HCMC bans vehicles’ travel in Nguyen Hue pedestrian street

The city's Department of Transport on Monday said that it would ban all vehicles from traveling in Nguyen Hue pedestrian street from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. starting on March 31. 

The pedestrian street stretches from Le Thanh Ton to Ton Duc Thang streets.

During the ban time, vehicles in the direction from Le Thanh Ton to Ton Duc Thang can travel in two substitute routes including Le Thanh Ton-Dong Khoi-Ton Duc Thang and Le Thanh Ton-Nam Ky Khoi Nghia-Ham Nghi-Ton Duc Thang.

Those in the direction from Ton Duc Thang to Le Thanh Ton can drive vehicles in two routes Ton Duc Thang-Ham Nghi-Pasteur-Le Thanh Ton and Ton Duc Thang-Hai Ba Trung-Le Thanh Ton.

National Highway No.60’s upgrade commences

The construction for the National Highway No.60’s upgrade connecting Rach Mieu Bridge with Co Chien Bridge in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre kicked off on March 27.

The upgrade will cover a length of 22.38km under the (BOT) build-operate-transfer model and will cost VND1, 752 billion.

The National Highway No.60 plays a significant role in the development of the Mekong Delta region. The upgrade is expected to cut time to travel from Tien Giang to Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang and ease traffic pressure here.

The project will be divided into four sections and is expected to be completed in 26 months.

Family hospitalized after eating poisonous mushroom

Dr. Nguyen Trung Kien, head of the Hanoi-based Bach Mai’s Poison Center, said that the center admitted three people of a family who suffered life-threatening injuries after eating poisonous mushrooms, yesterday.

The patients are 52 year old woman, 58 year old man and 30 year old man in Chi Lang Commune in the northern province of Lang Son.

As per the patients, on March 20, the youngest man picked mushrooms in the nearby jungle to cook for meal. After eating, the three people experienced pain in belly, diarrhea and vomiting.

The local medical clinic transferred them to Bach Mai’s Poison Center as they were in critical condition. 

Test results showed that they all suffered kidney, liver failure. 

They were intensively treated by a method combining hemodialysis and hemoperfusion, the woman has recovered while her husband and son are still in critical condition.

$1.5 mil allocated for environment pollution treatment

Nguyen Thanh Loi, Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the central province of Quang Tri, yesterday said that VND36 billion (over $1.5 million) is allocated to improve the environment in districts affected pesticide residue.

The amount is taken from the state budget. Following, the Department of Environment Protection will receive VND16 billion to treat and restore the environment in two districts Trieu Phong and Hai Lang while the Center of Environment Monitor will get VND20 billion to handle environmental pollution in villages and communes in districts Gio Linh and Cam Lo.

On the same day, in Lang Co Bay in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue’s District Phuc Loc, the Military and local authority launched the campaign “Hay lam sach bien” (Cleaning sea).

More than 500 soldiers and young people, locals in Lang Co Town cleaned and collected over one ton of waste in the seashore.   

Final outcomes of RoK’s knowledge sharing programme

The final outcomes of the Knowledge Sharing Programme (KSP) launched by the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam were announced at a workshop in Hanoi on March 28.

The event was jointly organised by the Institute for Development Strategy under Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment, the RoK’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the Korea Development Institute (KDI).

Vietnam was selected to implement the KSP programme to support the country’s socio-economic development in 2011-2020.

The programme was successfully implemented in 2009-2011 and 2012-2015, and is being carried out in the 2016-2017 period with the purpose of improving the internal efficiency.

The KSP covers three research topics: Lessons for Vietnam from RoK’s policy experience in forming and developing support industry; Criteria and models for privatization of public services in Vietnam; and Building an effective assessment system for Vietnamese public servants.

Research under the first topic showed that currently foreign investors in the north of Hanoi, including Hai Phong, are producing and assembling many electronic products. However, the rate of components sourced by domestic companies is very low due to the inappropriate development of the electronics industry. Solutions proposed included building national brands, expanding cooperation with foreign-invested companies, buying foreign technologies, easing conditions to access credit and developing the material industry.

Under the second research topic, the RoK side has put forth criteria and privatization models considered to be suitable for Vietnam, especially for such services as health care, tertiary education, and development research.

Regarding the third theme, the Vietnamese government has expressed interest in building an effective evaluation system for State officials and public servants. 

Like Vietnam, the RoK is facing some shortcomings in the field. The research, hence, provides several recommendations for Vietnam to develop its own system.

Launched in 2004, the KSP is a knowledge-intensive development and economic cooperation programme designed to share the RoK’s development experience with partner countries. It offers comprehensive policy consultations tailored to the needs of partner countries encompassing in-depth analysis, policy consultation, and training opportunities.

Writer Phan Việt releases new book

Vietnamese bestselling female writer Phan Việt has released the third volume in her successful nonfiction series titled Bất Hạnh Là Một Tài Sản (Unhappiness is a Fortune).

Following the success of the two previous volumes -- Một Mình Ở Châu Âu (Alone in Europe, 2013) and Xuyên Mỹ (Journey Through America, 2014) -- the third installment, Về Nhà (Coming Home), continues to lead readers into the writer’s world of inner feelings as she continues her journey of rediscovering herself.

The writer describes her anxiety, eagerness, as well as her loneliness, in the first volume of the series, and then her great struggle to overcome many of life’s challenges in Xuyên Mỹ. In Về Nhà, Việt portrays a tireless character seeking reasons for both happiness and misfortune. The book is similar to an autobiography of a person who wishes to revisit her wounded soul to peacefully move forward after experiencing a lot of unhappiness.

“The series, to me, is the journey of rediscovering myself,” Phan Việt writes in her new book.

“The narrative is written in such a manner so that the reader is immersed in the details of the story rather than reading it as a review of something that has happened previously – no matter how crazy, sorrowful or silly the details. To me, it is the greatest dedication of an autobiography writer to the readers.”

 “I just hope it (the series) will help some readers get more information and be braver during their own journey.”

Việt’s other works include Phù Phiếm Truyện (The Book of Vanity, 2005), Nước Mỹ, Nước Mỹ (America, America, 2009) and novel Tiếng Người (Voices, 2008).

Việt received her BA in economics from Foreign Trade University in 2000, a master’s degree in communication from the United States’ University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2002 and another master’s degree and a PhD in social work from University of Chicago in 2010.

She is currently an assistant professor of social work at the University of South Carolina (US).

She also writes regularly for national newspapers and magazines, edits books and organises translation projects. With Fields Medalist Ngô Bảo Châu and Trẻ Publishing House, she co-founded translation project "An Open Door," which translates often thought-provoking books into Vietnamese. 

International cooperation key to curbing human trafficking

The UK Embassy in Vietnam and the UN Action for Cooperation Against Trafficking in Persons organised a conference on human trafficking and modern slavery in the central city of Da Nang on March 29.

The event gathered the participation of nearly 100 representatives from State agencies, international organisations, non-governmental groups and diplomatic missions.

Addressing the conference, UK Home Office Senior Officer Responsible for Vietnam Dave Pennant said the UK Embassy in Vietnam has been closely collaborating with the local ministries of Public Security and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in combating human trafficking and helping victims re-integrate into society.

Pennant praised efforts made by all sides involved, stressing that the UK Government wants to work with the Vietnamese Government and international organisations to eradicate the crime.

Major Pham Mai Hien from the Ministry of Public Security reported that Vietnam discovered over 2,000 human trafficking cases involving 3,200 traffickers, and nearly 4,000 victims between 2011 and now.

He said the unbalanced sex ratio and labour shortage in countries that share borderlines with Vietnam are among causes of the issue.

Talking about Vietnam’s effort in fighting the crime, he noted that the country has ratified the United Nations’ Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, as well as taken part in the ASEAN action plan and convention on human trafficking prevention.

Vietnam has also implemented several communications campaigns to raise public awareness on the matter and set up a hotline on human trafficking, Hien added.

Established in 2014, the UN Action for Cooperation Against Trafficking in Persons aims to ensure a coordinated approach to more strategically and effectively combat trafficking in persons in the Greater Mekong Sub-region and beyond.-

TV series features mountain life

Vietnam Television Film Centre (VFC) held a press conference on March 19 to announce the debut of the centre’s latest TV series Silence of the Abyss.

The 32-episode series portrays the stunning landscapes of the country’s mountainous northwestern region and the life of Mong people – dwellers of the mountains.

Adapted from a novel by writer Do Bich Thuy, who also scripted the TV series, Silence of the Abyss tell a tale of love and tragedy evolved around mountain people’s ancient practice of bride stealing.

Thuy, a native of Ha Giang, has written several highly acclaimed works about the life of Mong people including Pao’s story and Harmonica behind the stony cliff.

The custom was originally designed to help poor grooms, who were unable to offer the often extravagant amount of dowry demanded by the bride’s family, to be able to marry their lovers.

Contrary to many outsiders’ beliefs, the stealing of the bride almost always received her parents’ implicit blessing. On a set date, they would turn a blind eye and allow the groom to steal their daughter as a way to overcome the hurdle of the ancient dowry rules.

Bride-stealing custom can be found among many of the mountainous region’s ethnicities as well as other parts of the world.

Unfortunately, once in a while people may decide to take advantage of the custom and forcefully steal the bride against her will such as the case of Sua, a young Mong girl, who was stolen by the village’s rich boy and separated from her lover. The exploitation of the noble ancient custom led to tragedies for all parties involved with three broken hearts and an unhappy marriage.

The film crew stayed in Ha Giang for four months during production phase with temperature dropping to sub-zero level at times while facing a shortage of water due to the dry season in the mountain. In order to play their characters, the series’ actors and actresses learned how the Mong people talk, work and play.

The series will be aired from April 1 on VTV3.

Police seize fake coffee shipment in robusta king Vietnam

Environment police have seized a shipment of fake coffee at a bus station in the central town of Vinh, some 300km (186 miles) south of Hanoi.

The officers were on a routine patrol when they spotted a truck laden with 16 suspicious-looking bags, which the truck driver declared as coffee.

The bags weighed 850 kilograms (1,870 lb), but only 200kg was real coffee, while the rest turned out to be roasted soybeans soaked in chemicals and flavoring to make them look like coffee. The beans were on their way for sale in Nghe An Province from a company in the southern province of Binh Duong, the driver told police.

The catch is the latest in a series of cases involving fake coffee exposed over the past five years in Vietnam, the world's biggest robusta producer and exporter.

Fake coffee has been found across the nation, which has one of the world's fastest growing retail coffee markets, trailing only behind Indonesia, Turkey and India, as reported by global market intelligence agency Mintel.

Police have also uncovered small processing plants making fake coffee by over-roasting soybeans and corn in Ho Chi Minh City, which is Vietnam's main coffee trading market, as well as in Can Tho City and provinces like Binh Duong and Thanh Hoa.

Even in Dak Lak, the country's top coffee-growing province, market inspectors have found coffee powder containing only 10% real coffee, with the majority made up of soybeans, corn and chemicals used to create the bitter taste and bubbles.

In July 2016, the Vietnam Standard and Consumers Association said it had taken 253 coffee samples from various shops in four locations, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and found that one third of them had very low caffeine content, while the stimulant was totally absent in five samples.

The coffee sold in street-side shops, hospitals and schools tended to have very low caffeine content or no caffeine at all, the association said.

A kilogram of robusta beans now fetches around VND46,000 ($2.02), while imported soybeans can be bought on the domestic market for VND12,000-14,000 per kilo.

These findings by police and market inspectors have caught public attention and have changed consumer behavior.

"Consumers are now aware that fake coffee is a real problem," said Le Duc Huy, deputy general director of the Dak Lak-based Simexco, one of Vietnam's biggest exporters of semi-processed robusta beans. "Many now know how to spot fake coffee."

He said the content of real coffee sold on the market has now doubled to around 60% in the southern region and the Central Highlands coffee belt. 

"But in the northern and the central regions, which lie far from the coffee processing hub, consumers may not be aware, so the coffee content there is as low as 20%-30%," Huy told VnExpress International via telephone from Dak Lak.

Improved awareness among Vietnamese coffee drinkers has been reflected in the rising domestic consumption rate in a country where tea is also a popular drink.

Vietnam is forecast to use 172,200 tons of coffee at home in the 2016/2017 crop year, up 10 percent from the previous season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in its December report.

The domestic consumption rate has been rising in double digits since at least the 2012/2013 season, based on USDA data. The country's crop year lasts between October and September.

Higher domestic consumption, coupled with a rush to sell by exporters in the first months of 2017 and the smaller 2016/2017 harvest due to adverse weather, could disrupt coffee exports, traders said. More instant coffee being produced locally has also been contributing to the tighter export flow, Vietnamese industry officials said.

Vietnam could export an estimated 180,000 tons of coffee in March, the highest monthly shipment since April 2016, based on government data released on March 29.

Most of the shipments were sold in late January or February as exporters tried to cash in on higher prices while cutting costs, traders said. On the other hand, foreign buyers said they had stepped up purchases based on expectations of a smaller crop in Vietnam. 

The March estimate has brought the country's total export volume to 847,000 tons in the first half of the 2016/2017 season, up 4% from a year ago.

Vietnam could face coffee shortages from May-June due to rising shipments and dwindling domestic stocks, top export firm Intimex has said.

Huy of Simexco said Vietnam should do more to fight fake coffee.

"The media should do its best to help consumers spot real coffee," he said. "Related agencies should also step up inspections of coffee shops because shop owners are making money by selling fake coffee as it costs up to 50% less than real coffee."

Hanoi learns Warsaw’s experience in relic preservation

Hanoi’s cultural officials learnt experience from Poland’s capital city of Warsaw in the preservation of historical relics and cultural heritages during a meeting with a delegation from the Warsaw City Council in Hanoi on March 29.

Hanoi currently has nearly 6,000 historical and cultural relic sites and about 2,000 intangible heritages, some of them were recognised by UNESCO as world heritages.

Leadersof the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism told the guests that Hanoi has faced some difficulties in preserving relic sites, including the serious degradation of relics due to time and weather, out-dated preservation methodsand technologies as well as limited human resources.

Ewa Masny-Askanas, Vice Chairwoman of the Warsaw City Council said that after the second World War, Warsaw’s relics were destroyed almost completely and re-constructed.

Therefore, the city’s relic sites are mostly 40-60 years old, but many of them have been recognised as world heritage sites, she said.

She added that in her country, the sites are managed by both the State and private sector, but the restoration and repair must be allowed by the State, while the installation of advertisement boards at the sites is banned. 

She also said that Warsaw also meets financial problems in the conservation of the relics.

Meanwhile, To Van Dong, Director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, asked for cooperation and experience from the Warsaw delegation in the preservation of relics.

Hanoi wants Warsaw to send experts to help the city in personnel training for the work.

Vietnam, the Netherlands share experience in green architecture

A series of workshops are being held in Hanoi from March 28-31 on the theme of green architecture for sustainable communities (GASC 2017) to exchange experiences on the direction of green architecture and green building.

The event is hosted by the National University of Civil Engineering (NUCE), in collaboration with Delft University of Technology in Netherlands, Hanoi University of Architecture and A+G Architecture Club.

GASC 2017 is also sponsored by the Netherlands Embassy in Vietnam, the Vietnam Association of Architects, Hoan Kiem District People's Committee, and the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC).

The workshop attracts the interest of experts, architects, and researchers both at home and abroad who share their findings to outline the message, focus and development strategy for green buildings and sustainable urban development in Vietnam.

Also at the workshop, Dutch and Vietnamese students are provided with experiences and knowledge about designing a building with green design solutions using Europe's leading advanced methods and experience from reputable trainers and architects practicing in Vietnam.

The main focus of the workshop is a forum centering around technologies for green building, issues related to local knowledge such as culture, architecture and urban adaptation towards sustainable community development in Vietnam and the region’s challenging context today.

Also within the framework of GASC 2017, NUCE will host career talks on Wednesday so that architects can share their experiences applied in actual works.

Under this year's theme, "Green factors in small and medium-scale works", GASC 2017 aims to address green measures and innovative solutions in residential works, schools and public buildings of small scale, as well as practicing green design solutions suitable with Vietnam’s conditions.

A gala summarising the programme took place at the common house of Vietnam’s architectural house – the headquarters of Vietnam Association of Architects, No. 40 Tang Bat Ho Street, Hanoi, offering an opportunity to connect and exchange among organisations and individuals in green architecture and architectural training and practices in general. 

This is also an opportunity to evaluate and disseminate more effective topics for GASC 2018.

An exhibition on the results of GASC 2017 will take place during April 1-2 in the walking street area of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, featuring projects joining the GASC 2017, as well as its activities and the messages that GASC 2017 wants to convey to the community.

Woman suffers serious burns in HCM City power station blast

A woman has been injured in an explosion at an electrical substation in Ho Chi Minh City, sparking fears over the safety of the equipment in use.

Tran Quoc Thanh Nha, 33, of Binh Tan District, was still being treated for burns across her face and body at the Trung Vuong Hospital on March 28.

Her injuries, which are most serious on her face, arms, and legs, were caused by a power substation explosion on Le Trong Tan Street in Binh Tan on March 24.

According to the victim, she was riding her motorbike to look for a photocopy shop when the substation in front of 681 Le Trong Tan blew up.

“As I felt a burning sensation on my face and limbs, I asked local residents for some water to apply to the wounds,” Nha recalled.

She was later taken to the hospital as her condition quickly deteriorated.

“Luckily I was wearing a helmet, jacket, and gauze mask; otherwise my injuries would have been much worse,” she said.

According to Nguyen Van Vinh, Nha’s husband, two employees from Binh Phu Power, the company that operates the substation, have been paying her regular visits.

Another staffer was also asked to stay at the infirmary to help Vinh look after his wife.

“I don’t understand why the electrical substation would explode," Vinh said, before expressing worries at the fact that "there are many of these on the city’s streets, posing a threat to citizens."

According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on March 28, the substation has already been replaced by a new one.

Local residents confirmed that the device had not shown any signs of danger prior to the blast.

Hoang Tuan Vinh, deputy director of Binh Phu Power, attributed the accident to an oil leak at one of the three electrical transformers installed at the station.

The company leader confirmed that the facility had operated normally before the incident, and monthly inspections had been carried out as per procedure.

Regarding compensation, the firm will pay all of Nha’s medical bills, with further consideration to be made after negotiating with the victim’s family.

According to Pham Quoc Bao, deputy general director of the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVN HCMC), the explosion is a rare case given the tens of thousands of substation installed across the city.

These stations will often operate at 60% of their capacity, Bao said, adding that an oil leak could only occur if they work at over 80%.

Protocols must be followed to prevent similar accident from happening, while maintenance and evaluation must be carried out every month.

Another official from EVN Ho Chi Minh City said the corporation had sent a team of technicians to work with Binh Phu Power.

“Any violations regarding the operation and maintenance of any substation will be penalized,” he said.

On November 17, 2016, a power substation in Ha Dong District, Hanoi exploded, killing one person and injuring four others.

Another blast caused by lightning occurred at a station in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City on September 20, 2016, resulting in power loss across the local neighborhood.

Vietnam, RoK step up cooperation on the environment

Current environmental issues and ways to enhance collaboration on the environment topped the agenda of the 13th Vietnam – the Republic of Korea Ministerial Conference on Environment on March 29 in Hanoi.

During the conference, co-chaired by Korean Minister of Environment Cho Kyeung Kyu and Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, the two sides discussed cooperation in biodiversity research, wastewater treatment in industrial zones, and an electromagnetic waste treatment plant. 

Regarding the cooperation in 2017 – 2020 between the two ministries, Hong Ha suggested working together in building and perfecting tools, technical and economic solutions, such as designing plans on environmental protection, climate change and green growth.

Specific activities could be research on local-level environmental ranking, environmental standards and criteria, waste management, verification and approval of environmental impact assessment reports, and the building of a national environmental observation system, Ha said.

RoK Minister of Environment Cho Kyeung Kyu expressed his wish to bolster cooperation on biological diversity, such as conducting joint research on useful species to promote biotechnological industry and biodiversity preservation.

The RoK agreed to help Vietnam fine-tune policies facilitating law enforcement in the environment field, focusing on reviewing technical standards on waste water, emissions and solid waste, and basic standards on the environment. 

The Vietnam-RoK online environment information system and ROK’s support for training Vietnamese environment executives were also discussed.

Ministry determined to eliminate industrial alcohol, banned chemicals

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh yesterday issued resolution on tightening management of toxic chemicals, especially industrial alcohol.

in preserving and processing food especially sales, import and consumption of industrial alcohol and chemicals. 

In the directive, Minister Tuan Anh ordered departments of industry and trade nationwide assume responsibility toward import, production, sales of chemicals and industrial alcohol. Relevant agencies must pay unscheduled visits to detect violations and impose harsh penalties on violators. 

Divisions must tighten monitor on import, manufacturing companies and the use of chemicals,alcohol, methanol.

The Ministry also asked to peak time for checking importing enterprises of alcohol before June 30, 2017. The Departments of Industry and Trade in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City must inspect units to check chemical manufacturing. 

The sub-departments Chemical, Market Management and other departments are responsible for controlling import, manufacturing, business and use of chemicals, alcohol, methanol which people tend to abuse in preserving and processing food especially making liquors. They also build up technical standards to monitor domestically-made alcohol and imported ones.

In addition, these departments should make indicators to distinguish between industrial alcohol and alcohol for making food aiming to facilitate management of alcohol as well as review regulation to supervise wholesale and retail in the two big cities.

India gives away 200 copies of religion book

The Consulate General of India in HCMC distributed 200 copies of the book ‘Vedas Upanishad: The ancient religious philosophies of India” to participants at a recent event in HCMC.

The even was jointly held by the HCMC Union of Friendship Organizations (HUFO) to celebrate diplomatic relations between Vietnam and India.

The book is expected to encourage Vietnamese people to learn more about the philosophies of India, as well as the similarities between Vietnam and India.

This is the 3rd edition of the “Vedas Upanishad: The ancient religious philosophies of India.”

Vietnam Airlines staff featured in youthful MV

National flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines on Tuesday unveiled a music video called “Flying Vietnam” featuring its associates dancing and singing the song “Bong bong bang bang.”

The MV was made to mark the 86th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931-2017) and the 26th anniversary of the Youth Union of Vietnam Airlines (May 3, 1997-2017).

The video has gone viral on social media for its youthful and jubilant melodies and cute dance moves by pilots, flight attendants, airport staff and mechanics. It has recorded over one million views and nearly 10,000 shares on the Facebook fanpage of Vietnam Airlines.

Nguyen Quang Duc, head of the Youth Union of Vietnam Airlines, said in a statement that via the MV the carrier wants to spread the airline’s spirit of ambition and aspiration to youths across the country.

VND400 billion for hospital upgrade

HCMC’s District 12 on March 28 commenced work on a project to upgrade and expand its public hospital which will have 300 beds upon completion after one year and a half.

The District 12 Hospital project, costing VND400 billion sourced from the city’s budget, is aimed to enhance its treatment capacity as its current facilities cannot meet healthcare demand.

The hospital is located northwest of HCMC in Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12 with an area of nearly 17,000 square meters. The hospital was established in 2007 with 120 beds. At present, the hospital is developing the emergency, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology and other wards with modern technology.

According to the project management unit, in the first phase, the construction area is nearly 17,650 square meters with 300 beds. The project includes new facilities including the outpatient, nutrition, laboratory, and X-ray wards.

Headwater reservoirs help ensure water supply for HCMC in dry season

Dau Tieng and Tri An, two large headwater reservoirs that also help with irrigation, will be responsible for fighting salinity intrusion in the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers to help ensure the quality of crude water for water treatment plants in HCMC in the dry season this year.

At present, the Saigon River’s water quality plays a key role in securing sufficient water for Tan Hiep water treatment plant west of HCMC. As such, salinity intrusion would make it difficult to provide enough crude water for this plant. 

Similarly, the Dong Nai River in the dry season in recent years has frequently faced serious salinity intrusion which affects the quality of water for Thu Duc water treatment plant east of the city.

In an announcement on March 22, the HCMC government asked Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco) as the State utility supplying tap water for the entire city to regularly monitor hydro-meteorological conditions, salinity intrusion and flow data. Sawaco is told to coordinate with the leaders of the two reservoirs to discharge water for warding off salinity intrusion into the two rivers to ensure the quality of water for the city, especially in the dry season of 2017.

In addition, the HCMC Irrigation Service Management Company Limited is asked to collaborate with Dau Tieng-Phuoc Hoa Irrigation Exploitation One-member Co Ltd, the operator of Dau Tieng reservoir, to develop a plan for regulating and reasonably using irrigation water and utilize water from Dau Tieng reservoir. Water will be stored on main canals to ensure sufficient water for agriculture, aquaculture, daily life and forest fire prevention. 

In the previous dry season, the water plants in HCMC briefly stopped using water from the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers due to salination, making clean water supply for the city extremely difficult.

The city’s water plants are heavily reliant on the two rivers as the main sources of crude water to supply nearly three million cubic meters of clean water per day for HCMC.

According to Sawaco’s analysis, the water levels of the headwater reservoirs drastically dropped in 2016. Of which, the volume of Dau Tieng reservoir in the upper reaches of the Saigon River was 928 million cubic meters, about 76% of full capacity, while the volume of Tri An reservoir on the Dong Nai River reached about 80% of the average annual capacity.

Due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, environmental pollution, climate change and lower water levels of headwater reservoirs, water shortages and salt intrusion are predicted to become more severe in this dry season.

For long-term solutions, Sawaco is investing in improving water treatment technology, raising the capacity of water storage facilities and exploring new water sources. The most notable solution is to build water reservoirs to ensure water supply for water treatment plants and help cushion impacts of salinity intrusion and water pollution.

Vietnam’s role in OIF highlighted at Montpellier conference

Scholars and experts on French language and culture have affirmed Vietnam’s increasingly important role in the French-speaking community and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) at a conference in Montpellier city, France as part of the Francophone Week from March 27-31.

Imma Tor Faus, who represented the OIF Secretary-General, highlighted the position and role of Vietnam in the OIF as well as the maintenance and development of French language in the country.

She recognised Vietnam’s significant contributions to the OIF since it joined the organisation in 1970, especially through the hosting of the Francophone Summit in 1997.

French language in Vietnam has helped foster economic and trade ties with partners, especially in African countries, she said, mentioning Vietnam’s rice growing project in Cameroon, cashew processing plants in Benin and Ivory Coast, and wood processing project in Gabon.

The increasing role of French language in Asia will contribute to promoting exchanges in the region towards a better and more humane world, said Faus.

At the event, themed “French in Vietnam: History, literature and memories”, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Ngoc Sonreviewed important milestones in the relations between Vietnam and the IOF in 2016, including the OIF General Secretary’s Vietnam visitin September, President Tran Dai Quang’s attendance at the Francophone Summit in Madagascar in November, and French President Francois Hollande’s visit to Vietnam.

The diplomat lauded the achievements of the OIF in various fields, especially preventing and coping with crises, reinforcing peace, respecting international law, and promoting cultural diversity, education and environmental protection.

However, he also pointed out that the French-speaking community is facing challenges in Vietnam and the Asian region such as modest number of French speakers.

He urged the OIF to continue supporting the teaching of French language, with priority given to bilingual classes, while increasing scholarships and training courses for public servants and diplomats.

In terms of economy, the organisation should work harder for the formation of an economic system using French language, support partnerships among members and promote the multilateral cooperation in French-speaking space.

On the sidelines of the Francophone Week, Ambassador Son had a meeting with Pierre Pousessel, Governor of Heraultprefecture to discuss cooperation between the locality and Vietnamese partners, especially in economy and tertiary education.

US-based PeaceTrees delegation visits Vietnam

Vice President of the Vietnam-USA Society (VUS) Bui The Giang received a delegation of the US-based organisation PeaceTrees Vietnam led by advisor Robert Stokes in Hanoi on March 29.

Giang welcomed the PeaceTrees Vietnam delegation’s visit to Vietnam from March 17-30 to explore its culture, history, country and people, as well as making field trips to their projects in central Quang Tri province.

He spoke highly of the organisation’s friendship and humanitarian projects to heal the war’s wounds in recent years and its efforts to deepen friendly and cooperative ties between Vietnam and the US.

For his part, Stokes, who served as PeaceTrees Vietnam Executive Director, said his delegation comprises 15 members, including doctors, nurses, civil engineers, advisors and development counselors. Some of them have visited Vietnam for the first time and have a good impression on its beauty and locals’ friendliness and hospitality.

He vowed to continue supporting Vietnam in projects in a number of localities, thus helping to deal with the war consequences and develop the two countries’ relations.

The PeaceTrees Vietnam was the first American non-governmental organisation to begin mine clearance and related humanitarian work in Vietnam after the war.

Founded in 1995, it is dedicated to the healing of communities impacted by the war’s aftermaths and accomplishes this through landmine and other unexploded ordnance removal, mine risk education, survivor assistance and economic development.

Vietnam attends safe school conference in Argentina

Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Nguyen Dinh Thao and representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training attended the second International Conference on Safe School, which took place in Buenos Aires from March 28-29.

Safe school in armed conflicts, war crime investigation and trial, and establishment of education networks after armed conflicts were on the table during the conference, which was jointly held by the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) and the Argentine Government.

According to UNESCO’s report, schools have been targeted by militant groups in 30 countries worldwide, leaving critical impacts on the safety of teachers and students.

The conference offered an opportunity for experts to call for the international community to pay heed to school safety and share experience in preventing violence to ensure that all children have the right to receive education in a safe environment.

The first International Conference on Safe School was held in Oslo, Norway, in 2015.

New vaccination information management system to be deployed

The national vaccination information management system will be operational starting June 1, 2017 in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Health has announced it will operate the national vaccination information management system developed by the military-run Viettel Group to cut the paperwork and help medical workers manage the work. 

Currently, it takes a lot of time for medical workers in 13,000 infirmaries across the country to check vaccination schedule. The new system will help save time and other procedures worth more than VND100 billion per year. 

Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine Center in Hanoi Nguyen Nhat Cam said that if the new system is deployed, it will help save 13,000 working days and over VND2 billion ($87,820) per year.

The new system has been piloted in Hanoi, the northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, the central City of Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, and 13,000 clinics nationwide will have to apply this system after June 1.  It will monitor vaccination records of all residents during their whole lives as per their personal code. 

Additionally, a person can follow their vaccination schedule and relatives if they download the system.

Public Security Deputy Minister visited fire scene in Tra Noc Industrial Park

Lt. Gen. Bui Van Thanh, Deputy Minister of Public Security yesterday visited the Kwong Lung – Meko to check the company where the fierce flam happened.

In addition to paying visit to the company in the Tra Noc Industrial Park in the Mekong delta City of Can Tho, the Lieutenant General liaised with leaders of 19 firefighting stations in Can Tho on the fire incident. 

He asked police officers and firefighters to work around the clock at the company to watch out for the re-ignition of the flame. 

Police in Can Tho City must work with their counterparts from the related departments such as Firefighting, the Institute of criminal Science to probe the fire cause.

Firefighting in Can Tho City must coordinate with the Department of Construction and the Water Supply Company to check water source for firefighting work. 

The flame erupted on March 23 and it re-ignited many times later. It has been the biggest fire incident in Can Tho City so far with the participation of 370 firefighters and 56 vehicles. 

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