Prof. Dang Thi Kim Chi, former Deputy Head of the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Technology, has spent over 40 years doing research on the environment, particularly in the field of environmental treatment in craft villages.

According to the statistics of the Vietnam Association of Craft Villages, there are thousands of craft villages of both traditional and new crafts, such as mechanics and processing. One of the top concerns about the activities of these craft villages is the issue of environmental pollution.

Being a scientist, she understood that in the future Vietnam would need to do research and work on treating the environmental pollution, particularly the industrial and living environment. For this reason, she started engaging in researching the environment in craft villages, an urgent problem in rural areas during the process of integration.

In 2008, she was awarded the Kovalevskaia Prize by Deputy State President Nguyen Thi Doan for her excellent contributions to science.

Thanks to working trips, she has a passion for the craft villages. However, she is also worried about the environmental pollution in these places. In 2003, the research, codenamed KC.09.08 with the theme of “Researching scientific foundation and reality for devising policies and measures on solving the environmental issue in the craft villages in Vietnam” headed by her was completed. It immediately drew much attention from environmental managers and researchers as it was an urgent issue during the rapid development of craft villages in Vietnam.

According to Chi, most craft villages were established without being managed and planned. The customs of everyday life and backward thoughts of farmers have a great impact on the production mode and health of the community.

The research presents models to improve the environment that can be applied to four kinds of craft villages. These include waste paper recycling, timber processing, fine arts articles making and food and foodstuff processing.

These models were introduced to people in some craft villages to help reduce the materials and fuels and treat exhaust fumes, making a contribution to protecting the environment and health of the community. Because of this, many large-scale and strategic research on the sustainable development of craft villages that were related to the environment were carried out.

Chi said: “The work on the environment is an interdisciplinary one. For this reason, the environmental issue in craft villages always needs synchronous activities, research and treatment, meeting the specific features of each craft village”.

Therefore, Chi and her colleagues continuously research and look for solutions to the development of the environment in general and the environment in craft villages in particular.

Apart from her research on the environment, Prof. Chi also finds happiness in her scientific and educational causes. Many of her students have become “environmental soldiers”, engaging in activities to protect the environment in many craft villages nationwide.

For her endless efforts and great contribution to the work on environmental treatment, in 2008 she was awarded the Kovalevskaia. This is a prestigious prize for the most excellent female scientists who have had great achievements in the field of research and applying science to the reality of life, bringing about benefits in the economic, social and cultural fields. In 2010, she was conferred the title “People’s Teacher”.

Source: VNP