V NU JO U R N A L OF S C IE N C E . N a l . Sci . & Tech . T XIX. Nọ4. 2003_________________________________________________

E N V I R O N M E N T P R O T E C T I O N - A P R E R K Q U I S I T E F()K
R E D Ư C T IO N O F H U M A N S Ư F F E R IN G
A N D S U S T A IN A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T 1

Vo Q uy
V ie tn a m N a tio n a l U n iv e rs itv , / 1(1no i
It is a g re a t h o n o r fo r me to he he rc and give th is le c tu re on a v e rv m em orable
(XTasion o f h a v iiii' re c e iv rđ tho H lue P lanet F riz e o f 2003. I w o u ld lik e to express
my s in co re th a n k s to a ll ol’ you a g a in to r th is h o n o r and th is g re a t o p p o rtu n itv also
to m eet so m a ny d is tin g u is h e d s c ie n tis ts and e x p e rts here th is a íte rn o o n .
T h e to p ic on w h ic h I w o u ld lik e to speak is n o t an e la b o ra te w o rk o f research,
sueh as those w h ic h have been done hy m any re c ip ie n ts o f T h e B lu e P lane t P rize.
N e ith e r do I have th e h o n o r o f n d d in g to the s c ie n tiíĩc u n d e rs ta n d in g o f th e w o rld .
The to p ic I w oulcỉ lik e to speak a b o u t tod ay is c e rta in a c tiv itie s th a t the V ietna m ese
people have done and are d o in tĩ in o rd e r to re co ve r fro m th e scars o f a d e v a s ta tin g
w a r. to rn ise th u liv in g s ta n d a rd s o f puople, to develop th e econom y vvhile a t the
sam í' t i me c o n s e rv in g resources a n d p ro te c tin g th e e n v iro n m e n t. T h is e n ta ils the
ra tio n a l ust* o f n a tu ra l resources and the in v o lv e m e n t o f the

m a jo rity o f the

C()iintry*s in h a b ita n ts in th e process w ith a nevv approach d ire c te d a t how to s a tis íy
p ro p le s ’ needs vv ith o u t d a m a g in g th e ecological balance. I am plcased to be ablc to
say th a t ! ha ve (levoted m ore th a n t h ir t y years o f m y life to th is g re a t m ovem ent in
my c o u n try .
A h e a lth y e n v iro n m e n t a n d ecosystem is a íu n d a m e n ta l re q u ire m e n t fo r life
and s u s ta in a b le d e ve lo p m e n t.

B io lo g ic a l resources, forests, w e tla n d s and o th e r

and m a rin e areas, m o u n ta in s and agro-ecosystem s etc.
T h u s , i t has been recognized th a t the fu tu re o f o u r liv in g e n v iro n m e n t and o u r
n a tu ra l re sources vvill depend on m a nag ing la rg e areas u s in g an in te g ra te d
approach t h a t recognizes h u m a n p o p u la tio n s as h a v in g a keen in te re s t in e n s u rin g
the c o n tin u in g p r o d u c tiv ity o f the ecosystems v v ith in w h ic h th e y liv e . Such an
appro ach vvill have to m eet local needs, e sp ecially o f th e poor, m a in ta in o r re sto re
ecosystem in te g r ity , and conserve b io d iv e rs ity , s im u lta n e o u s ly .
A fte r 30 ye a rs o f d e v a s ta tin g w a r, th e V ietna m ese people and th e G o v e rn m e n t
have m ade e ffo rts to develop th e econom y w h ile a t th e sam e tim e con se rvin g
resources a n d p ro te c tin g th e e n v iro n m e n t. A N a tio n a l C o n s e rv a tio n S tra te g y vvas
p re p a re d in 1985 and since th e n a N a tio n a l A c tio n P la n fo r th e E n v iro n m e n t and
S u s ta in a b le D e ve lo p m e n t has been developed and p a rtly im p le m e n te d . O n the basis
o f th is n a tio n a l p la n , v a rio u s a c tiv itie s are be ing c a rrie d o u t in th e c o u n trv re la tin g
to
e n v iro n m e n ta l
le g is la tio n ,
m anagem ent,
e d u c a tio n ,
re search
and
e x p e rim e n ta tio n . We have e s ta b lis h e d a M in is tr y o f Resources and the
E n v iro n m e n t, enacted lavvs, r a tifie d m a jo r in te r n a tio n a l c o n v e n tio n s and
cooperated w it h in te rn a tio n a l agencies to im p le m e n t v a rio u s e n v iro n m e n ta l
projects. T h e G o v e rn m e n t has e m b a rk e d on a nation-vvicle re íb re s ta tio n scheme, and
in c lu đ e d in te g ra te d e n v iro n m e n ta l m a nag em e nt in its p o lic ỵ s ta te m e n t. O u r c iv il
society has becom e in c re a s in g ly a c tiv e on e n v iro n m e n ta l m a tte rs .
T h e o n g o in g tr a n s itio n fro m a c e n tra liz e d p la n n e d econom y to a m a rk e to rie n te d one, acce lera ted econom ic grovvth, th e lib e r a tio n o f a g r ic u ltu r a l and
in d u s tr ia l p ro d u c tio n , as w e ll as the develop m en t o f th e S e r v i c e sector, the op enin g
o f th e c o u n trv to ío re ig n in v e s tm e n t, and the p ro m o tio n o f e x p o rts an d p a rtic ip a tio n
in re g io n a l a n d in te rn a tio n a l tra d e are a ll o f g re a t b e n e íit to th e people o f V ie tn a m .

w a te r.

and

fre sh

w a te r

s h o rta g e ,

th e

o v e re x p lo ita tio n o f b io lo n ic .ll n*soun*c»s. th re a ts to ecosystem s. th e (lc p le tio n o f
re s o u rre s an d t h r nrnvvth o f e n v iro n m e n ta l p o llu tio n , not to m e n tio n th e
lo n g -te rm 1 ‘n v m m m r n tỉil im p a n C)f th e vvar. These p ro b le m s are c u r r e n tly b e in g
cxa e e rb a te d hy n ip id p o p u líit ion tfro w th and p o v e rty .
It

is t!u*n*l'orc

n r r r s s .ir v

tí) ỉin tic ip a te

th e e n v iro n m e n ta l

p ro b le m s

th a t


econom ic

i> as im p o rta n t as the social s u s ta in a b ility o f th e d e v e lo p m e n t

process. A lso . i f th e c u r r c n t pace c o n tin u e s o f d e s tru c tio n o f th e e n v iro n m e n t, o f
dam age to th e ecological base rs s e n tia l fo r s u s ta in a b le advances in

b io lo g ic a l

p r o d u c tiv ity . such as la n đ , w au*r, flo ra , fa u n a , ío re s ts , vvctlands, an d oceans,
s u s ta in a b le đ e ve lo p m e n t ra n n o t be achieved.
T h e re is no d o u b t th a t o u r n a tu ra l resources are a t s e rio u s ris k . B u t we do n o t
have to accept fu r th e r d e clin e . We can b u ild on w h a t we have a lre a d y le a rn e d , on
vvhat wc kn o w o f s u s tỉìin a b lo practices an d co n s e rv a tio n m easures. We u n d e rs ta n d
th a t e ffe c tiv e system s o f m a nug em e nt can ensure th a t n a tu ra l resources n o t o n ly
s u rv iv e . hut incrcasí* w h ik ‘ t h i‘v are being used, th u s p ro v ic lin g th e ío u n d a tio n fo r
s u s ta in a lỉk * d c v e lo p m c n t. vvv have made some progress in o u r e ffo rts to b a la n c e th e
socio-econom ic needs o f o u r ra p id ly Krovving p o p u la tio n vvith o u r fra g ile n a tu ra l
resource base.
We have to assu re th e p re s e rv a tio n o f ecosystem s an d b io lo g ic a l d iv e rs ity , yes,
b u t we m u s t a lso h e lp secure thi* liv e lih o o d s o f c o m m u n itie s in o u r c o u n try . People
are o u r w o rld 's most im p o rỉa n t rcsource, and ecological p re s e rv a tio n m u s t be p a rt
o f a la rg e r e ffo rt to pre so rve th e h u m a n species, n o t ju s t c o lle c tiv e ly b u t each
precious

in d iv id u a l.

Any

tru e

con struction, a n d t h e fact th a t WI* ỉost over two million h e c ta re s of forest d u r i n g th e
la s t w a r, to d e íb lia tio n and bom bin g. T he d e s tru c tio n o f fo re s t v e g e ta tio n lea ds to a
ra p id im p o v e ris h m e n t o f th o soil and loss o f sto re d n u tr ie n ts , in c lu d in g d ra s tic
changes in th e p h vsica l iin d b io lo g ica l c h a ra c te ris tic s o f th e ecosystem , e s p e c ia lly


Vo Q u y
the upper-sloped areas in th e N o rth p a rt and th e C e n tra l H ig h la n d s o f V ie tn a m .
Severe erosion re s u lts fro m o v e r-c u ltiv a tio n o f th e s o ils th a t a re in h e r e n tly h ig h ly
susce ptihle to d e te rio ra tio n . M o s t o f th e deforested areas have become b a rre n , an d
n e a rly 30,5% o f V ie tn a m is now considered u n p ro d u c tiv e vvasteland.
R ecognizing th a t fo re s t loss is th e sin g le m ost se rio u s ía c to r th r e a te n in g th e
lo n g -te rm p ro d u c tiv ity o f th e c o u n try ’s re new a ble n a tu ra l resources, th e people o f
V ie tn a m have begun an in te n s iv e p la n tin g p ro g ra m . T h is p ro g ra m is expected to
regreen th e w a r-s c a rre d

la n d , co rre e t th e m is ta k e s o f ra p id

d e v e lo p m e n t, re-

e s ta b lis h th e ecological balance w ith in the c o u n try , an d pre se rve b io d iv e rs ity . T he
a im is to re fo re st 40-50% o f th e c o u n try s id e by th e 218t c e n tu ry . In th is vvay we hope
to re e s ta b lis h th e ecological balance in V ie tn a m . to p re se rve b io d iv e rs ity , a n d to do
o u r p a rt in d e la y in g g lo b a l vvarm ing.
To g row one o r tw o tre e s is v e ry easy, b u t to p la n t h u n d re d s o f th o u s a n d s o f
hectares o f íorests is n o t s im p le , esp e cia lly u n d e r c o n d itio n s in w h ic h th e s o il is
leached and com pacted, and th e once cool, m o is t and fe r tile c lim a te is novv d r y and
b la zin g .
Before 1985, vvhen we íìr s t launched o u r N a tio n a l C o n s e rv a tio n S tra te g y , we
w ere p la n tin g o n ly 60,000 hectares o f forest a n n u a lly - and lo s in g 200,000 hectare s.

p r io rity . Large areas m u s t be re fore sted . The h ill- d w e llin g pcoplc m u s t be h e lp e d in
a d o p tin g more re s o u rc e -e ffic ie n tt e n v iro n m e n ta lly fr ie n d ly te ch n o lo g ie s, so th a t


E n v ir o n t n e n t p r o i v c i i o n • a p r e r e q u is ite fo r .

7

th r y ra n 11SC n ỉìtu r a l rc s o u rc rs r n tio n .illv and s u s ta in a b ly . Kort*st co n s e rv a tio n th a i
c»nsurcis tiu* s u r v iv íil oí I hi* p ra s a n ts 1S d e sp e ra te ly neeckĩd in in a n y r u r a l rlĩgions.
We p ro m o ti' I n r p lỉih tm t' OI1 c n m m u n a l lands, such as roadsidus, canal sides
and v illa g e W ỉis trl;u i(ls .
VVc cMicoum^e in d iv id u a l ra rn u T s to grow trees on p riv a te la n d and fa rm
b o u n d a rie s. in hoiììc ^ardiM ìs and so un
\ w p ro m o tí' i* n v iro n rm n t:ỉl ed u ca tio n th rn u g h the mass m e dia. th e Y outh and
\V o m e n s U n io n s and School.v
\ w p ro m o tr Hgro fo ri\s try as p a rt o f a jo in t pro g ra m w ith n g r ic u ltu r a l s ta ff.
We p ro m o tc a ^ r ic u ltu r t' and ỉo ro s try e xte nsion a c tiv itie s fro m C entral to grass
roots lc v e ls , p ro v id e ía rm e rs w ith advanced technologies, a s s is t tho m in desigm ng
and s c ttin g u p d e m o n s tra tio n m odels. household econom ic m a n a g e m e n t s k ills and
m a rk e tin g in fo rm a tio n .
We p ro m o te lo n g -te rm la n d /fo re s t a ỉlo c a tio n to fa rm e rs .
We p ro m o te s u s ta in a b le r u r a l developm ent w ith

th e

in v o lv e m e n t o f the

p o p u la tio n .
O u r V ision is now Vi*ry rle a r: “ to e ra d ic a te p o v e rty and l i f t th e people’s liv in g