Environment

Vietnam lost more than 3,000ha of its forest cover in 2012, a year-end review conference heard last week.

20 million people in 11 provinces and cities in the southern region are being affected by the worsening water pollution in the Dong Nai River.

Delegations from some 140 countries have agreed to adopt a ground-breaking treaty limiting the use of health-hazardous mercury, the Swiss foreign ministry said.

A lack of long-term strategic mechanisms has prevented Vietnam from tapping into the financial resources and technological assistance that are available from the global community to support countries dealing with climate change.

Five years since the Government established the Dong Nai River Environment Protection Committee, there is still no improvement in the quality of the water.

A T-shirt designing contest that raises people’s awareness of environmental protection has been launched in Hanoi.

The Prime Minister has asked local authorities to closely monitor hydropower projects nationwide to ensure the safety of local people.

An Australian researcher who discovered a new species of flying frog near HCM City in Vietnam and named it after her mother said it was a rare find so close to such a big city.

Hanoi began operating an incinerator, capable of burning 48 tonnes of industrial waste a day, in Nam Son waste treatment complex in Soc Son outlying district.

AIESEC Hanoi and Club 350 will jointly conduct a project to build awareness on climate change for students in Hanoi.

Dense smog shrouded Beijing on Saturday, with pollution at hazardous levels for a second day and residents advised to stay indoors, state media said.

Thousands of rare animals have been discovered being illegally kept captive in more than 300 households in southern Ca Mau Province.

Dong Nai Museum is showing over 1,000 fish facing extinction to raise people's awareness of the need for environmental protection.

The Vietnam Environment Administration announced the country's biggest polluters, after inspections last year revealed over 100 companies breaking environmental laws.

The Government has earmarked VND379 billion for two programmes this year to improve environment quality and the country's ability to cope with climate change.

Mali and Mauritania have become the latest countries to ban plastic bags in what appears to be a popular environmental gesture.

Waste from the mainland may be at fault for 70 per cent of marine pollution, according to the Sea and Islands General Administration of Vietnam.

Although the waste treatment plant at Hoa Phu in Vinh Long Province became operational at the beginning of this month, it is yet to open to business.

The sight of two dolphins twisting playfully in the murky waters of the Mekong river elicits barely stifled squeals of delight from a boatload of eco-tourists.