A view of HCM City. The city authorities are determined to protect the environment and make the city more green. (Photo: dothi.net)
More than two decades ago, when HCM City, along with the rest of the nation, began applying the doi moi (renovation) policy, opening doors to foreign investment and technology transfer, many developed countries in the world were also beginning a new stage in their technological revolution.
As a result, among technologies imported into the country were obsolete ones of low efficiency.
The city has made great efforts to develop a “green” economy and the situation has been gradually changed with backward production lines and technologies replaced with new advanced ones that are more efficient and environmentally friendly.
Nguyen Van Phuoc, deputy director of the city Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said city authorities have forced 15 industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZs) to build centralized wastewater treatment systems to receive waste from internal treatment facilities of enterprises.
To date, barring the Le Minh Xuan, Hiep Phuoc and Tan Phu Trung IPs, all others have basically completed construction of the centralized treatment systems, he said.
Quach To Dung, deputy director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, said the city has been successful in its plan to remove about 1,400 pollution-causing enterprises from the inner city to its suburban areas.
The city has spent millions of dong to support relocating enterprises so that they can both resume their production and protect the environment, he added.
HCM City leads the country in relocating pollution-causing enterprises, said an official of the Dong Nai Province People’s Committee. The official also said Dong Nai has worked with relevant agencies in HCM City to seek assistance in applying this model to the province.
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai recently called on all provinces and cities to step relocation of pollution-causing enterprises from urban areas to centralized IPs.
International cooperation to boost green development
Le Hoang Quan, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, recently led a delegation to attend the C40 Seoul Summit 2009. C40 is an organization of 40 large cities in the world that have made commitments to adapt to and mitigate impacts of climate change. HCM City was admitted to the organization at the summit.
At the end of the summit, South Korea promised to assist the city improve its environment management system.
Last year, the city expanded its cooperation with several international organizations to boost environmental protection and their efforts have paid off.
The Spanish Government agreed to support the city’s project to control pollution on the Saigon River, while the Belgian Government helped build a wastewater treatment plant in Binh Tan District.
The Netherlands government has agreed to help the city in building a plant to produce electricity from methane at the Go Cat dump, and the South Korean government will assist the city in applying advanced waste management technologies.
The city has also invested in reforming and upgrading its river and canal systems to create a better living environment for residents in many districts, including District 8 and Thu Duc District.
The city leaders have pledged further efforts to promote the “green” life and ensure sustainable development.