Environment

Over the past years, Quang Ngai Province has implemented a number of policies prioritising medicinal plant development in association with biodiversity conservation and forest protection. With appropriate solutions and orientations, the province strives to become a national key medicinal plant-growing region and a major medicinal plant production centre of the country by 2035.

Biodiversity conservation in the Van Long–Kim Bang–Tam Chuc area of Ninh Binh is vital to the survival of the Delacour’s langur, a critically endangered primate.

The 2026 rainy and flood season is approaching. As heavy rains can cause reservoir water levels to rise rapidly, increasing pressure on structures and downstream areas, Khanh Hoa is proactively reviewing and reinforcing dams and reservoirs and completing operating plans, with the goal of controlling risks at an early stage and protecting the safety of structures as well as the lives and property of local residents.

Growing energy demand means it is no longer enough simply to ensure adequate supply; every unit of energy must also be used efficiently. In this context, science, technology, and innovation are opening up new approaches: accurately measuring consumption, identifying waste, optimising operations, and gradually transforming the way energy is produced and used.

From cassava starch, avocado seeds, and seaweed to rice husks, a range of domestic by-products are being researched for use in films, plastic pellets, and bioplastic packaging. While some products have successfully transitioned out of the laboratory, scaling up production hinges on establishing clear standards, competitive prices, and reliable markets.

Hue City is reviewing its personnel, equipment, supplies, and plans for evacuation and rescue operations ahead of the rainy and flood season. The city is urging local authorities and residents to make early preparations, particularly regarding the ability to sustain themselves during the initial days of a disaster.

Authorities urged residents in the eight provinces and cities - Son La, Phu Tho, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An - to remain alert for a high risk of flash floods and landslides on September 17.

Lam Dong has more than 192km of coastline, along with a territorial sea area of 52,000km², providing favourable conditions for the development of marine aquaculture. As the local sea area has no large, sheltered bays and the coastline is exposed to complex waves and winds, many localities are switching from wooden cages to durable HDPE cages, enhancing resilience, reducing risks, and gradually establishing high-tech marine aquaculture areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Viet Nam, organised the closing ceremony of the programme “Youth in Action for Clean Air and a Sustainable Future” on September 7 in Ha Noi.

In the global race to meet climate change targets, the world continues to face major challenges in securing finance. The 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), to be held in November, will prioritise securing climate finance, promoting adaptation measures, and supporting countries suffering the heaviest losses.

Alongside rapid urbanisation, Ho Chi Minh City is facing the challenge that demand for green space is growing, while the land available for parks and greenery remains limited.

Typhoon Narra, the fourth to hit Viet Nam this year, has changed course again and is moving southeast towards waters east of Bach Long Vi special zone in northern Quang Ninh province while maintaining its strength, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Storm Narra, the fourth storm to hit the East Sea/South China Sea this year, was located at approximately 21.4 degrees north latitude and 108.4 degrees east longitude, over the Quang Ninh-Hai Phong sea area, about 150km north-northeast of the Bach Long Vi special zone, at 4 am on August 22.

The 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) opened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 17, under the theme “Restore Land, Unlock Hope.”

The European Union’s (EU) new regulations on packaging and packaging waste set stringent standards for exporting businesses, while also requiring the domestic packaging manufacturing sector to undergo an early transformation to meet increasingly demanding green requirements.

The Vietnamese Government has issued Resolution 235/NQ-CP approving the Implementation Agreement on carbon credits collaboration under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change between the Vietnamese and Singaporean governments.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) in Viet Nam and the Viet Nam Circular Economy Hub (CE Hub), organised a workshop themed “Pathways for a Robust Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) System in Viet Nam”, in Ha Noi, on August 11.

The construction materials industry is facing a historic transformation. While cost, quality, and production capacity were once the key factors determining competitiveness, the content of recycled materials and adherence to ESG standards are now becoming non-negotiable prerequisites for the industry to participate in global supply chains.

Viet Nam currently has around 730 industrial clusters in operation, making a positive contribution to relocating polluting production facilities away from densely populated residential areas, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. However, environmental protection in industrial clusters remains a mixed picture, with significant shortcomings.

For localities with extensive forest cover, the carbon market can unlock green finance sources to support forest protection and restoration while improving local livelihoods. To transform this potential into a sustainable resource, it is essential to refine data, legal frameworks, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and governance capacity.