Improve knowledge on environmental protection

Speaking at the event, Prof. Dr. Le Van Trinh, Chairman of The Vietnam Association of Science and Technology for Occupational Safety and Health, said that currently under VUSTA, there’re 63 local associations, 86 specialized associations and more than 400 affiliated science and technology organizations with a half of million members.

Head of Communication and Knowledge Dissemination Department of VUSTA

Le Thanh Tung speaks at the workshop

In the field of environmental protection, VUSTA member associations have basic roles such as mobilizing their members to implement legal provisions on the rights and obligations of citizens in environmental protection; formulating guidelines, policies, plans and regulations on environmental protection; participating in consultation, social questioning, monitoring and detection of violations of the law on environmental protection; and disseminating, communicating and educating the law on environmental protection.

Head of the Communication and Knowledge Dissemination Department of VUSTA Le Thanh Tung said that in the period of 2018 - 2021, VUSTA coordinated and supported 120 member associations with total budget of more than VND 7.3 billion to carry out knowledge dissemination within their organizations. Up to this point, VUSTA system has organized more than 40,000 seminars, roundtable discussions and training for 13 million people across industries, fields and regions, especially in the field of environmental protection.

According to Mr. Le Thanh Tung, every year, performing the role of focal point agency, orientation and support to promote knowledge dissemination, improve the role and contribution of member associations in the whole system, VUSTA's leaders issue guidelines to its member associations. On that basis, VUSTA established advisory councils on the content and form of disseminating knowledge for member associations.

Pham Thi My, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Health and Environment, shared new points in the Law on Environmental Protection in 2022, which are: The residential community is regulated as a subject in environmental protection; Increase information disclosure, consultation, promote the role of supervision and questioning, and at the same time, ensure the rights and interests of communities when participating in environmental protection.

Change the environmental management method for investment projects according to environmental criteria; strictly control projects with high risk of adverse impacts on the environment, carry out post-checks for projects with advanced and environmentally friendly technologies; reduce administrative procedures. The content of environmental health has been regulated; added many solutions to protect environmental components, especially air and water environment. Promote segregation of waste at source; orient how to manage and treat waste, contributing to promoting the circular economy in Vietnam...

However, according to Dr. Tran Van Mieu, Vice Chairman of The Vietnam Association for the Protection of Nature and Environment, in fact, staff in many localities, including VUSTA, do not have timely access to information and viewpoints of the Party and the State's regulations on environmental protection and response to climate change; lack of knowledge, experience and skills in mass mobilization. The work of social questioning, inspection and supervision of environmental protection is still limited.

Reality shows that, if officials want to complete their assigned tasks, it is important to have full awareness and knowledge, experience and skills to participate in activities of environmental protection and response to climate change. Therefore, it is necessary and urgent to strengthen communication and knowledge dissemination for staff of member associations in the system of VUSTA.

The workshop

Accordingly, VUSTA should deliver more training courses and train lecturers for its member associations. Alongside, it is necessary to regularly organize seminars with member associations; develop topics on social questioning and assessment on the dissemination of environmental protection knowledge; organize annual forums on environmental protection, etc.