The World Environment Day (June 5), launched by the UN Environment Programme, has been celebrated in Vietnam since 1982 and become a nationwide movement, helping raise public awareness of environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and climate change response. This year, the day is themed "Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”. All-level Party Committees and administrations in Hoa Binh province continue to view improving awareness, restoring land, and fighting drought and desertification as an indispensable part of the socio-economic development plan and an important task during the sustainable development process.
Young people in Chieng Chau commune, Mai Chau district, clean up a road to Lac village.
According to the provincial People’s Committee, natural disasters caused losses worth over 129 billion VND (5 million USD) in Hoa Binh in 2023. In particular, prolonged and widespread heat last year resulted in water levels of many local rivers and springs falling down to below the dead level. This situation may repeat in 2024 as the province’s hydro-meteorological station forecast strong heats will continue this summer, posing risk of widespread drought and water shortage.
Pham Thi Hoa, head of the environmental protection division, said risks of land erosion, drought, and desertification have never been so obvious like at present. This year’s World Environment Day is themed "Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience” to appeal to countries around the globe to work together to restore land, fight desertification, and improve drought resilience, thus slowing down climate change, protecting the nature, and improving livelihoods and food security for billions of people worldwide.
Viewing environmental protection as a foundation, focal factor, and prerequisite for sustainable economic development, Hoa Binh is pressing on with comprehensive solutions to protect the environment and cope with climate change.
In particular, it is stepping up the implementation of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection and the document guiding the implementation of the law; the Government and the province’s programmes, resolutions, decisions, and directives on active response to climate change, environmental protection, and greenhouse gas emission reduction; measures for responding to heat, drought, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion; along with carbon credit management.
Local authorities are reviewing and monitoring the land environment quality; building and implementing plans to treat and restore polluted land areas; and devising measures for prenventing and minimising drought and desertification.
Coordination is being enhanced among all-level authorities, sectors, and localities while conditions are created for locals to access anti-drought and desertification information and techniques.
Efforts are being stepped up to protect and develop forests, efficiently use land resources, develop livelihoods for residents in desertifying areas and those at risk of desertification. Advanced solutions are also being considered and applied to efficiently use water resources and protect land surface.
Besides, Hoa Binh is working to improve public awareness. It identifies land restoration and drought and desertification prevention as an indispensable part of the socio-economic development plan and also an important task during the sustainable development process.
The province will also expand effective models of land restoration and drought and desertification prevention, especially in the areas directly affected by natural phenomena.
The people in Hoa Binh province are aware of the need to build and preserve the cultural traditions and unique customs of their communities, especially those related to ethnic identities and family values which serve as foundation for a vibrant, tradition-rich Hoa Binh, enriching community life. In recent years, the province’s Party Committee, authorities, and residents have paid heed to building and developing family values and fostering human standards in the new era.
The festival of great national solidarity and culture in 2024 was held at the communal house of Da Bac district on November 5. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Toan and leaders of departments and sectors attended the event.
The Labor Federation of Da Bac district has focused on protecting workers' rights while actively participating in patriotic emulation movements to enhance the creativity and productivity of the local workforces across agencies, organisations and enterprises.
In recent years, the Women's Union of Yen Thuy district has actively contributed to the implementation of the National Target Program on building new the rural areas. The Union's activities not only help raise awareness of environmental protection for the members, the women, and the people but they also contribute to improving the appearance of rural areas and improving the quality of life.
The model of intergenerational self-help club (ISC) has been expanded in Mai Chau district over recent times, contributing to sharing and motivating the disadvantaged people, especially the elderly, to improve their lives.
Following President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings that emulation is patriotism, patriotism requires emulation, the trade union at all levels in Hoa Binh has effectively implemented patriotism emulation movements, especially the "effective, creative working” movement. Responding to the movement, local workers, public servants, and officials have proposed many creative and applicable ideas, helping spread the movement to all agencies, units, and businesses.
