Water cooperation vital for sustainable development

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called countries sharing the Red and Mekong rivers to cooperate closely together to use and manage water resources in a sustainable manner.

The PM made the call at a ceremony in Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on March 21, celebrating World Water Day 2013.

As Vietnam lies entirely within the lower basins of the Red and Mekong Rivers that run through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before flowing into its territory, it is necessary to boost international cooperation in sharing, exploiting and developing trans-boundary water resources sustainably, said Dung.

He noted that water cooperation will make a significant contribution to reducing poverty, promoting social equality, and improving people’s living conditions and access to education, especially among women and children.

In addition, he said water cooperation will help create economic advantages, maintain and improve water resources, protect the environment, and conserve biodiversity.

He urged upstream countries to cooperate and share water resource management with Vietnam for the sake of peace and prosperity of all countries, including those downstream.

Vietnam is proud to be the cradle of the wet rice cultivation. It requires an increased volume of water for agricultural production, as well as for industries, services and other economic sectors.

Therefore, an adequate supply of water is vital to prosperity of every region and sustainable development of every sector.

In the face of water scarcity in the world, the PM called on Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities to take action to manage and use water resources efficiently.

He asked them to apply and develop modern technologies to use water resources economically and efficiently, while mobilising capital from various sources for water use projects.

According to a UN report, 11 percent of the global population, or 780 million people, do not access safe water every day. Along with negative effects of climate change, water resources are becoming scarce and deteriorated globally.

Support Earth Hour campaign in a novel way

To support the worldwide Earth Hour 2013 campaign, The Responsible Travel Club of Viet Nam will host a joyful event on Saturday for everybody to power the Earth.

Taking place at the Matchbox Restaurant, 40 Cao Ba Quat Street, from 7.30-9.30pm, the event will consist of several fun activities, such as turn off the lights (definitely), kisses bid to raise fund for the Animals Asia, salsa and bhangra folk dance teaching.

The event will also offer free vegetarian buffet and welcome drinks and champagne.

However, the attendees are required to bike to the event otherwise they will have to pay a fine.

Long An, Quang Nam free of blue ear pig disease

Long An and Quang Nam provinces announced on March 20 that blue ear pig disease has been contained in their localities.

The Long An provincial administration removed bans on transporting, trading and slaughtering pigs in Chau Thanh and Tan Tru districts where the disease broke out in late February 2013.

Local veterinarians had quarantined the affected areas, culled 83 infected pigs and disinfected farms. The province distributed 65,000 doses of vaccine and 8,000 litres of disinfectants to pig farmers.

However, local authorities were asked to reinforce preventive measures to keep the disease in check.

The same day, Quang Nam annulled its similar bans in all 18 districts and towns in the province.

More than a month ago the disease has spread to nearly 40 communes of six districts with more than 4,000 pigs infected, over 1,200 of which were culled.

Le Muon, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, warned that the epidemic could recur at any time though it is showing signs of waning.

Citizens consulted on development

Nguyen Van Tuan, 55, from Tien Phuoc District, central Quang Nam Province hopes that the women in his district won't have to work from dawn to dark and many remain extremely poor.

"They have no time for themselves and to do simple things such as to take care of their health," Tuan said.

Tuan represents the rural poor group, one of the eight consultant groups consisting of 1,300 people that the United Nations has interviewed in the past two months.

The interviews are part of the UN efforts to get the citizens' voices for the future development of the country after 2015 - the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals.

Speaking at an event yesterday, Nguyen Van Hieu, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, said that as Viet Nam and 189 other countries were heading toward 2015, it was time to think of a new development framework that could address the challenges even after the goals end.

UN resident co-ordinator Pratibha Mehta said as there were only about 1,000 days to go before the deadline of the MDGs, the UN was actively looking at what could be replaced after the deadline and facilitate the dialogue between policy makers, experts, citizens, among others.

"It's time for Viet Nam to accelerate progress on those MDGs that have not been achieved, while using its experiences to actively contribute to the global discussion on the post-2015 agenda," she said.

Peter Chaudhry, a UN consultant, said most citizens expressed their sense of inequality in all forms, a strong desire for a more responsive public services system, better voice in decision-making, desire for a cleaner environment and quality employment and stable jobs.

Findings will be included in a final report released in April to be included in a global UN report on ideas for a post-2015 development agenda.

Vietnam attends World Francophone Women’s Forum

A Vietnamese delegation, led by Ambassador Duong Van Quang who is also Head of the Vietnamese mission to UNESCO, participated in the first World Francophone Women's Forum in Paris on March 20.

Yamina Benguigui, Minister for French National Abroad and Francophony, said the forum provides a foundation for raising women’s status and defending their rights wherever they are under threat.

In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador Quang spoke of Vietnam’s close cooperation with the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) in this connection.

He said Vietnam has tried its best to promote gender equality, especially in the fight against violence towards women.

The World Francophone Women’s Forum was attended by 400 women from civil societies throughout the world.

Three roundtable pannels were held for them to share their own experiences and put forth proposals for a proactive network to co-ordinate efforts across the Francophone spectrum and beyond.

The World Francophone Women’s Forum currently involves 77 countries with a total of 220 million French-speaking women.

Motorbike robbery gang to be prosecuted

The Ha Noi Police has decided to prosecute three men involved in a motorbike theft in Tu Liem District's Cau Dien Town last December.

Two of the robbers were arrested in Ba Vi District one day after the theft occurred while the rest have evaded capture.

The suspects confessed that they had stolen 19 motorbikes in Ha Noi and neighbouring Hai Duong, Hung Yen and Vinh Phuc provinces since the beginning of 2011.

The police are now pursuing the man who absconded.

Methadone treatment helps drug addicts

Around 98 per cent of drug addicts in central Nghe An Province who took methadone therapy are reported to be in stable mental and physical condition.

For the past six months, the provincial center for HIV/AIDS prevention and control provided the medicine to 178 drug addicts.

Many of them now had stable jobs and could take care of themselves, said the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The province plans to open seven methadone treatment clinics with the capacity to treat 1,700 drug addicts by 2015.

Three-month-old elephant found dead

A three-month-old elephant was found dead in the Central Highlands Province of Dak Lak's Ea Sup District on Monday.

Grazing with its eight-member group near the Ea Sup Thuong Lake, the 50-kg elephant appeared to have choked to death.

Local authorities destroyed the elephant body in line with regulations, according to Huynh Trung Luan, director of the province's Elephant Conservation Center.

Vinacomin ship sinks after collision

Two boats belonging to the Viet Nam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group (VINACOMIN) collided early yesterday morning (March 20) off the coast of the central province of Nghe An, resulting in one sinking.

The 3,100 tonnes DWT (dead weight) boats Vinacomin 03 was carrying coal from northern Quang Ninh Province to central Quang Binh Province at around 2am when it crashed into the Vinacomin 02 going in the opposite direction and sank.

Thirteen of the 14 crew members of Vinacomin 03 were rescued by Vinacomin 02 immediately. The other one was found three hours later. All were in fair condition.

VNN/VOV/VNS