More than a year after the merger of the former Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, many overlapping management areas have been streamlined, with the newly formed ministry reducing its organizational units by around 45%.

Speaking to the press on June 18, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Dang Ngoc Diep said the ministry’s performance during its first year had exceeded initial expectations.

The most visible change has been improved coordination among agencies, as closely related sectors are now managed under a single authority.

“After one year of consolidation, coordination has become much smoother and cooperation among units has improved significantly. Many colleagues have even remarked that the merger should have happened earlier,” Diep said.

Greater efficiency through unified management

Before the merger, areas such as water resources, irrigation, hydrometeorology, disaster prevention, environmental protection, land management, forestry and biodiversity conservation were overseen by different agencies. Policy development and implementation often required coordination across multiple administrative bodies.

Since the merger, policymaking, regulatory development and implementation have become more synchronized. Numerous cross-sector regulations have been reviewed and harmonized, reducing overlap and inconsistencies.

According to Deputy Minister Dang Ngoc Diep, the consolidation has also produced positive results in administrative reform and organizational streamlining.

The number of units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has been reduced by approximately 45% compared with the combined structure of the two former ministries. The ministry plans to continue reviewing and restructuring units with similar functions to ensure a leaner and more effective organization.

“The goal is to save resources, improve management efficiency and make administrative procedures more convenient for citizens and businesses,” he said.

Representatives from the Department of Personnel and Organization said the restructuring has also clarified the functions and responsibilities of individual units. Specialized departments are now focusing on policy development, strategic planning and oversight, while local authorities have been granted greater autonomy to handle issues in line with local conditions.

Addressing long-standing overlaps

According to ministry officials, one of the greatest benefits of the merger has been the elimination of fragmented and overlapping management responsibilities across multiple sectors.

Land, water resources, irrigation systems, nature conservation and biodiversity management are now overseen through a more integrated framework. Land management, for example, is coordinated more closely with agricultural and forestry land use, while water resource management is linked more directly with irrigation planning. Nature conservation and biodiversity protection efforts are also being coordinated more effectively.

Bringing forestry, fisheries, crop production and livestock management under the same authority has further strengthened biodiversity conservation and natural resource protection efforts.

Assessing the ministry’s first year of operations, officials said the multi-sector model has demonstrated clear effectiveness by improving state management, supporting agricultural growth, boosting agricultural exports, strengthening food safety oversight and enhancing environmental protection.

Vu Diep