Environment

Vietnam was enduring adverse affects to the environment after 25 years of economic development, said environmental experts.

The Australian government admits the Great Barrier Reef has been neglected for decades after a study showed it has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years.

Hanoi People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Xuan Viet has urged the city's Agriculture and Rural Development Department to finalise a plan to protect and develop forests in the expanded city.

A rare crocodile, believed to be a Siamese crocodile of the Crocodylus Siamensis species, and the last of its kind in Vietnam, was found dead in Phu Yen Province.

Vietnam will have a warmer and shorter winter this year, said an official.

Vietnam has outlined its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases emissions with the implementation of the Green Growth strategy, approved by the Prime Minister last week.

The Nhue and Day rivers in northern Ha Nam Province are being seriously polluted by waste water from craft villages, experts say.

Roughly 40 tonnes of trash and 70,000 cubic metres of sewage are being dumped into HCMC's rivers and canals daily, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment estimates.

A Japanese businessman has collected litter strewn around Hoan Kiem Lake during the weekend for over a year.

Over 100 million people will die by 2030 if the world fails to tackle climate change, a report commissioned by 20 governments said.

Producers of green materials including glass are encouraged to invest in Vietnam, said Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi at the 36th ASEAN Federation of Glass Manufacturers.

Serious erosion on the banks of the Red River has started to pose a threat to hundreds of households in Hanoi.

The central highlands has lost approximately 130,000 hectares forest over the past five years.

The rapid industrialisation and economic development of Vietnam over the last 25 years has created a negative impact on the environment, said a local official.

A lot of Vietnamese people, especially officer workers, have been putting flowerpots in their rooms or at the offices which they believe can help dispose of toxic gas.

The Arctic sea ice just hit its lowest extent since measurements began in the 1970s, raising the question of when Arctic summer sea ice will disappear for good.

Serious environmental polluters may be fined up to VND2 billion ($95,240) – almost four times the present level, said a local official.

State management agencies are trying to tighten the control over bear captivity establishments before absolutely eliminating the establishments.

Kaolin mining is destroying tea fields in Bao Loc in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.