Residents of Phù Lãng Commune in the northern province of Bắc Ninh’s Quế Võ District claimed that the heavy pollution from the Đồng Sài garbage dump has badly affected their life. 

Landslides in coastal areas of Tam Hải Island Commune, Núi Thành District, in the central province of Quảng Nam have become increasingly serious recently, according to local authorities.

Each year, environmental pollution causes Việt Nam an economic loss of 5 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) and the figure is expected to rise, said Đinh Đức Trường, deputy head of the Economics and Environment Faculty under Việt Nam’s National Economics University.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà has decided to establish a steering committee to monitor the project on strengthening the environmental management of river basins.

Hạ Long Bay, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Việt Nam’s top tourist draws, is reportedly suffering extensive violations that threaten to destroy its famed natural beauty, but local authorities have questioned the accuracy of some of the reports.

The illegal market for bears and bear parts is still strong in Việt Nam despite the introduction of legislation to ban their sale in 2006.

Local authorities should get more involved and significantly improve their management of environmental issues, Chu Phạm Ngọc Hiển, Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, said yesterday.

The fight against the illegal wildlife trade is a global issue, requiring a comprehensive collaborative mechanism and strong commitments to concrete action.

City authorities here have ordered an investigation into allegations of illegal waste dumping in the Red River, reported by Giao thông vận tải Magazine (Transportation Magazine).