The education sector has stepped up digitalisation and developed database to better education and training quality, according to insiders.

Nguyen Van Chien, head of the education and training bureau of Viet Yen township in the northern province of Bac Giang, said digital transformation, piloted in the locality for more than a year, has encouraged students to self-study and master IT skills to capitalise on digital learning resources.

Besides, it has created opportunities to form new teaching models, helping teachers better control and evaluate students’ capacity in a precise and timely manner, he said.

Bui Thi Thanh Hang, principal of Vinh Hung primary school in Hanoi's Hoang Mai district, held that digital school records have made it easier for teachers to manage, keep tabs on students’ information, and make adjustments if necessary.

Furthermore, the pilot of the digital files is an important move towards a more effective and modern education system, creating favourable conditions for teachers and parents to update students’ academic performance, and provide them with timely support, she added.

Housing nearly 2,900 education establishments with around 2.2 million students and over 125,000 teachers, Hanoi has issued a plan to organise activities in response to the National Digital Transformation Day and arranged training courses on digital skills. The city has also paid due attention to developing digital transformation models and building smart classes and schools.

According to Nguyen Son Hai, Director of the Ministry of Education and Training’s Information and Communication Technology Department, the sector has completed the construction of database for the entire system, from preschools to universities, with more than 26 million dossiers of students, nearly 2 million of teachers and staff, and nearly 53,500 education and training establishments having been digitalised.

In the coming time, the ministry will accelerate the completion of its database and connect it with the national one to improve the efficacy of the digital transformation, he said, adding digital school records and digital certificates will be implemented widely to better transparency and quality in the management of education activities./.

Central localities try to woo tourists on National Day holiday

The central province of Thua Thien – Hue will organise a wide range of exciting sports, recreational, and entertainment activities, and diversify tourism products to attract visitors during this year's National Day holiday, which will last from August 31 to September 3.

The province is forecast to welcome 120,000 visitors during five days from August 30 – September 3, an increase of 22.4% compared to the same period last year. Revenue from services and tourism during the holiday is expected to reach 132 billion VND (over 5.3 million USD). The number of overnight stays is projected to be 48,000, up 31.3% year-on-year, including around 16,500 international visitors, surging by 54.3%.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Van Phuc, the Vietnam Railways Corporation is offering discounts for both group and individual travellers, so the number of tourists travelling to and from Hue by train is expected to increase sharply.

Phu Bai International Airport in Thua Thien – Hue plans to handle 330 flights with approximately 59,400 passengers during the holiday, while the VRC aims to transport around 13,000 passengers arriving at and departing from Hue station. Notably, about 3,500 passengers have booked the Hue – Da Nang "Connecting Central Heritage” tourist train service for the holiday.

Meanwhile, the central city of Da Nang will offer thousands of tourism service vouchers to visitors under a programme running from September to late December, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. The vouchers can be used at various entertainment venues, dining spots, and accommodation options. This initiative aims to stimulate both domestic and international tourism demand, providing visitors with exciting and attractive experiences in the beach city.

Visitors to Da Nang can receive vouchers at the Da Nang airport or on various tourism platforms such as Traveloka and KKDay when booking tourism services, at https://www.traveloka.com/vi-vn/promotion/enjoy-danang and https://www.kkday.com/en/promo/EnjoyDaNang. As part of the city's tourism promotion campaign, the programme promises to bring significant benefits to both visitors and the local community, the department said./.

HCM City art exhibition celebrates National Day

The HCM City Fine Arts Association is opening a mega art exhibition as part of the city’s celebrations of the 79th National Day on September 2.

The exhibition displays 385 paintings, graphic art works, and sculptures by 221 members of the association and 108 non-members.

The works are made of various materials like oil paint, acrylic, watercolour, silk, lacquer, wood, copper, stone, and clay.

They reflect a wide range of topics, covering nature and landscapes across Việt Nam, traditional crafts, culture, people, and daily life.

The works also highlight President Hồ Chí Minh, the country's development over the years, and the task of protecting the nation’s seas and islands.

Portraits and still lifes are included as well.

Nguyễn Xuân Tiên, the association’s chairman, said, “Most of the art works at the exhibitions are the result of creative camps in different regions of Việt Nam that the association launched at the beginning of this year.”

The association organised nine field trips to Hà Tiên City of Kiên Giang Province, the Pù Luông Nature Reserve in Thanh Hoá Province, Lý Sơn Islands in Quảng Ngãi Province, Hội An Ancient Town in Quảng Nam Province, Đồng Xoài and Lộc Ninh Cities in Bình Phước Province, Tịnh Biên Town in An Giang Province, Bình Dương Province, and HCM City, attracting 176 participants.

Tiên said the trips inspired the artists to create more quality art works to introduce to art lovers in the city and neighbouring provinces, contributing to the development of the city’s fine arts.

On the occasion of the exhibition, the association gave prizes to 52 top works, many of which highlight a peaceful life.

These include Lò Gạch Măng Thít (Măng Thít Brick Kiln), a wood bas-relief by Nguyễn Vũ Lâm; Vườn Xưa (Nostalgic Garden), a lacquer painting by Lâm Chí Trung, and Yêu Chính Mình (Love Yourself), a copper sculpture by Đinh Thị Thuỳ Linh.

Art lovers can view the works by the association’s members at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum at 97A Phó Đức Chính Street in District 1. The works by non-members are on display at 218A Pasteur Street in District 3.

The exhibition will be open to the public until September 2. 

Victor Vũ announces new movie celebrating his 20 years in cinema

Vietnamese-American director Victor Vũ is working on a new period mystery movie to celebrate his 20 years in the film industry.

The film Thám Tử Kiên – Kỳ Án Không Đầu (Detective Kiên – A Mysterious Case) is Vũ’s 18th production, which is inspired by Hồ Oán Hận (Resentment Lake), a detective story by writer Hồng Thái.

The work is set under the Nguyễn dynasty in the 19th century. It revolves around Kiên, a detective, who travels to a haunted village and discovers its mysteries and tragedies.

The character Kiên, played by Quốc Huy, appeared in Vũ’s movie Người Vợ Cuối Cùng (The Last Wife) released last year.

The movie tells the story of a young woman, living in a poor family during the semi-feudal colonial society of Việt Nam. Love, betrayal, and social and family issues are themes of the film.

Huy, a graduate of the HCM City University of Cinematography and Theatre, will continue his role in Vũ’s new project.

The 38-year-old actor said at the the press conference to publicize the film project in HCM City on last Wednesday that he spent much more time training in martial arts, fighting with swords, and riding horses to prepare for the role.

“There will be more thrilling fighting scenes in the movie,” he added.

The cast also features young actors such as Minh Anh and Anh Phạm.

The film’s director Vũ is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in the US.

He is known for the films Scandal and Thiên Mệnh Anh Hùng (Blood Letter) released in 2012, Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass) in 2015, and Mắt Biếc (Dreamy Eyes) in 2019.

His blockbusters Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh and Mắt Biếc were selected by the ministry of culture as the Vietnamese entries for the Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards in 2017 and 2020.

Both films are adapted from novels of the same names by best-selling author Nguyễn Nhật Ánh.

Vũ’s 2021 horror movie Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh (The Guardian) was distributed in cinemas in 12 countries such as Australia, Canada, Hungary, France, Ireland, the UK and the US.

In 2022, Vũ released his TV thriller series called Trại Hoa Đỏ (Red Flowers Farm) in collaboration with American director of photography Dominic Pereira and music producer/composer Garrett Crosby.

Vũ’s latest movie Detective Kiên – A Mysterious Case is slated to be in theatres on May 16 next year. 

Việt Nam eager for Culture Week in Sweden and Denmark

Preparation is underway for the Việt Nam Culture Week in Sweden and Denmark, with a special art performance programme approved on Monday.

The week-long festival will be from September 4 to 12 in the two Swedish cities of Stockholm and Malmo, and in Copenhagen in Denmark, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST).

It aims to celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Việt Nam and Sweden and 45 years of Việt Nam-Denmark relations.

The event will include a series of shows combining different music genres including traditional, classical and jazz. 

Talented performers from the Việt Nam National Academy of Music (VNAM) will join international artists in the programme in both Nordic countries.

A rehearsal took place on Monday at the VNAM. MoCST Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương attended and approved the event.

A music gala will get underway in Stockholm and a cultural exchange will be held at the Malmö Academy of Music in Sweden, with a view to boosting the friendship and mutual understanding between Việt Nam and the host country.

People's Artist Đỗ Quốc Hưng, VNAM Deputy Director, said a group of about 20 artists, lecturers and officials from the VNAM will participate in the event, many of whom have studied and worked in Sweden or Denmark.

Hưng added that the VNAM artists will join foreign friends to offer two shows on September 6 and 8 in Sweden and another on September 10 in Denmark.

Within the framework of the cultural week, the MoCST's Việt Nam Culture and Arts Exhibition Centre will also open an exhibition themed Sắc Màu Văn Hóa Việt Nam (Colours of Vietnamese Culture).

The exhibition will introduce to foreign friends unique traditional cultural and art products, such as ceramics, lacquerware and traditional costumes including the world famous dress of áo dài, bamboo and rattan weaving, silversmithing and photos of Việt Nam's heritage.

Most of the products on display during the week have won national and UNESCO awards for applied arts. There will also be displays of impressive and unique products, telling stories about Vietnamese craft villages.

A number of other activities will also take place during the week such as a Việt Nam-Sweden Trade and Investment Promotion Forum, a ceremony to celebrate the 79th National Day of Việt Nam on September 2 and the 55th anniversary of Việt Nam- Sweden relations, an áo dài fashion show.

Nam Định target Super Cup win against powerful Thanh Hóa

Thép Xanh Nam Định head coach Vũ Hồng Việt wants to beat Đông Á Thanh Hóa at the National Super Cup match, the start of the new football season, on August 31 on their home soil at the Thiên Trường Stadium.

Nam Định are the V.League 1 champions, showing an impressive performance throughout the season. They recorded 53 points to top the ranking with 60 goals.

Meanwhile Thanh Hóa are the National Cup winners, defeating all title favourites to take the trophy for the second straight year.

It will be considered a sweet revenge for the hosts after losing to Thanh Hóa in the National Cup's semi-finals and missing their chance to qualify for the gold-medal match.

“Thanh Hóa are strong as we experienced their power in the last two seasons," said Việt at the press briefing in Hà Nội on Monday.

"The team head coach (Velizar) Popov is a special trainer who can inspire his players to play strong and high-speed football.

"We regrettably lost to them in the National Cup and will not let it happen again in the upcoming game, especially when we play at Thiên Trường," he said.

Also at the press briefing striker Nguyễn Văn Toàn said he was recovering from an ankle injury and might not play at the Super Cup.

However his absence would not affect Nam Định's playing style as his teammates were training hard and would do their job well in the upcoming game.

"Our defeat to Thanh Hóa in the National Cup pushes us to strive stronger for the Super Cup. We will seek revenge and keep the trophy at Thiên Trường,” Toàn said.

It will be Nam Định's first ever trophy if they win. In the past, Nam Định competed in the 2007 Super Cup but they lost 1-3 to Bình Dương at the Gò Đậu Stadium.

On the Thanh Hóa side, coach assistant Mai Xuân Hợp said their strong determination would be a weapon to help Thanh Hóa when they have to play far from home.

“We are happy competing in the Super Cup match for the second time. We will have to play at Nam Định's Thiên Trường, a disadvantage for us, but we will turn that into motivation to win, creating a good beginning of the season," said Hợp.

"Thanh Hóa have focused on practising for this match and made up a plan to prevent Nam Định's sharp striker Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes, the top scorer of the season, from scoring."

Midfielder A Mít said his goal against Nam Định at the National Cup semis would inspire him to score another goal on August 31, fulfilling Thanh Hóa's target of winning the second Super Cup match in history.

The match will be overseen by a foreign referee for the first time, as the organising committee invited Malaysian FIFA-official Muhammad Nazmi bin Nasaruddin to Thiên Trường.

It will also be the first time that the VAR system is used in this seasonal opening match. 

Units in Cà Mau work together to tackle natural disasters

Early warning and early action to enhance resilience to natural disasters has been the consistent motto of Cà Mau Province for many years, said Phan Hoàng Vũ, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

Vũ, who is also deputy head of the provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said that to digitise the monitoring and reporting on damage caused by natural disasters at all levels, the province had established an online statistics software, with 121 accounts.

The system has initially operated smoothly and continuously.

In addition, the steering committee’s website for disaster prevention and control was opened early last year.

“This is a useful information channel to help the community be proactive in preventing, combating and overcoming consequences of natural disasters,” said Vũ.

Modern technology has been applied by all sectors through the forecast and warning system, the use of drones and satellites.

“Developing response plans for each type of natural disaster is considered an important step to take early and timely actions when a natural disaster occurs,” he said.

Based on the level of natural disaster risk, the steering committee set up five response plans, including plan for storms, tropical depressions and strong winds at sea. It has a plan for strong storms, super storms; a plan for heavy rain, whirlwinds, lightning, floods, rising water; a plan for landslides and land subsidence; and a plan for drought and saltwater intrusion.

Đỗ Minh Điền, deputy head of the Irrigation Division under the DARD, said that responding to and overcoming consequences of natural disasters was a task with no rest time, because many types of natural disasters kept coming one after another.

“With proactive monitoring, forecasting and early warning information, many solutions have been deployed. These early actions have partly mitigated the damage,” said Điền.

In the period 2015-16, drought, saltwater intrusion and subsidence caused damage of about VNĐ1.4 trillion (US$55.9 million)

By 2019-20, the number was about VNĐ800 billion ($32 million).

In 2023-24, the damage caused by this type of natural disaster was about VNĐ30 billion ($1.2 million).

“Forecasting and warning is more and more accurate, whereas authorities’ instruction is close to reality and people's awareness is constantly improving,” he said.

The province has installed 51 hydro-meteorological monitoring stations, which will help improve the forecasting and warning capacity.

As close to perfect warnings as they can be, the information is also promptly transmitted to local residents to have more time to respond.

The province has organised training courses on natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue and climate change response in various forms.

The province prepared more than 150 tents, 200 water pumps, 40 generators and reserve medicine, medical equipment to respond to natural disasters.

Lê Văn Sử, deputy chairman of the Cà Mau Province People’s Committee, said that the committee had approved an overall plan for natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue.

“The key task is to direct authorities at all levels to review, consolidate and improve the steering committees to unify the direction and task implementation,” said Sử.

One more important work is improving forecasting and warning capacity, raising knowledge of disaster prevention and control for the community.

“We invest in and upgrade irrigation works, dykes, irrigation systems to prevent salinity, conduct urban and residential area beautification combined with stabilising people's lives and production in disaster-affected areas,” he said.

The province set up loudspeakers for coastal communes and towns to facilitate disaster warnings and dredging and clearing obstacles on rivers and waterways are carried out regularly.

“We define that forecast information must be specific and clear so that local people can understand. Units deploy timely response solutions, close to the actual situation,” he said.

The province assigns direct commanding officers and operational officers specialised in each area.

It sets up checkpoints at river mouths and seaports for inspection, releases sea bans and travel bans to ensure boats’ safety during storms.

Localities provide enough storage space for early harvest products to protect aquatic products from typhoons, maintain seafood processing activities to ensure quality, especially for shrimps.

Organisations integrate disaster prevention and control into their work plan and socio-economic development plans to improve efficiency.

“The most important thing is to call for the strength of all people in the province for disaster prevention, control, search and rescue,” said Sử.

More than 29,000 people, including young people, farmers and workers are on standby, ready to join natural disaster prevention and control force when needed. 

MoNRE urges formation of committees to enhance river pollution control

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has urged Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính to establish five river basin committees to unify the efforts to improve water quality.

This initiative comes amid growing concerns over water quality in numerous river basins, with some rivers suffering severe pollution, posing risks to residents' health and daily lives.

The proposed measures include the comprehensive collection and treatment of domestic wastewater and ensuring clean water flow.

Châu Trần Vĩnh, director of the ministry's Water Resources Management Department, said that despite ongoing efforts by ministries and local authorities to restore polluted rivers, progress has been fragmented and lacks a unified strategy.

MoNRE has highlighted the continued industrial discharge into rivers, compounded by insufficient State resources for wastewater collection and treatment.

Currently, only 17 per cent of domestic wastewater is collected and treated nationwide.

Alarmingly, just 30.3 per cent of industrial zones and 16.1 per cent of craft villages have centralised wastewater treatment systems.

Rivers such as the Nhuệ-Đáy, Cầu, Tô Lịch and the Bắc Hưng Hải irrigation system are heavily polluted due to excessive waste inflows.

The Nhuệ-Đáy basin alone receives 65 per cent of its waste from Hà Nội, with approximately 1,980 discharge sources, including 1,660 from production facilities and 40 from industrial zones.

The ministry has enhanced environmental monitoring in the Nhuệ-Đáy basin with five automatic and 42 periodic monitoring stations and has established continuous online data connections for major discharge points.

MoNRE recently inaugurated a new centre for integrating and processing environmental data and managing the national monitoring network. It has committed to assessing river capacities and working with localities on suitable solutions.

However, the ministry stressed that restoring severely polluted rivers requires comprehensive involvement from all relevant ministries and local authorities to effectively manage waste and ensure clean water flow.

Vĩnh said the Water Resources Management Department outlined a plan that includes immediate local efforts to improve the collection and treatment of domestic and agricultural wastewater, as well as establishing mechanisms to attract resources for sustainable river management.

A pilot project for river restoration, expected to be submitted to the prime minister in 2025, will consider two approaches, starting with the polluted Bắc Hưng Hải system and expanding to other rivers in Hà Nội, or implementing a nationwide programme to address degraded and polluted water sources.

Another solution for restoring 'dead' rivers is to manage them by river basin rather than by administrative boundaries.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has proposed five river basin committees for the Red-Thái Bình, North Central, South Central, Southeast and Mekong rivers.

These committees will manage major basins and their tributaries, such as the Nhuệ and Đáy rivers, with representatives from government, ministries, and local authorities for coordinated oversight. 

Hanoi suburban residents get rich from Di Trach guava farming

Di Trach guava, named after Di Trach commune of Hanoi’s suburban district of Hoai Duc, has been a four-star OCOP (One Commune-One Product) product since 2021 and become one of the key products helping local residents get rid of poverty and become rich.

Director of the Di Trach service cooperative Nguyen Huu Quang said that in the commune, almost every household grows guava. The cooperative has 30 members who grow about 4 hectares of guava. Local residents have also expanded their guava farms to nearby communes with a total area of more than 30 hectares.

Over the years, local farmers have switched from traditional farming to high-tech farming towards VietGAP standard, thus producing high quality products and protecting the environment.

Pham Van Hung, a farmer in Di Trach commune, said that guava is disease-resilient and does not require efforts to cultivate.

In 2021, Di Trach guava is certificated four stars by the city’s OCOP programme, enhancing its reputation.

Thanks to guava growing, many farmers in Di Trach have earned hundreds of millions of VND per year. Di Trach guavas have been sold in supermarkets and fruit and vegetable shops in the city and other localities, with sales of about 40 tonnes per month excluding the volume sold in traditional markets.

With the price of 20,000 VND (0.80 USD) per kilo, the product has shown high economic value, helping improve local farmers’ income./.

Long-term solutions for urban flooding prevention

Flooding in urban areas of many provinces and cities in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta is becoming increasingly serious, affecting socio-economic activities, especially traffic, business, environmental sanitation and the urban landscape.

Localities are strengthening measures to prevent flooding to promote sustainable urban beautification.

The Cần Thơ Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that every year during the rainy season, from August to November of the lunar calendar, many areas in the city were flooded up an average of a metre in depth.

But over the past two decades, Cần Thơ City has experienced 14 years with high tides of over two metres. In the last nine consecutive years, the tides have been over two metres and in 2022, reached 2.27m.

Flooding due to high tides is increasing due to more rainfall and subsidence.

In Cà Mau Province, the provincial hydro-meteorological station reported that this year, the rainy season will have higher rainfall than the average of previous years.

Head of the Cà Mau City Urban Management Division Nguyễn Trường Giang said that the city’s drainage system had been built a long time ago and had now deteriorated leading to inundation in different roads including Phan Ngọc Hiển, Ngô Quyền, Nguyễn Trãi, Trần Hưng Đạo, Nguyễn Đình Chiểu and Bùi Thị Trường.

Rạch Giá City in Kiên Giang Province had also seen very slow drainage.

Chairman of Kiên Giang People's Committee Lâm Minh Thành said that in recent years, the province had heavy and prolonged rain with an average rainfall of 50-80mm and lasting for 30 minutes or more.

Flooding occurred in Rạch Giá and Phú Quốc cities.

According to experts, flooding is due to the old and degraded drainage infrastructure system, natural disasters and climate change.

In addition, it has been caused by limited management, especially related to environmental sanitation, dredging and clearing sewers before the rainy season. Experts also pointed out that the situation was caused by weak planning and infrastructure investment management.

In addition, some people’s awareness is not high, dumping garbage in the wrong place, blocking water intakes and manholes and narrowing the banks of canals and drainage ditches, obstructing the flow.

According to Nguyễn Nghĩa Hùng, Deputy Director of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, to reduce widespread flooding in Cần Thơ City, as well as providing water for Kiên Giang and Hậu Giang regions in the dry season, it is necessary to invest in additional sluice gates on the main canals connecting to the Hậu River.

The tidal control sluice gates along the Hậu and Cần Thơ rivers will help reduce flooding in inner Cần Thơ City, while promoting the storage of fresh water.

To completely solve flooding, even due to rain, it is necessary to complete the embankment along the Cần Thơ River, the drainage system and the rain pumping station.

Cần Thơ City also proposed the project 'Flood and landslide prevention, climate change adaptation combined with urban beautification'.

The project has a total investment of more than VNĐ4.5 trillion (US$179.1 million) from the central budget, implemented in Ninh Kiều and Bình Thủy districts in the period of 2024-30.

Director of the Cần Thơ Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Văn Sử said that the project's goal was to prevent flooding in nearly 2,800ha in the inner city.

It would build embankments with a total length of nearly 9km along rivers and canals, build a combined sluice gate and pumping station, 11 control sluices and upgrade roads along the embankment.

Cà Mau City is prioritising investments to upgrade roads and renovate and clean drainage systems along roads that are frequently flooded due to high tides to avoid affecting people's travel and daily activities.

Nguyễn Trường Giang, Head of the Cà Mau City Urban Management Division, said that the annual budget requirement for upgrading roads and drainage systems was very large.

This was a difficulty in preventing and combating flooding in the city.

Therefore, to have a long-term solution in the coming time, the city would take advantage of different sources of support to invest in roads.

Deputy Chairman of the Kiên Giang People's Committee Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn requested the Rạch Giá City to strengthen management on drainage systems and immediately inspect electrical systems, manholes and dredge sewers, with priority given to main drainage sewers.

The Rạch Giá City Division of Transport will work with the city authorities to renovate the drainage system on Nguyễn Trung Trực Street and 3/2 Street, along with expanding and upgrading the road surface to serve travel in the coming time.

The Kiên Giang People's Committee has allocated about VNĐ70 billion ($2.7 million) to upgrade the riverside dike downstream of Cái Lớn and Cái Bé sluices to soon reduce flooding in this area. 

Joy comes from witnessing rescued animals run, jump: wildlife conservationists

Nguyễn Thu Thủy, a conservationist of the Asian Turtle Programme at Cúc Phương National Park, Ninh Bình Province, begins her day at 7am by inspecting every turtle and delegating chores to her staff teams.

During the breeding season, the animal care team will clean the enclosure, prepare and feed the turtles, and keep an eye on the eggs.

The medical assessment and care regimens for recently rescued or wounded turtles will be reviewed by the veterinary team.

“After that, we'll take care of the eggs in the incubator, inspect the egg incubator to see if any turtles have been hatched,” Thủy said.

Wild animal rescue staff at the Turtle Conservation Centre of Cúc Phương Park are busy, she said, adding that they have to work every day including holidays and weekends.

"The rescue operations are ongoing around the clock. When the staff learns about animals seized from the illicit trade, they make plans to depart at any time of day.

“We assist law enforcement agencies and partner units in identifying turtles for sale and providing guidance on temporary care plans while waiting for the rescue team to arrive. We also cooperate with domestic rescue centres and conservation areas to rescue animals and coordinate activities to release turtles into the wild," she told Bảo Vệ Pháp Luật (Law Protection) newspaper.

She said employees in wildlife conservation have extensive training and expertise. They are responsible for making sure the animals are fed and have access to medical treatment.

After nearly a decade of employment at the centre, Thủy said staying with her favourite species and being close to nature are a great joy to her.

She is surrounded by a group of coworkers that are committed to their jobs and constantly encourage one another. She sees them as fellow enthusiasts.

She is also lucky to be able to travel, share and study in many places to work more effectively. These are the driving forces behind her continued hard effort.

The Turtle Conservation Centre of Cúc Phương National Park is currently responsible for more than 2,000 animals including 24 native turtle species in Việt Nam.

The centre employs 14 staff members and two long-term international volunteers.

Eighty percent of the staff members are from the local community living around the park while 60 percent of them are indigenous Mường ethnic people.

In addition to caring for and preserving precious and rare wild animals, the centre bears the vital duty of caring for and nurturing wild animals that are evidence of the violation cases.

When wildlife creatures are used as proof of violations, emergency rescues are frequently necessary and can occur at any moment. As soon as we receive the news, we will quickly determine the number of individuals of each species through images from the investigation agency and guide them through basic initial care steps to keep the animals stable while waiting for the rescue team to arrive, she said.

When the rescue team arrives to the evidence collection facility, they will inspect every turtle, give them food and drink, tend to any wounds and keep healthy turtles apart from sick ones to prevent cross-contamination, according to her, she said.

Staff will conduct health checks and arrange suitable cages for each species/individual. Rescued individuals are kept for a minimum of 90 days in the quarantine area for parasite removal, treatment, monitoring and special care, she said.

Nguyễn Tất Hà, a veterinary officer at Pù Mát National Park Wildlife Rescue Centre in central Nghệ An Province, has a special memory during his wildlife rescue journey.

When caring for a monkey over ten years ago, the animal grabbed, scratched, tore and damaged his arm, leaving significant scars that remain to this day.

"I just returned to work after a lengthy vacation. The animals had not been around me for a while, so they were not accustomed to me,” he said.

After 20 years in the field, Hà feels that caring for animals is similar to being an emergency physician in that it calls for commitment and rapid attention in order to treat animals that are in need of rescue.

The wild creatures that are brought to the centre have been malnourished, hunted, held captive and transported for several days, leaving them weak, hurt, or even dead.

No matter it is day or night, when they hear a phone call reporting injured or illegally trafficked wildlife being confiscated by the authorities and in need of assistance, they immediately arrive at the scene to promptly handle it professionally.

"Our joy is seeing the rescued animals being raised and cared for at this centre running, jumping and having fun every day, even though the work is challenging and demanding and the payment rate is not high.

“The greatest happiness for conservation workers like us is when each individual grows healthy and can return to its natural habitat,” he said.

Thủy from Cúc Phương National Park sent a message to the younger generation: “We are the reason why many wildlife species are threatened and hurt and we are the only ones to be able to make changes on that fact.

“The fate of wildlife species lies in the understanding and actions of each individual. Wildlife conservation is a journey that takes many years to see results. Hopefully the younger generation will be the ones who will continue to make changes and witness that positive changes.” 

Local hydrometeorological stations improve forecasts to proactively mitigate storm impact

As Việt Nam is one of the countries most affected by climate change and natural disasters in the world, weather forecast technology and human resources are crucial to the country to prevent damage and fatalities from extreme natural phenomena.

According to the Việt Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, storm and tropical depression forecasts in the country have made remarkable progress and are on par with other developed countries in the region and the world.

Local hydrometeorological stations have made constant improvements for more accurate forecasts, while proactively communicating with local authorities for better preparations against natural disasters.

The central province of Quảng Trị is among the most affected by severe weather phenomena in Việt Nam, notably storms and floods.

Statistics between 2014 and 2024 showed that the locality witnessed 17 typhoons and tropical depressions and was indirectly impacted by 20 others.

Aiming to minimise the damage caused by natural disasters and ensure a stable socio-economic development for the people, Quảng Trị Hydrometeorological Station has been working to apply advanced technology in their forecasts.

Phạm Ngọc Phương, a forecaster at the station said various technologies have been used to collect and analyse data such as synoptic maps, Himawari Satellite and radar images to produce forecasts with the highest possible accuracy.

In addition to traditional media, the station is also leveraging social media platforms and mobile applications to make it easier for people to receive this crucial information.

Khánh Hòa Province is another locality severely affected by typhoons and tropical depressions every year.

In 2017, Typhoon Damrey made landfall in the south-central coastal province, killing 45 people and causing damage worth trillions of đồng.

Khánh Hòa People’s Committee chairman Nguyễn Tấn Tuân said that Typhoon Damrey has left the province with painful memories, including people’s negligence to weather forecasts from hydrometeorological agencies or the media.

Aware of the dangers of storms and tropical depressions, in recent years, the South-central Regional Hydrometeorological Station has been working to improve forecasts to ensure quick, accurate information and alleviate the damage to people’s lives and assets. Last year, Khánh Hòa Province recorded no fatalities due to natural disasters.

In the province’s Hòn Rớ Fishing Port, many fishing vessel captains and owners now closely follow storm forecasts to proactively prepare for their multi-day sailing trips.

Bùi Hót, the captain of the fishing vessel No QNg 9387 said: “As a fisherman, I regularly look up weather forecasts.

“If we’re fishing at sea and hear that a storm or tropical depression is coming, I will direct our ship out of the danger zone and return to a safe area.”

Trần Văn Hưng, deputy director of the South-central Regional Hydrometeorological Station also said that thanks to advanced technology applications, the agency has been able to produce more accurate and early forecasts and warnings, contributing to better disaster prevention and control plans.

Since the beginning of the rainy season this year, Khánh Hòa has been deploying various measures to ensure dam safety and people’s awareness of the incoming storms.

Khánh Hòa Director of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Duy Quang, who also serves as the deputy head of the local steering committee for natural disaster control, prevention, search and rescue said: “We ensure tasks assigned by the local authorities such as develop a comprehensive system of reservoirs, canals as well as river and coastal breakwaters.”

It is hoped that with these comprehensive actions and improved technology in forecasting and warning, the public will proactively respond to natural disasters and suffer less from damage caused by storms and tropical depressions. 

Over VNĐ6 billion to spend for white-cheeked gibbon conservation in Quảng Bình

A grant of over VNĐ6 billion (US$238,000) for a southern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus siki) conservation project in the biodiversity-rich Trường Sơn mountain range, Quảng Ninh District, Quảng Bình Province, has been approved by the provincial People’s Committee.

The project will encompass key components, including training, transferring scientific and technical advancements, and enhancing capacity and effectiveness of management for officials and agencies. These efforts aim to improve wildlife conservation and the management of local protected forest areas.

It will establish a comprehensive management system that integrates nature and human interests in the Trường Sơn biodiversity hotspot and prioritise public awareness campaigns and educational programmes to bolster forest management and efforts against deforestation.

Additionally, the project will develop various sustainable livelihood models for local communities to improve their living standards and reduce unnecessary forest resource exploitation.

The primate, also known as white-cheeked black gibbon, is classified as critically endangered in both the Vietnamese and global Red Lists. It is a species of gibbon prioritised for protection and conservation.

In Việt Nam, Siki gibbons are classified in Group IB and are found in the northern parts of Quảng Trị and Quảng Bình provinces. Recent surveys indicate that they are living mainly on high mountainous and limestone forest areas of the Trường Sơn range.

The conservation project for the Siki gibbon is scheduled to run until the end of 2025. 

Businesses using forest environmental services to pay fee under a new decree

Businesses involved in eco-tourism that use forest environmental services will have to pay fees for these services under the latest decree, which took effect on July 18.

The update was announced on Wednesday during a conference on the Government’s Decree No. 91/2024/NĐ-CP. The decree provides detailed regulations for enforcing specific provisions of the Forestry Law and introduces changes to Decree No. 156/2018/NĐ-CP, issued on November 16, 2018.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Trần Quang Bảo, director of the ministry’s Forestry Department, stated that the new decree includes eight new provisions.

These include adjustments to the area of different types of forests, management of ecological, recreational and leisure activities in forests, forest allocation, leasing, withdrawal and decisions on changing forest land use purposes, forest type conversion, policies on changing forest use purposes, infrastructure projects for sustainable protection and development, forest environmental services and transitional regulations.

“The changes are based on the Forestry Law and practical issues to ensure consistency with Vietnamese laws, as well as to address administrative and forest management challenges,” he said.

Regarding the payment for forest environmental services, the decree adds regulations to ensure appropriate adjustments for the area of forests providing these services.

Additionally, the decree updates the list of industrial facilities using water from natural sources to determine specific industries required to pay for forest environmental services according to the Forestry Law.

It also specifies the locations of eco-tourism businesses using these services, requiring them to be either within or adjacent to the forest areas providing environmental services. The people's committees will determine the list of organisations and individuals who must pay for these services.

“For instance, Hà Nội has several eco-tourism and resort areas not within forests but along forest edges or streams. Based on the ministry's guidelines, the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will issue relevant decisions. This measure will help increase local forest protection fund revenues,” he explained.

At the conference, participants strongly welcomed the new decree hoping it will resolve difficulties in the forestry sector. They also requested that the ministry provide clear guidelines on the delegation of authority for forest land use changes, decisions on changing land use purposes and projects related to forests such as forest type conversion, eco-tourism, environmental services and carbon credit sales.

Đỗ Ngọc Đoàn, deputy director of the Phú Thọ Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that there is still a lack of uniformity regarding forest management authority, particularly for special-use forests.

Additionally, administrative procedures for land allocation, forest allocation, land leasing and forest leasing still have many issues.

In reply, Bảo said that the Department of Forestry and the Forest Protection Department will soon issue detailed guidelines and organise training to help localities implement the decree as quickly as possible.

Nguyễn Quốc Trị, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, reported that the forestry sector currently covers 15.68 million hectares, with 14.8 million hectares of forest. To manage and exploit these forests, the authorities have issued 65 legal documents in this field.

Trị noted that Decree No. 91/2024/NĐ-CP took effect immediately upon issuance on July 18. He said the decree will soon address existing gaps and discrepancies in forestry regulations, enabling the sector to contribute more effectively to sustainable socio-economic development and environmental protection. 

First education-community sustainable tourism deals inked in central Việt Nam

Cooperation deals for sustainable tourism, education and scientific researches have been inked by community-based tourism co-operatives in Hội An, Quảng Ngãi and Đà Nẵng and the centre of students support and business relations, under the University of Science and Education-Đà Nẵng University.

These deals will help boost biodiversity conservation, enhance community-based sustainable tourism, research and traditional cultural preservation, while improving community capability in natural resources management and local values.

It’s also a positive progress step in partnerships between the university and communities including Kim Bồng carpentry community-based tourism and experience Group in Hội An, Hòa Bắc communal eco-tour and farming cooperative in Đà Nẵng City, the Sa Huỳnh traditional salt production and tourism and Bàu Cá Cái wetland forest tourism group in Quảng Ngãi Province.

The community-based tourism sites will be used as field study locations for scientific researchers and students from the university, while the centre will see business partners and investors for promoting community-based tourism at a local level.

Natural conservation programmes and researches initiated by the university will help improve basic knowledge and nature management and protection capacity for local communities through scientific studies.

It’s the first ever sustainable development and nature conservation cooperation programme between an university and community in central Việt Nam.

The University of Science and Education has provided courses for thousands of students to help explore natural heritage, from rural mountainous to coastal areas in central Việt Nam, as well as offshore islands, since 2014.

Lecturers at the university have helped produce healthy products made from spirulina, a type of blue-green algae, in a joint-venture with the Vạn Tường high-tech agricultural cooperative in Quảng Ngãi Province and in boosting organic salt production as an OCOP (One-Commune One-Product) – a sustainable tourism brand – off the coast of Sa Huỳnh.

The field education programme, initiated by the university, has been working with villages of An Định, Lộc Mỹ, Tà Lang and Giàn Bí, Yên Retreat in create a complex of crafts, farm tours and community education in Hòa Bắc commune, a rural area in Đà Nẵng City.

Kim Bồng carpentry village in Hội An has been listed as an education and traditional craft experience tours in field education programmes at the university.

Việt Nam urgently needs legal framework to enhance genetic resource conservation and development

The Ministry of Science and Technology emphasised that Việt Nam urgently needs to establish a legal framework to sustain and enhance the conservation and development of genetic resources.

This message was delivered at a workshop on evaluating the results of the genetic resource conservation and sustainable usage for the 2015-2024 period and outlining directions for the 2025-2030 period, on Monday in Hà Nội.

The workshop provided an opportunity for managers, scientists and experts to exchange and share experiences, achievements, challenges and propose new solutions and directions for the coming years.

In his opening remarks, Minister of Science and Technology Huỳnh Thành Đạt stated that through conservation and sustainable use tasks, a total of 80,911 genetic resources have been collected and preserved. This includes over 47,770 agricultural plant species, 5,760 forestry plant species, 7,030 medicinal plant species, 890 animal species, 390 aquatic species and 19,050 microbial species.

The Plant Resources Centre under the Việt Nam Academy of Agricultural Sciences has collected over 10,000 genetic resources from various plant groups. The Việt Nam Forestry Science Institute and forestry departments of universities have preserved nearly 2,000 genetic resources from 70 species of forestry plants, including many rare species with 100 per cent local genetic resources planted in several regions such as Sơn La, Lào Cai, Ba Vì, Phú Thọ, Lâm Đồng, Đăk Nông and Bình Thuận.

In recent years, over 7,000 valuable medicinal genetic resources have been discovered and preserved. This material is extremely valuable for breeding new varieties with better yields, quality and higher value.

Additionally, researchers have initially evaluated nearly 56,000 genetic resources. Many of these have been exploited and applied in production and daily life, such as Ngọc Linh ginseng, the blue swimming crab, giant barb (catlocarpio siamensis), high-quality native rice and the vù hương (cinnamomum balansae) tree, contributing to increased value in various sectors, particularly agriculture.

Chu Hoàng Hà, vice president of the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology, noted that Việt Nam is moving towards promoting the development of a bio-based, green and circular economy. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has highlighted the importance of local genetic resources in socio-economic development, leveraging agricultural strengths and the diversity of local genetic resources.

Therefore, the implementation of the genetic resource conservation and sustainable usage for the period of 2025-2030 should continue to prioritise in-depth basic research on genetic resources, including digitisng genetic resources to international standards, maintaining conservation and intellectual property registration, combined with traditional research on animal, plant and microbial genetic resources.

Đạt also mentioned that efforts to conserve and develop genetic resources need to be further strengthened. A new genetic resource conservation and sustainable use plan for the period of 2026-2030 will be developed and submitted to the Prime Minister in the first quarter of 2025.

Ongoing efforts will include enhancing and upgrading infrastructure, equipment, scientific research and technology to support conservation, preservation and evaluation of genetic resources, while increasing scientific and technological resources to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and protection of national resources, he said. 

Expanding access to essential medications for insured patients

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has responded to voter concerns regarding the limited availability of cancer treatment drugs covered by health insurance in public hospitals, medications that were once included but are now excluded.

The ministry has pledged to continue its efforts to expand the range of covered treatments and enhance the quality of care for patients.

In its commitment to universal health insurance, MoH has prioritised the development and improvement of policies, particularly those related to drug coverage.

Việt Nam is recognised as one of the few countries with a relatively comprehensive list of medications covered by health insurance, aligned with the premiums paid.

Under a circular issued on December 31, 2022, the ministry provided an updated list of chemical drugs, biological products, radiopharmaceuticals and markers eligible for insurance coverage.

This extensive list includes 1,037 active ingredients, divided into 27 major groups, along with 59 radiopharmaceuticals and markers.

Significantly, the list features 76 active ingredients specifically for cancer treatment and immunomodulatory drugs, underscoring the ministry's commitment to safeguarding the rights of cancer patients.

The list specifies medications by active ingredient rather than by brand name, ensuring flexibility in the selection of drugs covered by the Health Insurance Fund at medical facilities, regardless of treatment indications or specialities.

MoH plans to continue reviewing and amending the circular that governs the list of drugs covered by the Health Insurance Fund.

This ongoing effort aims to broaden treatment options and ensure high-quality care for patients.

Additionally, MoH is working with relevant agencies to establish regulations for the direct reimbursement of drug and medical device costs for insured patients.

This initiative is designed to address potential drug shortages caused by external factors, ensuring that patients' treatment needs and insurance rights are protected.

In a related response to voters in Cần Thơ City, the ministry highlighted that the insurance coverage extends beyond modern pharmaceutical drugs to include traditional medicines and herbal remedies.

A circular issued on March 17, 2015, outlines a list of 229 traditional medicines and herbal drugs, organised into 11 functional groups, and 349 traditional medicinal herbs, divided into 30 groups based on traditional medicine principles.

The current list of drugs covered by the Health Insurance Fund encompasses a wide range of treatments across various medical specialities, both in modern and traditional medicine, meeting patients' needs while aligning with the Fund’s payment capacity.

To further enhance medication availability and quality for insured patients, the ministry will periodically review and expand the list of covered drugs, with a particular focus on the needs of children, the elderly, and the economically disadvantaged, while maintaining the financial balance of the Health Insurance Fund. 

Photo exhibition highlights Hanoi's development, innovation, integration

A photo exhibition themed "Hanoi Development - Innovation - Integration" will be held in October as part of the activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the capital city's Liberation Day (October 10, 1954 - 2024), and the 100 years of the Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 – 2025).

The event will be jointly organised by the Hanoi Journalists Association, the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, the Hanoi Art Photography Association, and the Press Photo Club under the Vietnam Journalists Association.

It aims to meet the requirements of communication work of political, economic, cultural-social, national defense and security tasks, and international foreign affairs of the capital city.

The exhibition will bring images of Hanoi's social life to the public, showing the development of the thousand-year-old capital, the City for Peace and the Creative City.

The activity also aims to spark a creative movement among reporters, photographers, and photography enthusiasts to produce valuable works.

The exhibition of art and press photos will depict a variety of current political, cultural, and social activities taking place in the capital, bringing beautiful images to people all over the country and foreign friends.

The exhibition is scheduled from October 8 -13 at the Hanoi Exhibition Information Centre in Hoan Kiem District.

NA Standing Committee convenes 6th meeting of full-time deputies

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man presided over the 6th meeting of full-time NA deputies in Hanoi on August 27.

In his opening remarks, the top legislator said at the meeting, NA deputies will give their opinions on 12 draft laws, including 11 those initially debated at the NA’s 7th session, including the Law on Geology and Minerals, the Law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy, the Law on Trade Unions (revised), the revised Law on Human Trafficking Prevention and Control, the revised Notary Law, the Law on Cultural Heritage (revised), the Law on Urban and Rural Planning, the Law on Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue, the revised Law on Value Added Tax, the Law on Juvenile Justice, and the Law on People's Air Defence.

Man commended law-making efforts in recent times, and pointed out limitations and lessons. He noted that the NA Standing Committee will organise a law-making forum for NA deputies, experts, and scientists to contribute opinions and join law-making activities.

The top legislator asked full-time NA deputies and delegates attending the meeting to focus on analysing, discussing, and clearly expressing their views on the contents proposed by the reviewing agency, especially those with different options; and on whether the bills are qualified to be submitted to the NA for approval at the next session or not.

He underlined the need to ensure the quality of the draft laws, and thoroughly grasp and properly implement Regulation 178-QD/TW of the Politburo on controlling power, preventing and combating corruption and negative acts in law-making.

Policies must ensure no loopholes to prevent "policy corruption", "group interests" and "local interests" of sectors and fields, he said.

Cyberattacks on personal information surge by 50%

The first half of the year witnessed the number of stolen personal information records soar by 50% compared to the same period from last year.

The high increase mainly occurred in financial fraud and scams, as released in a report by the Viettel Group on August 26 in its Mid-Year 2024 Cybersecurity Report.

The report provided deeper insights into data breaches, security vulnerabilities affecting Vietnamese businesses, ransomware attacks, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, all compiled by Viettel Cyber Security (VCS).

During the reviewed period, based on data compiled by the Viettel Threat Intelligence system, there has been an increase in terms of the number of cybersecurity threats.

Specifically, a total of 46 data breaches were reported involving businesses and organisations in the nation.

The most commonly leaked information included customer data and sales information from companies in the retail sector. Additionally, customer identity verification data through electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) applications and information from several universities and educational institutions were also compromised.

Approximately 17,000 new vulnerabilities were discovered in cyberspace, with more than half being classified as high and critical severity according to the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). Among these, 71 vulnerabilities posed a risk to organizations and businesses in the country, including serious flaws in the Ivanti Connect Secure internal network connection solutions and Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS firewall solutions.

Numerous attack campaigns targeted various sectors, including finance, public services, information technology, and manufacturing. Viettel Threat Intelligence recorded that 56 organizations in these fields were initially targeted by ransomware, had not yet had their data encrypted. Additionally, there were approximately 500,000 DDoS attacks, a 16% increase compared last year’s corresponding period.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/SGGP/VGP