In order to prevent more effectively marine environment pollution, the Prime Minister on May 11 issued Decision No. 798/QD-TTg, promulgating the plan on implementation of the Strategy for sustainable exploitation and use of marine resources and protection of marine environment through 2020, with a vision toward 2030.
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| Mass fish deaths pollute Quang Binh beaches__Photo: Internet |
Under the plan, functional agencies are tasked to implement waste management programs and projects; control polluting sources from land and at-sea activities; intensify investigation of sea environment protection in urban areas, industrial parks, export processing zones, aquaculture and aquatic product processing zones as well as commercial and services activities along the coast; make lists of identified polluters and work out plans to handle them; and conduct general surveillance of marine natural resources and environment of Vietnam.
The Prime Minister also requests related ministries and sectors to survey and assess environmental risks of businesses in important sea lagoons and bays to serve the economic development and environmental protection; list natural resource exploiting and using activities harmful to marine and island environment; organize strategic environmental assessment for development strategies and plans; and inspect and certify the satisfaction of environmental requirements by coastal projects before they are permitted to commence operation.
The plan also pays attention to building the capacity of forecasting, warning, preventing and controlling natural disasters, climate change impacts, sea level rise, seawater infiltration in favor of socio-economic development of coastal areas and islands.
In light of this, hydro-meteorological and marine environment stations will be built or upgraded, especially those in the Mekong River Delta provinces. Sea dikes from Quang Ninh to Quang Nam province and from Quang Ngai to Kien Giang province will also be reinforced.
A natural resources and environment database will be built to provide grounds for ministries, sectors and localities to prepare their plans on exploitation and use of marine resources and response to climate change.-(VLLF)
