South Korea wishes to promote cooperation with Vietnam in the field of environment, especially in waste treatment and energy production, Park Jung Jun, deputy director of South Korea's Ministry of Environment's Environmental Industry and Economy Division said at at a seminar on June 12.The seminar was held on the sidelines of the 11th International Exhibition on Environmental Technology, Energy and Environmentally-friendly Products (ENTECH Vietnam 2019), which takes place in Ho Chi Minh City from June 12-14. The three-day event offers opportunities for local and foreign manufacturers to showcase their environmental and energy technologies, and environmentally-friendly products and services.
Deputy general director of VEA Nguyen Hung Thinh speaks at the seminar which addresses the use of advanced technology in waste and energy treatment. Photo: Nguyen Quynh
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Park Jung Jun noted that South Korea has overcome several environmental issues despite rapid economic growth. As of 2017, South Korea executed 377 environmental cooperation projects in 82 countries, including Vietnam.
Choi Dae Kyung, vice mayor in charge of Busan city’s environmental policy said this is the time when countries and cities around the world need to cooperate, share solutions and waste treatment technology to jointly handle waste issues.
South Korea and Vietnam are cooperating in the field of environment and waste treatment. For the cooperation to be successful, the governments as well as local authorities need to implement appropriate policies and support, Choi Dae Kyung noted.
Nguyen Hung Thinh, deputy general director of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA), said the fast-growing economy and population growth pose significant challenges in waste management and treatment.
According to Thinh, urban areas dump about 38,000 tons of solid waste per day and only 85% of those are treated, while rural areas discharge 32,000 tons, of which just 40-55% are collected.
Vietnam's current technology in treating waste mostly relies on burial or burning. Only 30% of the existing landfills meet green standards, while most of the nearly 300 incinerators nationwide are small-scaled. There are only about 30 facilities producing organic fertilizers from waste at present, Thinh pointed out.
Thus, he stressed that selecting a waste treatment model suitable for Vietnam's development conditions remains a challenge for local authorities.
