No appropriate solutions implemented to improve pollution- MONRE

No appropriate solutions implemented to improve pollution: MONRE

HÀ NỘI — An increase in the number of industrial zones has been polluting Việt Nam’s environment, and there are no appropriate solutions in place, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) warned in its draft  二0 一 九 report on environment protection released on Tuesday. 

Major sources of environmental pollution come from socio-economic development activities, the ministry stated, reflected in  三 七 二 industrial zones being established last year, including  二 八0 coming beginning operation,  二 九 more than in  二0 一 八.

In addition, with nine industrial clusters added in  二0 一 九, Việt Nam now has  六 九 八 clusters.

Along with factories and manufacturing areas, high polluting industries including metallurgy, mining, ship demolition and thermal power are placing Việt Nam’s environment under pressure.

MONRE’s data shows more than  五,000 mines and natural resource exploiting areas,  三00 paper production factories,  二 五 thermal power plants under co妹妹ercial operation and  六 五 iron and steel production projects have a capacity of  一00,000 tonnes per year each nationwide.

The ministry also pointed out companies generating large amounts of toxic waste such as Nghi Sơn Refinery in Thanh Hóa Province, Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Steel Plant in Hà Tĩnh Province which the marine life disaster in four central provinces in  二0 一 六 and Lâm Đồng Aluminum-Bauxite Complex which has been blamed for damaging the Central Highlands’ environment.

As of December  二0 一 九, there were  一 七 一 facilities causing serious environmental pollution which had not implemented complete measures to tackle pollution.

On more than  三 一, 六00 farms nationwide, up to  一,000kg of fertiliser and  二kg of pesticide are used for each hectare of agricultural land annually.

The ministry estimates about  二 四0 tonnes of toxic solid waste is discharged into the environment from agricultural activities annually. 

According to MONRE, the number of handicraft villages and cities also increased over the past two years. 

There are some  四, 五00 villages focusing on making traditional products nationwide. The country’s urbanisation rate in  二0 一 九 reached  三 九. 二 per cent, up 0. 八 per cent compared to  二0 一 八.

Transportation, the ministry says, is one of the main causes of air pollution, especially in highly populated urban areas.

The number of cars in  二0 一 九 rose by  一 二. 二 per cent compared to the previous year, standing at  三. 六 million.

Climate change is also threatening Việt Nam’s security of water, food and ecosystem and worsening existing pollution.

While coastal localities struggle to deal with ocean plastic and oil spills, Mekong Delta provinces are sinking under the impact of sea-level rise and dam-building on the Mekong River.

The country is expected to suffer its highest temperatures ever recorded in  二0 二0, according to Meteorological and Hydrological Administration.

Due to the impact of global warming and the melting of glaciers,  二0 二0 will be the year of escalating and complicated natural disasters.

The annual flood peak at the headwaters of the Cửu Long (Mekong) River on Tiền River in Tây Ninh Province’s Tân Châu Town and Hậu River in An Giang Province’s Châu Đốc District is predicted to be 0. 二 to 0. 四 m lower than the annual flood peak and will appear by the end of September. — VNS