HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN VIETNAM

Prof. Nguyen Huy Nga, PhD.Director GeneralHealth Environment Management AgencyMinistry of Health of VietnamHead, Faculty of Environmental Health and Occupational Health – Hanoi School of Public Health

Overview

Introduction of challenges and risks Policies and regulations of Vietnam on HIA Institutionalization of HIA in Vietnam Activities on HIA have been done in Vietnam

VIETNAM IN BRIEF

Location: Southeast Asia, bordering China,

Laos, and Cambodia Population: around

86,000,000 ranked 13th among the most populous countries in the world

Density: 244 p/km2 Growth rate: 1.1% Nationalities: 54

East Sea

China

Lao

Cambodia

RAPID INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

Cement factories in each province with foreign investment

Ships building New seaports and airports Mining: coal, titan, gold, iron, bauxite Nuclear power plants Consequences: environment damage, soil

pollution, air pollution, water pollution

AIR POLLUTION

RAPID TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

More resorts and golf courts More beachs and hotels Migration of people to work in tourism

industry Environment damage Spreading of communicable diseases

ENVIRONMENT DAMAGE BY TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT DAMAGE BY TOURISM

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT THE NEW PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN

IN VIETNAM

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION BY CHEMICALS

“Orange agents” – dioxin as consequence on the Vietnam war.

Intensive use of pesticides in agriculture Dischages from chemical plants Discharge from industry

River FloodingRiver Flooding

Flash floodsFlash floods

TyphoonsTyphoons

Natural Disasters in Vietnam

Storm SurgesStorm Surges

Not on map:• Droughts• Salt water intrusion• Forest fire

River floods

Tornadoes

Hurricanes

Storm surges

Natural disasters in Vietnam

Impacts of climate change in Vietnam

- In Vietnam, over the past 50 years the average temperature has increased 0.7 degrees C per year; sea level has gone up to 20cm. El Nino and La Nina has been causing more and more serious impacts to Vietnam. Climate change has led to complex development in storms, floods, droughts.- If sea level rises 1m, around 10.8% of the population in Vietnam will be affected. If it rises 5m, around 16% of land surface and 35% of the population will be affected. It is calculated that in 2010 average temperature in Vietnam may going up to 30C and sea level may rise 1m, which causes annual floods in areas of 40,000 km2 .

Flooding

Mood cleaning after flooding

DISINFECTION OF MARKET PLACE AFTER FLOODING

Closer contact between human and poultryis one of the reasons avian influenza (H5N1) occurs

CLOSER HUMAN AND ANIMAL CONTACT: ZOONOSIS: NIPAH, RABIES, …

Policies and regulations on HIA

The Law on Environment Protection issued in 1993 and the Decree of Vietnam government guiding implementation of the Law regulated HIA as a part of EIA.

However, there was no guideline on HIA in Vietnam so that HIA was not implemented comprehensively. It mainly concentrated on assessing impacts on worker health.

Policies and regulations on HIA

The Law on Environment Protection issued in 2005, replacing the Law issued in 1993, don’t regulate HIA as a part of environment impact assessment. However, the Decree No. 29/2011/ND-CP guiding implementation of the Law regulates some articles relating to HIA as parts of Enviromental Impact Assessment report.

Policies and regulations on HIA

The Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases issued in 2007 regulates that HIA must be done for projects on building industrial zones, cities, health care facilities for infectious patients.

Institutionalization of HIA in Vietnam

Health Environment Agency, a new department of MOH which was established in May 2010, is the focal point for HIA.

The Agency is the official coordinator of HIA network in VN. In addition, it is responsible for:

- developing regulations on HIA- developing a national action plan on HIA in VN;

- developing technical guidelines for HIA.

Activities on HIA have been done

A training course on HIA for MOH staff (2005), Development of curriculum for Training-of Trainers (ToT)

courses (2006), A ToT course (2007), A technical workshop on HIA guidelines (2007), MOH with support from WHO, Asian Development Bank

implemented a pilot HIA on the project of Song Bung 4 Hydroelectric plant (Quang Nam province) in 2007.

A HIA workshop (2008) Two provincial courses on intersectoral HIA (2008). Two provincial courses on intersectoral HIA (2011).

Thank you for your attention