Environment Programs in Vietnam

Dying rivers from industrial pollution, worseningair quality in cities and industrial zones, untreatedsolid waste and biodiversity loss are all increasinglyvisible, damaging public health and impactingsocio-economic development. Moreover, Vietnamis also one of the countries in the world mostimpacted by natural disasters and the effects ofclimate change.

International and domestic efforts to addressenvironmental degradation and climate changehave increased markedly in recent years. Muchsupport has been devoted to building the capacityof Vietnam’s environmental agencies, formulatingnational plans, and reforming environmental poli-cies, laws, and regulations. Yet excessive relianceon centralized, top-down approaches, weakenforcement, and inadequate civil society andcommunity participation remain long-standingchallenges. Greater public environmental consciousness is needed to transform the environ-mental practice of society and the state.

THE ASIA FOUNDATION IN VIETNAM

For the last decade The Asia Foundation has supported Vietnamese partners in government,the private sector, and civil society to research andanalyze environment and climate change issues,support development and the implementation ofmore effective policies, build public-private part-

nerships to address environmental problems, andengage the public in environmental protection.The Foundation has invested in the younger generation as future environmentalists and agentsof change. Given the extraordinary potentialimpact of climate change on Vietnam, theFoundation highlights and integrates climatechange issues as much possible into all of ourenvironment programs.

THE FOUNDATION WORKS IN S IX KEY AREAS:• Community-based environment management• Capacity building for environment agencies andNGOs

• Public consultation and advocacy on environ-ment laws and policies

• Environment education• Youth and the environment• Disaster risk management

COMMUNITY-BASED ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENTBringing affected citizens, community groups,national and local governments, and businessestogether to jointly establish and implement solu-tions to environmental problems is challengingbut critical. The Foundation’s environmental projects utilize community-based environmentmanagement (CBEM) approaches with recentmulti-stakeholder programs including partnering

From one of the five poorest countries in the world in 1985, Vietnam has emerged as one of the world’sfastest growing economies, with an average per capita income of more than $1,000. However, such arapid economic growth, coupled with a growing population and intense exploitation of natural resources,is straining Vietnam’s environment to the limit.

The Foundation

supports Vietnamese

efforts to generate

constructive debates

about governance

practices, increase public

participation in policy

dialogues, and

support the country’s

sustainable development.

The Asia Foundation

has been

supporting Vietnam’s

transformation since

1993 through a

network of committed

partners in government,

the private sector,

and civil society and

an office in Hanoi

since 2000.

VIETNAM

with committed NGOs in addressing water pol-lution and waste management around the To LichRiver in Hanoi.

CAPACITY BUILDING FOR ENVIRONMENTAGENCIES AND NGOS The Foundation supports sharing of global andregional experiences in environment and climatechange policies and best practices for staff of keyenvironment agencies and NGOs. We also workto professionalize environment CSOs throughstrengthening their organizational developmentand financial management, and increasing theirskills in public participation mobilization andpublic advocacy through training and networkinginitiatives.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND ADVOCACY ONENVIRONMENT LAWS AND POLICIESWe support NGOs to carry out policy researchand public consultation on issues related to theenvironment and climate change. Public consulta-tions take many forms, from expert workshops toweb-based campaigns and media roundtables toraise public awareness. These remain very newpractices in Vietnam, but Vietnamese NGOs aregaining experience through practice. Results areused to engage government agencies and theNational Assembly in policy dialogue.

ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION Given the rapid pace of environmental degrada-tion and serious impacts of climate change, soci-ety needs to be conscious of the impact of theirown practices and behavior. It is not surprisingthat many citizens are overwhelmed by the scopeof the environmental challenges the country isfacing. However, the Foundation and its partnersbelieve that when citizens see themselves as agents

of change they are capable of transforming theirneighborhoods and workplaces.

The Foundation and its partners seek to trans-form environment education in Vietnam. We arepiloting interactive and experiential learningmethodologies in schools and practical steps forenvironmental protection that will increase theenvironmental awareness of children and throughthem, their parents, and their communities.

YOUTH AND THE ENVIRONMENTThe Foundation provides assistance to committedgroups of young Vietnamese to develop their ownenvironmental projects, campaigns, and networks.We strengthen the organization, programs, andnetworks of environmental youth clubs. We help to empower young environmentalists tobring their ideas to fruition, and to learn how toengage effectively with communities, business,and government.

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENTDisaster risk management (DRM) has tended to focus on government capacity or vulnerablepopulations. Little attention is paid to businesses;critical players in community resilience and animportant part of the socio-economic life of communities. Vietnamese small and mediumenterprises (SMEs) contribute substantially toemployment generation and economic growth.They are also greatly impacted by natural disas-ters and the consequences of climate change. TheFoundation’s work in DRM creatively links SMEswith government and community groups toincrease disaster preparedness and improveresponse. We provide DRM knowledge andexpertise to SMEs and business associations andsupport local DRM innovations.

HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) 392-8863info@asiafound.org

WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) 588-9409info@asiafound-dc.org

VIETNAM#10-03 Prime Centre53 Quang Trung StreetHanoi, VietnamTel: 84 (4) 3943-3263tafvn@asiafound.org

www.asiafoundation.org

08/2011

The Asia Foundation is

a private, non-profit,

non-governmental

organization. Through

its programs, the

Foundation builds

leadership, improves

policies, and strengthens

institutions to foster

greater openness and

shared prosperity in the

Asia-Pacific region. It is

funded by contributions

from corporations,

foundations, individuals,

and governmental

organizations in the

U.S., Europe, Canada,

Australia, and Asia, and

an annual appropriation

from the U.S. Congress.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

• Foundation support has assisted many environmental NGOs to carry out public consulta-tion and policy dialogues on key laws and policies, from the Tourism and Law onEnvironment Protection in 2005 to the Law on Environmental Protection Tax in 2010.

• The Foundation is supporting the Ministry of Education to pilot integration of the environ-ment into school activities at 10 primary schools in Hanoi, reaching 6,000 students.

• The Foundation is working with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, relevantgovernment agencies, and NGOs to provide support to SMEs to improve their disastermanagement and response in three provinces in storm-prone central areas of the country.