VIETNAM: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON THE MINISTER OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000373 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES - MARSHA GOLDBERG STATE PASS TO USAID - PATRICIA CHAPLIN STATE PASS TO EPA - DENNIS CUNNINGHAM STATE PASS TO NOAA - JONATHAN JUSTI BANGKOK FOR USAEP - WINSTON BOWMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KSCA TBIO VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON THE MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT ¶1. Summary. On February 1, the Ambassador paid an introductory call on Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Mai Ai Truc. The Minister portrayed MONRE's task as assisting the GVN, National Assembly and other government ministries to achieve a balance between rapid economic development and environmental protection. In particular, he pointed to Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's recent proclamation of "a new direction" in environmental protection. According to Truc, the PM declared that Vietnam would not sacrifice environmental protection for economic growth. Minister Truc also briefly described Vietnam's main environmental challenges including waste treatment, pollution, protecting biodiversity, traffic, air pollution and natural disaster mitigation. Minister Truc highlighted the good cooperation between GVN and the USG in environmental protection and hydro-meteorology and expressed interest in increased support. End Summary. ¶2. On February 1, the Ambassador paid an introductory call on Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Mai Ai Truc. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) was established in 2002 to consolidate existing institutions responsible for land administration, minerals, water resources, hydro-meteorology, survey mapping and environmental protection. High-level Political Support for Environmental Protection -------------- -------------- ¶3. Minister Truc portrayed MONRE's task as assisting the GVN, National Assembly and other government ministries to achieve a balance between rapid economic development and environmental protection. MONRE has drafted a new law on environmental protection that Truc expects the National Assembly to pass in early 2005. The draft law specifies which Ministry is responsible for protecting various natural resources and emphasizes the role of provincial and local authorities, communities and private enterprises to ensure environmental protection. ¶4. Minister Truc is also keen on implementing Politburo Resolution 41/NQ-TW (dated 11/15/2004),which calls for harmonization between socio-economic and environmental protection to achieve the sustainable development goals of the country. All the Ministries have been organized to implement the Resolution, he said. Earlier that week, MONRE had hosted an International Support Group on Environment (ISGE) meeting to discuss the Resolution and propose priority initiatives to the international donor community. ¶5. According to Minister Truc, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai recently proclaimed "a new direction" in environmental protection. The Prime Minister reportedly declared, "We will not exchange the environment for economic development, but we will also not let our people go hungry or suffer just for environmental protection. If we have to choose between rapid development with limited environmental protection and slower development with strict environmental protection, then we choose the latter. We would rather be poor in a rich environment then be rich in a poor environment." Growing Pains: Main Environmental Challenges -------------- ¶6. Minister Truc identified Vietnam's main environmental challenges including solid waste treatment, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, pollution in craft villages and rural areas, protection of biodiversity, traffic and urban air pollution, and natural disaster mitigation. The Ambassador and the Minister agreed that rapid urbanization and the impact on water and air quality, including problems related to solid waste, would be a rising concern. Truc noted that environmental protection is also a socio-economic concern. If satellite cities are not developed, rural people will continue to enter Vietnam's main cities and urban pollution will continue to worsen. GVN Interest in Continued Technical Assistance -------------- - ¶7. Remarking on the good cooperation between GVN and the USG in environmental protection and hydro-meteorology, the Minister noted that USAID's US-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) has also provided technical support in urban environmental management. Since 1999, USAID has provided USD 8.2 million in technical assistance, grants and study exchanges to improve environmental policy and governance in urban areas under the US-AEP program and approximately USD 3 million for support to biodiversity and coastal management in Vietnam. Since 2000, USAID has also provided USD 3.75 million in technical assistance to the UNDP and the National Hydro-Meteorological Service of Vietnam for coastal flood risk mapping for seven central provinces in Vietnam and early storm warning systems for fisherfolk. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has also provided technical support to National Hydro-Meteorological Service of Vietnam, formerly under the Ministry of Science and Technology but now under the administration of MONRE. The Minister expressed interest in increased levels of support from the United States in the future. MARINE