A rural road in Lương Tâm Commune in Hậu Giang Province’s Long Mỹ District is beautified with flowers and trees. – VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Thái

HẬU GIANG – Hậu Giang Province has effectively implemented its Green Hậu Giang project, significantly improving waste treatment efforts, raising public awareness of environmental protection, and helping to reduce pollution from household and agricultural activities.

More than four years since the launch of the Green Hậu Giang project to 2025, with a vision to 2030, more than 97 per cent of households in the province have received information on environmental protection.

Over 93 per cent of domestic waste is now properly collected and treated, while more than 96 per cent of aquaculture households and 97 per cent of livestock farms manage waste in accordance with environmental standards.

More than 77 per cent of roads and over 90 per cent of parks are now covered with green plants.

In the cities of Vị Thanh and Ngã Bảy, residents voluntarily pay rubbish collection fees (ranging from VNĐ10,000-60,000 per household per month), supporting the operation of local sanitation teams. Various initiatives, including ecological gardens, flower-lined streets, and religious groups engaged in environmental protection, have also expanded.

The Women's Union, the Farmers’ Association, and Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union at all levels in the province have actively mobilised residents to separate waste at source through creative models such as “Swap waste for plants, gifts or essential items,” “Our household bin,” and “Anti-litter volunteer teams”.

In 2021-24, the total budget for implementing the project reached nearly VNĐ988 billion (US$38.1 million), with over VNĐ925 billion coming from social contributions, mainly through the Hậu Giang waste-to-energy plant.

The project aims for all solid waste to be collected and properly sorted, all main roads to be planted with trees, and every commune and ward to have standardised waste collection points by 2030.

To implement the project more effectively, the province has identified five priority solutions, including boosting advocacy activities and assigning environmental responsibility to each household.

The province is tightening measures to address environmental violations, ensuring transparency and public disclosure in handling such infractions throughout the province.

It continues to attract investment and expand international cooperation in the fields of environmental protection and green urban development.

It also plans to build eco-friendly urban areas, promote organic farming, integrate environmental education into schools, and enhance environmental management capacity at the grassroots level.

Managing charcoal production

Hậu Giang has launched the project “Environmental control in charcoal production areas” since August 2023 to curb pollution, protect the environment, and stabilise local livelihoods.

As of March 2025, there are 1,288 active charcoal kilns across the province. Châu Thành District accounts for the majority with 906 kilns, while Ngã Bảy City has 382.

After the project was approved by the Hậu Giang People’s Committee, relevant departments and local authorities developed detailed implementation plans. These included producing 4,608 handbooks, broadcasting three dedicated TV programmes, installing nine promotional billboards, and delivering two radio segments addressing pollution from charcoal production.

Ngã Bảy City and Châu Thành District held five direct communication sessions, attended by around 300 households.

The outreach efforts have been considered practical and effective, helping residents gradually recognise the harmful effects of charcoal smoke on health and living environments, especially for children.

The provincial People’s Committee plans to issue a roadmap this year to handle violations related to non-compliant kilns, introduce support policies for charcoal making households who voluntarily cease production, strictly prevent new kiln establishments, and promote advocacy activities to support clean employment opportunities and healthy living conditions.

By 2030, Hậu Giang aims to gradually shut down at least 53 per cent of kilns in Ngã Bảy City and 74 per cent in Châu Thành District, with the ultimate goal of completely eliminating all charcoal production kilns across the province.

Speaking at a seminar to review the implementation of the Green Hậu Giang project and the project “Environmental control in charcoal production areas” held on May 15, Trần Chí Hùng, deputy chairman of the province People’s Committee, urged departments, agencies, and local authorities to maintain and expand the effective models already implemented under the two projects.

Departments, agencies, and local authorities should review and update support policies to encourage businesses to invest in environmental protection, the circular economy and renewable energy.

The Hậu Giang Fatherland Front Committee and other political-social organisations should further strengthen advocacy activities, helping people develop green lifestyles and sustainable consumption habits, and join hands in protecting the environment, starting from the smallest actions, he said. – VNS