Vietnamese localities need resources, experience, and cooperation of international partners to ensure environmental protection and sustainable development and French investors are considered credible partners.  

Overview of the meeting. Photos: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times

Bui Xuan Cuong, Deputy Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, made the remarks at a conference on "Environment, Water and Water Treatment" held on April 14 as part of the 12th Vietnam-France Decentralized Cooperation Conference in Hanoi.

During the workshop, Cuong emphasized the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development, which are key elements on the agenda of Vietnam's Party and State policies.

He added that Vietnam is now adopting a proactive approach, emphasizing prevention, control and restoration of environmental ecosystems, as evidenced by the fact that the country has some 90 bilateral partners and participates in more than 100 multilateral frameworks on natural resources, environment, and climate.

"Among these partnerships, France stands out as one of the most prominent in sustainable development and environmental protection," Cuong said.

The joint statement issued by Vietnam and France during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to France in November 2021 reaffirmed the two countries' commitment to promoting sustainable growth. Despite the double crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, Vietnam continues to proactively address environmental issues with the help of its international partners, he added.

Cuong said that Vietnam's four key economic regions, covering 24 provinces and cities, are important drivers of national economic growth. Therefore, protecting the environment and responding to climate change is not just a matter for individual localities, but inter-regional and inter-provincial linkages are necessary for sustainable development and economic expansion.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Bui Xuan Cuong.

In this regard, Vietnamese localities have actively cooperated with neighboring regions to protect the environment, control pollution in river basins, and manage inter-provincial water sources. He noted that numerous models of cooperation have been established to protect biodiversity corridors and buffer zones in nature reserves.

"These joint efforts have improved forecasting and prevention capabilities, minimized environmental pollution, and efficiently used natural resources in the region and throughout the country," Cuong said.

Ho Chi Minh City's development priorities include promoting high-value industries using renewable energy and environmentally friendly technologies in various sectors such as industry, agriculture, and services. Urban development is a particular focus, including initiatives for sustainable urban transportation, flood control and clean water supply, he said.

Vietnamese localities recognize the importance of international cooperation and experience in environmental protection, and French investors are regarded as reliable partners in achieving sustainable development thanks to their advanced environmental technologies and expertise, Cuong added.

Delegates at the conference.

During the conference, various topics were discussed, including environmental protection, air quality improvement, climate change mitigation, solid waste management, water treatment, clean water supply, waste reduction and recycling, and circular economy.

Mai Trong Thai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment, spoke on "Plastic Waste Management in Hanoi" highlighting the city's regulations to reduce plastic waste, such as a plan to control plastic waste and bags by 2025.

In the future, Hanoi plans to propose to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to improve and issue new regulations on environmental protection techniques for solid waste management.

"Financial incentives will be offered to promote the recovery, recycling, and reuse of plastic waste. In addition, the city will continue to develop a plan to prepare the necessary resources, financial institutions, and policies to implement waste separation at source," Thai said.

Hanoi aims to enforce solid waste regulations to ensure effective waste treatment and management, he noted.

According to a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the city is currently focusing on strengthening international cooperation in environmental protection and climate change response to mobilize resources to achieve the city's environmental protection goals.

In the coming period, the city plans to cooperate with French localities in several areas, including applying digital transformation in environmental monitoring to facilitate smart management of air quality in Ho Chi Minh City, investing in urban sewage collection and treatment projects, and strengthening environmental management capacity of officials and civil servants in the natural resources and environment sector, particularly in the general management of water resources.