vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn  

HA NOI — Viet Nam’s strenuous efforts to tackle environmental pollution have failed to make a dent in this growing problem, a two-day conference heard this week.

Participants agreed that more work is needed to deal with waste, sewage and air pollution and rally the public’s support for environmental protection efforts.

Just 1 per cent of State budget funds are allocated to environmental activities, Pham Khoi Nguyen, the Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, told the conference on Tuesday.

And far too few people are actively involved in environmental protection.

Speakers singled out the treatment of hospital waste as a major problem, particularly as the State funds poured into the local health care sector do not cover waste management and disposal.

The pace of economic development is putting more pressure on health services and exacerbating the waste problem.

Viet Nam now has 800 hospitals, with more than 101,000 beds, producing an increasing amount of waste.

Environmentalists said the country has 46 incinerators that do not meet minimum standards for waste treatment and disposal.

Participants also warned that rural areas were at risk from industrial pollution.

The conference heard reports on environmental protection, new methods for treating domestic and industrial waste and new technologies for treating hospital waste.

The conference was co-organised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and French International Development Agency in Ha Noi. — VNS