Hanoi pleases nature lovers
Vietnam's environment could be the big winner in an upcoming cabinet
reshuffle. Word has leaked out that Hanoi may set up a new Ministry of
Environment and Natural Resources to focus responsibility and end the
struggle over various environmental projects now scattered among several
ministries. Both local and foreign environmentalists are cheered by the
news, which is expected to be confirmed on August 5 by the national
assembly, Vietnam's highest legislative body.
"We're all pretty ecstatic
about it," says Craig Leisher, programme director in Vietnam for the
World
Wide Fund for Nature. "It will help improve the balance between
protecting
and exploiting resources," adds Tran Van Nhan, director of the Vietnam
Cleaner Production Centre in Hanoi. With foreign donors shifting their
focus
to protection of marine resources, it's worth noting that the front
runner
for the new ministerial post is Mai Ai Truc, Communist Party secretary
of
the central coastal province of Binh Dinh, where new efforts are under
way
to guard precious coral reefs and other sea life.
The Far Eastern Economic Review - July 25, 2002.
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