1945, forests accounted for 43 percent of Vietnam’s area.
But, the rate decreased to 34 percent by 1975.
With illegal logging now rampant in even our national parks, one shudders to think what the figure might be like now.
We’re also facing a water crisis as many of our main rivers now are unfit for human and even animal use due to dumping. Even Ho Chi Minh City water companies can’t use some of the hub’s longest-standing water supplies on days when pollution – due to factories and industrial parks, but also household dumping – is too heavy.
Some 1,500 trade villages, 70 percent of industrial zones and 90 percent of the nation’s other production facilities are operating without wastewater treatment systems.
Over 4,000 organizations have been caught illegally polluting the environment.
Despite these dire problems, the only goals agencies concerned can muster up are to have 82 percent of solid waste and 65 percent of all harmful waste treated next year.
We also aim to have 65 percent of industrial parks and export processing zones meet environmental standards.
What about the other 35 percent?
By Ngoc Minh |
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