The coments on TAI Coalition of Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE) to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam (MONRE)
On 16/6/2011 VACNE has sent a document to the MONRE with the comments on TAI Coalition.
Here are some of the comments:
…… Knowing that discussions about “Institutional framework for sustainable development” in the preparation process for RIO-2012 Summit will focus at national environmental governance, VACNE wish to place before you the three top urgent issues on environmental protection and sustainable development requiring your reviewing and directing their implementation, as follows:
Firstly, to promptly draw up and submit a Decree on mobilizing the strength of the community for environmental protection and sustainable development to the Government for its early promulgation.
During the execution of the Project “The Access Initiative" (TAI), thanks to the support from environmental agencies, VACNE has drafted a Decree on mobilizing the strength of the community for environmental protection and sustainable development. The Decree claims that it is essential to have proper awareness on and promote more urgently the important and decisive role of the community in environmental protection and sustainable development of the country. The Decree also defines the ensuring necessary information for the community and participation of the community in relevant activities. Ensuring judicial equality right is indispensable part of the Decree as well as improving community capability to participate in environmental protection under the circumstances when socio-economic development is rapid and severely affected by global climate change. The Decree has gathered up some contents that are stipulated in some legal documents such as Decree No. 29/2011/ ND-CP dated April 18, 2011 of the Government on environmental strategic assessment, environmental impact assessment and environmental protection commitments; Decree No. 69/2008/ND-CP on priority policies for cultural, educational, physical and environmental activities; Decree No. 79/2003/ND-CP on democracy implementation regulations at grassroots level, etc.
VACNE believes that the promulgation of the Decree with the above mentioned contents will create an important turning point in the cause of environmental protection and sustainable development of our country.
Secondly, to commit to reserve an appropriate percentage of environmental protection funding under the State budget to serve the community’s environmental protection activities.
Recently, funding under the State budget for environmental protection activities has increased in volume and diversified in sources. This State’s investment results in an increase of capital sources from abroad and the community. However, level of investment and actual use are not commensurate with the requirements of environmental protection and they are at very low level compared to investments in some countries that have the similar situation as our country, especially expenditure contents and management still have many restrictions. A solution that should and can be made now and is within your competency is to use an appropriate percentage of funding for environmental protection to intensify mobilizing the community for the environment protection. Simultaneously, the Ministry should issue regulations on allocation, management and use of this funding in accordance with the current State’s regulations, but consistent with the community’s activities, especially environmental communication, events, awards and social opponency, collection and transportation of waste, waste water treatment in residential areas, monitoring and controlling environmental pollution, etc.
Spending a necessary percentage of funding for the community’s activities will create a significant and decisive basis in mobilizing the strength of the community for environmental protection.
Thirdly, to adequately invest in expanding advanced models on “community's actions in environmental protection and sustainable development ”.
Recently, the Ministry has successfully organized many conferences complimenting shining examples of individuals and organizations in environmental protection. VACNE has also reviewed over 500 advanced environmental protection models of the community in all sectors and various geographical areas and has popularized them by flyers to all districts, communes, and many residential communities to encourage them to learn from and follow them. In particular, more than 200 individuals and organizations that received Vietnam Environmental Awards since 2001 to date are the community’s typical examples in environmental protection. However, in general, we have not properly invested in improving, performing, expanding, and popularizing these examples to the community, and thus wasted a great potential for the cause of environmental protection of the country. If the investment in expanding the community’s advanced models is implemented with clear targets, continuously and adequately, environmental protection and sustainable development activities of our country will be improved, much more advanced examples will occur, and results and effectiveness in environmental protection will be higher.