By: lediemquynh
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On December 19, 2024, IUCN organised a consultation workshop on the mangrove restoration project in Ca Mau. The project is a 3-year partnership between IUCN, Hyundai Motor Company, and Good Neighbors International (GNI) to restore mangroves in the Mekong Delta on privately owned shrimp farms (red book).
In November 2023, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 8914 assigning the Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) to be the government focal point and to work with IUCN on project approval.
The consultation was an opportunity to inform shrimp farmers and government officials of the project goal and strategy. During group discussions, participants identified opportunities and challenges for mangrove restoration on private farms. These showed that while farmers are interested in how to increase the productivity of mangrove polyculture models, officials are concerned about how to increase mangroves.
One solution is that farmers commit to planting and protecting Avicennia mangroves for at least five years if they can thin the trees frequently to feed shrimp. Truong Minh Thuan, Vice-Head of the Sub-DARD in Nam Can District, said that Avicennia leaves are popular natural shrimp food in extensive farms with a salinity level of 10-25 per thousand due to their fast decomposition. The sub-DARD has issued Decision No. 67 to plant Avicennia in extensive shrimp farms to improve productivity, which has been strongly supported by local farmers.
Mangrove planting on shrimp farms in protection or production forests (green book) is almost entirely Rhizophora because it is easy to plant and produces high-value timber, which is harvested on a 15-year cycle.
By: lediemquynh
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By: lediemquynh
Comments: 0
On November 22, 2023, IUCN and representatives of TCP Group Thailand and Vietnam as well as VietCycle Company had a meeting and visited an aggregator and AC&T Vina aluminum recycling plant under the project “TCP moving towards Circular Economy and promoting EPR practices in Vietnam”.
Aiming at piloting the collection and recycling of aluminum, PET plastic and carton papers according to EPR regulations, the project will contribute to identify problems and opportunities for businesses in EPR implementation.
From October 2022 to October 2023, the project collected 91.3 tons of above packaging waste, of which 45 tons were recycled. The remaining amount of packaging waste will be recycled according to EPR regulations in the coming months.
By: lediemquynh
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On November 16, 2023, Vietnam Circular Economy Forum 2023: “Develop the National Action Plan on Circular Economy in Viet Nam (NAPCE)” was held in Hanoi by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. VB4E is pleased to be one of the partners of the Forum.
The forum had the participation of Government Leaders, ministries/sectors, development partners, private sector and CSOs. The goal of the Forum is to discuss the roadmap for implementing circular economy in Vietnam to achieve the goals of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
Two members of VB4E, TH Group and INTRACO Company, participated in two thematic sessions presenting on (1) Implementing ESG in TH Group’s development strategy and (2) Carbon market potential in Vietnam: A case study in the energy sector.
Director of Sustainable Development of TH Group, Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh Thuy, shared her thought: “Applying ESG in development strategies and circular economy models – green economy as one of the components of sustainable development is the direction of TH Group since its establishment. Currently, with the Government strengthening legal frameworks towards environmental protection and green growth together with consumer trends which increasingly support environmentally friendly brands and products, TH is very happy to have more support and companionship on this difficult but inevitable path.”
At the third thematic session in Vietnam Circular Economy Forum 2023, Mr. Hoang Anh Dung – Director of INTRACO Vietnam, shared the experience of a leading carbon credit developer and provider in Vietnam through its project implemented to award energy-saving stoves, helping the company convert 4.5 million carbon credits annually. Currently, Intraco has agreed to provide free energy-saving stoves and water filtration equipment to poor households in villages across Vietnam. Up to now, the first kitchen project successfully implemented in Vietnam has achieved an impressive number which is about 850,000 energy-saving stoves and 364,000 water filtration devices have been delivered to people.
In addition, VB4E also displayed CE model products from VB4E members and partners such as Keep Viet Nam Clean, VSF, Lagom, DHI, CRES in the CE exhibition.
By: lediemquynh
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On 26-28 September 2023, IUCN collaborated with Lang Sen Wetland Nature Reserve (NR) to organise a nature and art event on the theme “I love wetlands in Lang Sen” at the Vinh Chau A, Vinh Loi, and the Vinh Dai Primary & Secondary Schools in Long An Province. The aim was to educate and raise awareness of students living in the buffer zone of Lang Sen on wetlands conservation.
In 2015, Lang Sen Wetland NR was recognized as Viet Nam’s seventh Ramsar site (a wetland of global importance) and the 2,227th in the world. The three buffer zone communes of Vinh Chau A, Vinh Dai, and Vinh Loi in Tan Hung District, cover 5,000 hectares of some of the last remaining seasonally flooded grasslands in the entire Dong Thap Muoi area.
The event, which was part of a 2-year project funded by PAN Group and CP Group to plant 17 hectares of melaleuca forest in the NR, included a painting contest using acrylics on canvas in each school. Painting on canvas using acrylics is a much more sophisticated, technically complex, and long lasting medium than the crayons on paper that schoolchildren usually use.
More than 500 students and 60 teachers joined the event along with representatives of PAN, CP, IUCN, and the media.
At the painting contest, 10 prizes were announced in each school: one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes, and four consolation prizes. The winner of the first prize in each school will participate in a larger canvas painting to exhibit at the NR office.
“I painted sarus cranes as I enjoyed them and would like to show the beauty of living creatures in wetlands. I hope to convey the message of protecting wildlife to our community” said Vo Thi My Duyen, a 9th grade student in Vinh Chau A who won first prize. Ha Bao Chau, a 7th grade student, shared “I am excited to learn how to mix acrylic color and paint on canvas materials”. She won the second prize for a painting of a lotus field in full bloom.
This is the first time these students have used acrylics on canvas, which they quickly mastered to paint colourful pictures showing the beauty of natural wetlands and native species such as lotus and sarus cranes. The students also learned about wetland ecosystems by answering quizzes on educational videos.
Through art, students can absorb and share knowledge on the Mekong Delta’s wetlands in creative and interactive ways and, hopefully, contribute to wetlands conservation in the long run.
By: lediemquynh
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Within the framework of the VB4E, from 2021 – 2022, Cat Ba National Park and IUCN have implemented the program “Coral reefs monitoring in Cat Ba National Park to propose effective management and conservation measures” sponsored by TH Food Chain JSC (THFC).
After 2 years of implementing the coral reef monitoring program at 03 area: Gio Cung, Van Ta and Ba Dinh, the results showed that coral reefs health is at medium level, the average coverage is on slow rise with positive growth. Coral reef species in some areas are at a low biodiversity with no changes for two years.
Indicator species have very low presence, especially fish although large size sea urchins are common in almost areas. Coral bleaching appears in Pocilloporidae. Some major impacts for coral reef ecosystems are made by aquaculture, fisheries, tourism and marine litter.
Through the coral reef monitoring, Cat Ba National Park (NP) has proposed a number of measures to effectively conserve coral in this area from macro to micro such as: establishing Cat Ba MPA, monitoring closely marine ecosystems and marine resources; develop an artificial coral breeding model to serve the regeneration and revival of declining corals; continue monitoring activities; set up a protective zoning system with warnings.
In 2023, through VB4E, THFC discussed with Cat Ba National Park on proposed coral conservation measures and agreed to support in establishing a mooring buoys system to protect the coral reef ecosystem. In September 2023, Cat Ba National Park anchored the phase 1 of buoys in the Van Ta and Ba Dinh areas. In the near future, the remaining buoys will continue to be released in the Gio Cung area.
The mooring buoys will be handed over to local Forest Ranger stations in Cat Ba National Park for management and protection. Local Forest Ranger officers will patrol and control in buoyed 04 times/month and report monthly. The number of mooring buoys will be maintained once a year, including cleaning of oysters, barnacles and parasitic organisms and repaint the rope and system; replace and reinstall the wire and the system in the correct numerical order.
Setting up an mooring buoy system will warn ships not to anchor in coral-protecting ecological areas and directly to the seabed, in order to protect the coral reef ecosystem and other marine life within the area. Fishing facilities and tourism services determine the boundaries of the coral-protecting ecological areas in Cat Ba National Park.
In addition, the mooring buoy system also helps identify coral reefs division areas in Cat Ba National Park, supporting the management, protection and conservation of marine biodiversity. Therefore, create favourable conditions for patrol, examine and handle law violations related to marine conservation of Cat Ba National Park. Also, limit illegal fishing to the lowest in coral-protecting ecological areas.
By: lediemquynh
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HRK Group has become an outreach member of VB4E.
HRK Group is a business focused on biodegradable packaging and single-use products.
HRK’s technology focuses on biodegradable, compostable and 100% water-soluble biopolymers to create innovative packaging as well as single-use items.
The goal is to be able to completely decompose in a short time after use and not create chemicals and microplastics that are harmful to humans in the future.
For more information, please visit: https://www.hrk-group.com/
By: lediemquynh
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Mangroves play an important role in mitigating global warming due to the ability of absorbing carbon five times more than tropical rainforests and conserve biodiversity by providing natural habitats. However, because of rapid development of tourist attractions and the development of shrimp farms, more than half of the mangrove area is disappearing.
On September 5 – 6, 2023, IUCN representatives participate in the “Rooting for resilience: Mangrove Restoration in the Mekong Delta collaboration Meet-up” organized by social enterprise Manglub, which took place at Tra Vinh City. Manglub is also a member of the VB4E project coordinated by IUCN. The meet-up presented some of Vietnam’s environmental policies and climate crisis; shared strategies for restoring mangrove forests in Tra Vinh province; forms of mangrove restoration by companies to discuss solutions to overcome the climate crisis. The meet-up was organized by social enterprise Manglub – an outreach member of the VB4E project.
Since 2018, Manglub began receiving funding from SK oil and alternative energy group (Korea) through SK Innovation and SK Earthon. Up to now, Manglub has planted 727,000 mangrove trees including “Rhizophoraceae” and “Sonneratia caseolaris” on an area of 193 hectares in two provinces of Tra Vinh and Soc Trang. In addition, within the framework of the “Seeds for Sea” program, SK innovation representatives donated 2,000 “Intsia bijuga” to the locality.
As an organization working in the field of wetland conservation, IUCN has been supporting mangrove restoration initiatives as a Nature-based Solution (NbS) because of the ability to absorb CO2, retains sediment, offsets sea level rise and protects against natural disasters. In addition, mangrove forests also provide biodiversity and abundant living resources for coastal communities.
By: lediemquynh
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New member announcement – AirX Joint Stock Company
AirX Joint Stock Company has become an outreach member of VB4E.
AirX is a brand belonging to Veritas Vietnam Joint Stock Company which focuses on developing products from coffee bioplastics. Their goal is to completely replace the traditional plastics in all fields such as civil use and packaging, construction, engineering.
AirX is inspired by coffee grounds, a byproduct of the world’s most popular graphics manufacturing process.
For more information, please visit: https://airxcarbon.com/about
By: lediemquynh
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New member announcement – DHI VIETNAM LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
DHI VIETNAM LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY has become an outreach member of VB4E.
Established in 1964 with 1100 employees, DHI Viet Nam has operated in VN since 2007. They focus on water and PWM. Currently, the company is providing technical support for Global Partnership for Marine Litter (GPML). This is a digital platform which is useful for plastic waste management: track the plastic leakage sources, flow and forecast the hotspots in the world and Viet Nam for a long and short period.
DHI Group can be considered as an expert in the field of water environment with 50 years of dedicated research and practical experience from more than 140 countries. From flood prevention to water management, oil spill forecasting to weather control strategies, DHI has a suite of customized business applications tailored to customer requirements. In addition, DHI has a time-optimization and management platform to customize your business in making important water-related decisions to optimize planning, operations and control through a powerful integration of modeling technology and data analytics.
For more information, please visit: www.dhigroup.com
