Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha received Philippine Secretary of Energy Raphael Perpetuo M. Lotilla on the sidelines of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo, Japan on March 4.

In the context that the two countries are responding to challenges related to the East Sea, energy security, climate change and natural disasters, Ha reiterated Vietnam's backing of the Philippines’ stance on climate change response as stated at the AZEC Ministerial Meeting.

He proposed the two nations promote bilateral cooperation and cooperation within the AZEC framework, such as the building of a research centre on renewable energy or a disaster warning centre in Vietnam or the Philippines, adding that those cooperation programmes give practical benefits for both sides.

Raphael Lotilla assessed Vietnam as one of countries leading Southeast Asia in terms of energy transition.

Agreeing with Vietnam’s stance that initiatives within the AZEC framework need to be concretised by practical and effective projects, he suggested the two sides focus efforts on the field of renewable energy in the coming time.

Through the current success of a joint venture between Vietnam and the Philippines in a solar energy project, the two sides can expand cooperation in building an electricity transmission network or production of energy storage batteries which are now major barriers for most countries in the transition to clean and green energy.

The two sides also agreed to continue sharing experience, further promote bilateral cooperation mechanisms in various fields, and closely coordinate in regional and international cooperation mechanisms, especially those related to sustainable development goals.

On the same day, Deputy PM Ha met with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and prominent Vietnamese intellectuals in Japan. At the meeting, Vietnamese scientists in Japan gave reports on several topics such as Japan's green growth and carbon neutral strategies and some technologies helping reduce CO2 emissions and ensuring energy security in the country.

Macroeconomic stability, inflation control continue to be priorities: PM

Priority should continue to be given to maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, spurring growth and ensuring major balances of the economy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at the Government’s February meeting on March 3 in Hanoi.
 
The PM urged ministries, sectors and localities to focus on the planning work, promote the disbursement of public investment capital and land clearance for large projects, especially national key projects, push ahead the implementation of the socio-economic recovery programme and three national target programmes, remove difficulties for production and business, while bolstering cultural, social development, environmental protection and ensuring social security.

The Government leader assigned tasks to ministries and agencies, urging them to continue to drastically and concertedly implement tasks and targets set for 2023 in the Government's Resolution 01.

The State Bank of Vietnam was required to implement monetary policy proactively, flexibly and effectively, while coordinating reasonable fiscal policy and other policies to maintain macroeconomic stability. The PM also asked it to take appropriate credit solutions to remove difficulties for the real estate market and other markets in general.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment was urged to speed up the disbursement of public investment, roll out measures to create favourable conditions for people and businesses, and improve the business and investment environment.

The PM asked the Ministry of Construction to expeditiously finalise a government resolution on removing difficulties for the real estate market; and coordinate with localities to remove planning problems and obstacles to specific projects, especially those related to the building of 1 million social housing units.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was tasked with promoting production and ensuring food and foodstuff for domestic consumption and export; pushing ahead with measures to get the EC's "yellow card" on illegal, unreported and undocumented (IUU) fishing removed; and boosting export of farm produce.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was instructed to work to ensure labour supply-demand balance, and support employees who lost their jobs.

The Ministry of Health was requested to thoroughly solve difficulties and obstacles in bidding and procurement of drugs, medical equipment and supplies.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism must work hard on promoting tourism and speeding up negotiations to expand new tourism markets, especially the Chinese market.

The PM also underlined the need for State-owned enterprises to enhance development investment, especially new projects with large scale and applied modern technologies, and those related to digital transformation, green transformation, circular economy, climate change adaptation.

At the meeting, Government members agreed that the socio-economic recovery had continued in February, with positive signs in production and business, such as the PMI increasing to 51.2 points in February and the Index of Industrial Production rising 5.1% from January. However, difficulties and challenges are growing, requiring proactive, strong, accurate and timely governance solutions.

Deputy PM meets UNWTO leader, co-chairs Vietnam-Spain business seminar

Deputy Prime Minsiter Tran Luu Quang met with Executive Director of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Zoritsa Urosevic and co-chaired a Vietnam - Spain business seminar in Madrid on March 2, part of his official visit to the European country.

Urosevic highly valued the close cooperation between the UNWTO and Vietnam, saying she is impressed with the country’s achievements in the COVID-19 fight, dynamic socio-economic development, and sustainable tourism over the past years. She also mentioned international tourism organisations’ positive assessments of Vietnam, a favourite destination of global travellers.

Deputy PM Quang appreciated the Executive Director’s support for the UNWTO’s cooperation with and assistance for Vietnam’s tourism sector, especially in tourism planning, product development, legal document making, and capacity building.

He called on the UNWTO to step up cooperation with Vietnam; choose the country as the venue for some events of the organisation; provide technical assistance in digital transformation and IT application to smart tourism ecosystem building, statistical work, climate change response, and development of the national tourism brand; and help with training tourism manpower through granting scholarships and sending experts to share experience at conferences and workshops held by Vietnam.

Urosevic applauded Vietnam’s active and responsible participation in the UNWTO and perceived that the country boasts huge potential for developing tourism.

The UNWTO will consider the organisation of a big international event in Vietnam in late 2023, she went on, adding that it will continue supporting and assisting the country in tourism recovery and development.

Earlier on the same day, Quang received the Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Seville, Pablo Rafael Gomez.

He also joined Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism Maria Reyes Maroto in chairing the Vietnam-Spain business seminar. The event, held by the ministry and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE), attracted the participation of nearly 50 large firms of Spain and more than 20 Vietnamese enterprises.

Addressing the opening ceremony, the two chairs reiterated positive prospects in the nation’s bilateral relations, especially in the fields of economy, investment and trade thanks to the stable and dynamic economic development in each country as well as their position and role in their regions. These are the pillar and driving force for the ties to reach to a new height, they affirmed.

Quang unveiled that a leading airline group in Vietnam is considering opening a direct flight to Spain.

President of CEOE International Marta Blanco and Director General of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce Inmaculada Riera said Spanish businesses are highly interested in the Vietnamese market in particular and ASEAN market in general, considering them destinations for market diversification in their business strategies.

The seminar was rounded off with a networking event.

Spain is the 8th largest trading partner of Vietnam in the EU. In 2022, two-way trade reached 3.54 billion USD, up 13% year-on-year, the highest ever to date.

Ho Chi Minh City moves to tackle low fertility rate

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has recently promulgated a programme on fertility rate adjustment to 2030, with the aim of raising the rate of natural increase (RNI) to over 1.3% by 2030.

The programme targets solving the low fertility rate, and adjusting the rate to contribute to the successful implementation of the Vietnam Population Strategy to 2030, and the achievement of the city’s socio-economic and cultural development tasks.

Accordingly, the total fertility rate will reach 1.4 by 2025, and 1.6 by 2030. The city's population will total 10.6 million in 2025 and 12 million in 2030; and the RNI will be over 1.1% in 2025, and over 1.3% five years later.

To that end, the city will step up communication on this issue, innovate programmes and methods of education on population and reproductive health, issue more appropriate population policies, and expand access to reproductive health care and related services.

Ho Chi Minh City is among 21 provinces and cities with the lowest fertility rate in Vietnam. Statistics in 2021 showed the city’s rate was 1.48, down from 1.76 in 2000.

According to the municipal People’s Committee, the long-lasting low rate will result in rapid population aging and labour shortages, and affect social security.

HCM City always ensures operation of religious organisations: official

The Vietnamese Party and State and the administration of Ho Chi Minh City always respect religions and ensure the operation of religious organisations and believers within the framework of the law, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ngo Minh Chau said on March 3.

Meeting Franklin Graham, President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and President of international relief organisation Samaritan’ Purse, he also said Evangelical establishments in the city are operating actively and they have close solidarity with other religions.

The municipal authorities always create conditions for Evangelical establishments and believers to freely practice religious activities in accordance with the law, Chau affirmed.

He appreciated the organisation for its support to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and its other activities and programmes for the people in HCM City.

Graham congratulated Vietnam and HCM City in particular on overcoming difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Religious freedom is an important issue to believers and religions, he stressed, adding that his experience in the trip will be extremely valuable to him.

As planned, Graham will attend an Evangelistic programme in March 4 -5 in HCM City, which is expected to gather about 7,000 Protestant dignitaries and followers in the city and neighbouring provinces.

UN official suggests Vietnam ensure gender perspectives in digital policies

Gender perspectives should be ensured in national digital policies and resources should be allocated for full implementation, said UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis at a dialogue in Hanoi on March 3.

She also suggested the country enhance quality education for women and girls, forecast and anticipate future job and skill needs, increase data collection and address gender-based violence online.

In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha, who is also Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam, briefed participants on the National Programme on Digital Transformation until 2025, with a vision towards 2030 approved by the Prime Minister on June 3, 2020.

Digital transformation aims to change expectations about gender stereotypes in professions, including enhancing female role models’ participation in information technology, she said.

The Deputy Minister added that digital transformation will also create a boost in women's confidence in the field of information technology, noting that equipping women with necessary skills and supporting their transition to digitally relevant forms of jobs is critical to ensuring that women are not left behind. 

The policy dialogue, themed “Innovation and technology for gender equality in Vietnam: opportunities and challenges,” was co-organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the UN in Vietnam and the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam.
 
It brought together 100 representatives from ministries, agencies, localities, socio-political organisations, social organisations and UN agencies.

The participants called digital transformation an important impulse to gender equality and women’s empowerment, as well as the settlement of gender-based violence.

They also looked into digital transformation in Vietnam and women’s role in the digital era in different spheres.

The dialogue aligned with the International Women's Day's global theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” and responded to the priority theme of the 67th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”

It was intended to honour the contributions of women and girls in innovation, technology and digital education while identifying the impacts of digital transformation on the risks of exacerbating economic and social inequalities.

The information and recommendations presented at the dialogue will be fed into Vietnam's report at the 67th session slated for mid-March in New York.

Abnormal surge of dengue fever cases in Mekong Delta

A person has died in Long An Province and others have been affected by dengue fever in the Mekong Delta region since the beginning of 2023.

Although the Mekong Delta localities currently are under dry and heat season, the number of dengue fever cases has tended to surge sharply, with even one death.

Particularly, the province of Long An has recorded 561 dengue fever cases and a death as from the beginning of the year to now, an increase of five times compared to the same period last year.

The number of dengue fever cases were reported to continue to spread in many areas, mostly in all districts, towns and city of Long An Province.

Amid the current abnormal increase of disease, the People's Committee of Long An Province asked leaders of localities, agencies and people not to be subjective with the disease, must strictly implement measures to prevent and control dengue, resolutely avoid disease development and outbreak in the community.

Besides, it is important to promptly carry out effective measures for dengue prevention and control at places with high risks such as hospitals, schools, industrial parks, industrial clusters and residential areas.

Similarly, the People’s Committee of Tien Giang Province also directed the local health sector to closely monitor the outbreak in places and equip medical supplies and drugs to minimize deaths related to the disease.

From the beginning of the year to mid-February, there have been 13 dengue-hit places with 79 cases in the district of Cai Be, Tien Giang Province.

According to the Center for Disease Control in Can Tho City, the city has had 472 cases of dengue fever from the beginning of the year until now, an increase of more than 555 percent compared to the same period in 2022 with only 85 cases.

Health experts issued a warning of the complicated dengue situation in 2023 so it is important to have proactive warning and close supervision for the epidemic in advance of the rainy season.

The abnormal increase could be due to extreme weather and unseasonable rains on a large scale creating conditions for mosquito-borne diseases.

Project helps bring classical and folklore music closer to students

Solla Music, a project combining classical music and folklore music, has recently been launched with the aim of helping students aged from 12 to 16 years towards music and engage in meaningful social activities.

The project is being jointly held by artists Tri Minh and Trieu Tu My and production director Pham Tran Tho, Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper reported.

The Solla Music - Schoolyard Concerts project is a series of music festivals held at high school and secondary schools across the country with the support of more than 100 artists and music lecturers from the National Academy of Music, Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, and art centres. In addition, the project also attracts the participation of Ngu Cung and Da LAB bands as well as popular music bands.

Musician Tri Minh, one of the founding members of Solla Music, said the Solla Music - Schoolyard Concerts project aims to bring classical and folklore music closer to school students while creating a venue for artists and students to enjoy music.

Speaking on the reason for launching the project, Doctor of Music Trieu Tu My said many young people confess that they do not understand anything about music, both traditional and classical music. In Vietnam, students have few opportunities to learn about folklore music, a style which also has less opportunity to be brought tp the stage at major programmes, or cultural exchange events abroad.

“When I told this to my friend Pham Tran Tho, we came up with the idea of combining classical music and folklore music on the same stage,” she said.

“I want to help the audience explore these two musical genres in the same event. I hope that his project will be useful to the community,” she stated.

The opening event of the project took place on March 25 at Chu Van An High School in Hanoi. The programme saw the participation of singer Khanh Linh, the Vietnam National Academy of Music, and a 16-year-old Thai ethnic student Ha Quang Thai from Thanh Hoa province, who loves music and is learning to play the flute by himself through Youtube.

Artist Trieu Tu My said that, Solla Music has provided financial support to Ha Quang Thai to travel from his hometown in Thanh Hoa province to Hanoi every weekend from January to July this year to join free music classes with teachers for his entrance exam to the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

“We will search for young music talents and help them develop their talent,” said musician Tri Minh.

“We hope to organise music events in which participants can be immersed in a very open music space and enjoy many genres of music, from traditional music and classical music to contemporary music genres such as Pop, Rock, and Jazz,” said co-founder of Solla Music project Pham Tran Tho.

Activities planned for death anniversary of Hung Kings

A ceremony marking the death anniversary of Hung Kings -  the legendary founders of the nation, and the Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land will be held from April 20-29 in the northern midland province of Phu Tho with various activities.

Traditional rituals will be conducted at the temples dedicated to Lac Long Quan and Au Co in the Hung Kings Temple relic site to express gratitude to the ones who laid the foundation of the country, and incense and flower offering to Hung Kings in cities, districts, towns and communities.

The opening of the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the Week of UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritages will be held at Hung Vuong square in Viet Tri city.

Other activities include an international conference on Vietnam’s tourism, culture, heritages and sustainable development, a swimming and stand-up paddleboarding competition, the northwest tourism fair 2023, the Hung Vuong Cup football tournament, the volleyball tournament of strong national teams competing for Hung Vuong Cup, the cuisine festival and other cultural, sport and tourism activities like exhibitions, xoan singing, and festival of traditional long dress for children.

Legend has it that Lac Long Quan (real name Sung Lam, son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu) married Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai). Au Co then gave birth to a pouch filled with 100 eggs, which soon hatched into a hundred sons. However, soon thereafter, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan went to the coast with 50 of the children, while Au Co went to the highlands with the rest.

Their eldest son was made king, who named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city in Phu Tho province), beginning the 18 generations of the Hung Kings.

The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities to pray for healthy crops.

To honour their great contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to them was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the 10th day of the third lunar month, which falls on April 29 this year, serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.

The worship of the Hung Kings, closely related to the ancestral worship traditions of most Vietnamese families, was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012.

Vietnam, RoK eye high football cooperation potential

The K.League 2 footbal tournament in the Republic of Korea (RoK) has freshly started with the participation of Vietnamese young players – Van Toan in the jersey of Seoul E-Land FC, and Vu Minh Hieu and Nguyen Canh Anh both in Cheonan City FC.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency in the RoK, Chairman of Cheonan City FC Ahn Byung-mo said that thanks to coach Park Hang-seo’s connections, Vietnamese football has become close to the RoK.

This is the first time Cheonan City FC has recruited two young Vietnamese players, he said, expressing his hope that Hieu and Anh will integrate themselves into the team well and grow with their Korean peers.

Ahn said that the presence of Vietnamese young footballers in the club is expected to bring about positive impacts on not only Vietnamese players but also Korean teammates, creating a chance for them to adapt to and learn from each other, thus completing themselves together.

Commenting on the skills of Vietnamese players, Ahn said that they have demonstrated high quality, and hardworking and discipline attitude, so having a new playing environment will help them perfect their skills.

On March 1, coach Park Hang-seo came to the stadium of Cheonan city to encourage Hieu and Anh, who have arrived in the RoK following their 1-year contracts, and then to Mokdong stadium in Seoul to watch Toan’s game in the jersey of Seoul E-Land.

CEO of Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC Nguyen Tan Anh, who was present at Cheonan stadium the same day, said that over the past 13 years, the club has sent many players abroad, including Xuan Truong, Tuan Anh, Cong Phuong, Van Toan and, most recently, Canh Anh and Minh Hieu. He said he hopes the young players will be successful abroad, sharpening the skills and bringing highly qualified football from leading Asian countries like the RoK and Japan and other countries to the national team, thus narrowing the gap between the football of Vietnam and these countries.
 
Anh also underlined the high potential of football cooperation and exchange between Vietnam and the RoK. Vietnamese players’ participation in Korean national football tournaments will give them great chances to learn and improve their capacity in a high-class environment, he added.

Vietnam seeks to enhance cooperation with South Australia

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh has paid an official visit to South Australia during which he had meetings with the state’s leaders and key organisations to discuss measures to boost bilateral cooperation.

Hosting the ambassador, South Australia’s Governor Frances Adamson said that she chose Vietnam as the first country to pay an official visit in her new position last November because she appreciates the nation’s role and position as well as the great opportunities that are opened up for cooperation between the two countries, including cooperation with her state.

The governor told her guest that education and training, trade, high-tech agriculture, renewable and hydrogen energy, science-technology and digital transformation were defined specific fields for bilateral cooperation during her visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from November 7-10.

She expressed her belief that on the basis of the increasingly close relationship between the two countries, and the proactiveness of the ministries, sectors and businesses of the two sides, the cooperation between South Australia and Vietnam will have a breakthrough in the coming time.

Nick Champion, South Australia’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Housing and Urban Development and Minister for Planning; Zoe Bettison, Minister for Tourism and Minister for Multicultural Affairs; and Terry Stephens, President of the South Australian Legislative Council, all appreciated cooperation prospects between their state and Vietnam, and expressed their willingness to visit the country in 2023.

Champion emphasised that South Australia is attaching increasing importance to the Vietnamese market, especially in terms of trade and education and training. He affirmed that the state is considering adjusting its investment strategy to focus strongly on Asia and Southeast Asia instead of focusing only on domestic investment or the US and European markets.

Meanwhile, Bettison recognised the positive contributions of the 17,000-strong Vietnamese community in South Australia, and showed support for preserving the cultural diversity and maintaining Vietnamese language teaching.

Informing the hosts about Vietnam's economic development in recent years, Ambassador Thanh proposed South Australia pay attention to implementing the country’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 and encourage more businesses to invest in Vietnam.

 On this occasion, he also had two roundtables with representatives from the Department for Education, the Department for Industry, Innovation and Science, the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia, and Flinders University.

On February 28, Ambassador Thanh and Vietnamese Consul General in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland Nguyen Dang Thang attended a ceremony to mark the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia organised by the South Australia-Vietnam Business Council in Adelaide.

Belgian media introduces Vietnam’s Quang Phu Cau incense-making village

The Belgian Radio-Television of the French Community (RTBF) on March 1 broadcast a report on Quang Phu Cau incense-making village near the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi, which is a favourite destination of Vietnamese people.

The report features mesmerising images of the village, which is famous for its incense business and nearly 3,000 local households living on this traditional craft. 

It said the village came into spotlight with a photo of colourful incense sticks being dried outdoors by a Vietnamese artist. The photo motivated the owner of Long Hoa company, which has been producing incense for more than 100 years, to come up with the idea of opening a photo tour for guests at a price of 4 EUR (4.26 USD) per person. On peak days, the village welcomes about 100 tourists and photographers.

During the tour, visitors and incense makers interact with each other, the TV report said, adding that the demand for incense in Vietnam and for exports is huge.

The incense-making process is also described in the report. Bamboo trees are cut into pieces and split into thin sticks. Then, they are dyed red or pink which are colours that Vietnamese people think bring good luck.

The report concluded that in Vietnam, incense is a part of spiritual life and a way to communicate with the afterlife as well as to pay respect to ancestors or to pray for simpler things like passing an exam.

High-school students to take graduation exam on June 28-29

The Ministry of Education and Training announced on March 1 that the high school graduation exam would take place on June 28 and 29, nearly two weeks earlier than last year.

The official registration will be on June 27.

Two years ago, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exam took place in July. As the pandemic is under control this year, the ministry decided to hold the exam earlier.

Therefore, university enrollment is expected to be earlier than last year, as schools will start the new school year in early September.

Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the ministry’s Quality Control Department, said the ministry plans to organise the high school graduation exam in a similar format to recent years. 

This year’s candidates will take three compulsory independent tests in mathematics, literature, and foreign languages and one of two optional combined tests in natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) and social sciences (history, geography, and citizen education).

The exam will focus on subjects learned in the twelfth grade and add some practical application to gradually approach the orientation of capacity assessment of the 2018 General Education Programme, Chuong said.

The exams for 2021 and 2022 also included these contents, he said.

Only the literature test will be conducted as an essay exam. Other tests will be taken under a multi-choice format.

The exam results are mainly used for high school graduation, with most universities and colleges also using the results for admission.

The same day, the ministry also posted sample exam questions of 15 subjects on its website for candidates to refer to and prepare for the exam.

This year, the ministry has adjusted several technical issues to strengthen exam discipline following the draft amendment to the high school graduation exam regulations published in early January.

Candidates can no longer bring audio and video recording devices into the examination room. Only pens, pencils, compasses, erasers, rulers, pocket calculators without text editing function and Vietnamese Geography Atlas (when taking the geography exam) will be allowed.

Candidates are also no longer allowed to leave the test area after two-thirds of the test time has passed but must wait until the end of the exam.

Another new feature is that this year, candidates can register for the exam online and directly at schools.

Last year, the high school graduation exam took place on July 7-8, with more than 1 million candidates.

The percentage of students who passed the exam was 98.57%, with Hanoi 99.1%, and HCM City 99.52%.

Hanoi needs to install earthquake monitoring systems: Experts

Experts have recommending installing an earthquake monitoring system in Hanoi as the capital city’s old apartment buildings are at risk if disaster strikes.

Hanoi has nearly 1,600 old apartment buildings, many of which have fallen into disrepair.

According to Construction Work Management Department under the Ministry of Construction if an earthquake measuring 4-5 on the Richter scale occurs, old apartment building could face extensive damage.

Newly-built blocks can resist quakes measuring eight on the Richter scale.

Associate Professor Cao Dinh Trieu, vice president of Vietnam Association of Geophysicists and director of Institute for Applied Geophysics, said Hanoi is located in the Red River-Chay River fault zone where earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1-5.5-magnitude have happened.

The recurrence period for an earthquake measuring magnitude 5.3 in Hanoi is 1,100 years, and the last strong earthquake occurred more than 700 years ago in 1285.

Because of poor ground, Hanoi might feel vibrations from other major earthquakes in other countries. Recently the local residents reported vibration affected by earthquakes from neighbouring countries like Laos and China.

At about 8.45pm on December 24, 2021, many people living in high-rise buildings in Hanoi felt strong shaking which was determined to be the impact of a 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Laos.

In recent years, many localities in Vietnam reported a series of stimulating earthquakes. A strong earthquake with magnitude 6.9 happened in 1935 in Dien Bien Basin (1935).

Trieu said the impact of aftershocks of large earthquakes occurring in another country also causes potential risks.

He said the Institute of Geophysics had in the past proposed building a system of nine earthquake monitoring stations in Hanoi. However, after a period of operation, the system was suspended due to a shortage of funds for general maintenance.

Trieu said big cities or large industrial zones in developed countries like China all have monitoring systems which carefully check earthquakes and can even monitor the level of terrain deformation at large construction areas.

Many other countries have building regulations that take into account possible earthquakes and insist monitoring stations should be in place.

Vietnam does not have this kind of law now so the installation of earthquake monitoring stations at construction sites is limited, except for those at hydroelectric projects or dams.

He emphasised the need to focus on seismic resistance of construction works, not only in Hanoi but also Vietnam, especially high-rise buildings to ensure safety and minimise potential risks that may occur.

Nguyen Xuan Anh, president of Institute of Geophysics, said installing earthquake monitoring stations is an important solution to record data as well as to analyse and evaluate the intensity of earthquakes in order to make specific recommendations for each area.

Citing specific examples in Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces with frequent stimulant earthquakes in the past five years, he said in early 2023, hydropower investors coordinated with the Institute of Geophysics to install eight earthquake monitoring stations in these localities.

Those stations have provided quick earthquake reports, collected detailed data and assessed danger levels. On that basis, the stakeholders are responsible for training earthquake response skills to managers and residents in the possibly-affected area and neighbouring regions, he said.

New salt tolerant rice variety to bolster Mekong Delta’s response to climate change

The High Agricultural Technology Research Institute for the Mekong Delta (HATRI) has freshly introduced a new rice variety that is highly tolerant to salinity given the climate change impact facing the region.

The study of the variety, namely HATRI 200, began in 2017, with the trial planting in the regional provinces of Ben Tre and Tra Vinh showing good drought and salt tolerance. It is capable of tolerating salinity of about 5 parts per thousand (ppt), compared to the 2 ppt level for many other peer strains of Vietnamese rice.

According to HATRI Director Nguyen Thi Lang, the HATRI 200 variety is considered one of the most salt-tolerant rice varieties in the delta.

In addition to its suitability for climate change conditions, the high-quality variety boasts a stable yield, averaging from 6.5 to 7 tonnes per hectare. Procedures are underway for it to be licensed for circulation throughout Vietnam's arable lands.

Over the past five years, the institute has had over 1,000 rice varieties stored and preserved. It has so far seen five of them completing trial periods and put into production.

7,000 runners to join Dalat Ultra Trail 2023

Some 7,000 runners, including 300 international marathoners, will participate in the 5th Dalat Ultra Trail (DUT) 2023 which will take place in Da Lat city and Lac Duong district, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, from March 3-5.

The tournament offers a wide range of distances for runners from beginners to hardcore athletes, with 85km, 55km, 25km, 15km and 5km races.

The event is organised by the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Sports in collaboration with Vietnam MTB Series Joint Stock Company.

The marathon will lead runners through extraordinary landscapes of the “city of flowers” and vicinities such as Thung lung Tinh yeu (Love Valley), Langbiang mountain, endless pine hills, magnificent waterfalls, at the highest altitude of over 2,000 metres, offering participants an extreme but unforgettable challenge.

For the first time, Ramamuri technology will be introduced at the race, bringing more experience with the live-tracking technology and emergency alert signals to ensure safety for participants.

DUT is the first and major international trail running race in Asia Trail Master to be organised in the Central and South of Vietnam, beginning in 2018.

Efforts exerted to increase climate change adaptability of Mekong Delta urban systems

Localities in the Mekong Delta region are working hard to increase their urban areas’ adaptability to climate change, and boost urban development to green and sustainable direction.

Climate change is posing a great challenge to the Mekong Delta region, especially erosion, landslides, flooding, and pollution.

Vice Director of the Department of the Urban Development under the Ministry of Construction Tran Thi Lan Anh said that Vietnam ranks 23th out of the 30 countries that are hardest hit by climate change, and the Mekong Delta is one of the three floodplains with the largest land loss risk in the world.

It is forecasted that by the end of the 21st century, the sea level will rise by 0.5 - 1 m, affecting about 39% of the area and 35% of the population of the Mekong Delta. All the 13 provinces and city in the region are at risk of flooding, which is higher in some large and medium urban areas such as Rach Gia and Ha Tien cities in Kien Giang province, Ca Mau city in Ca Mau province, Soc Trang city in Soc Trang province, Vi Thanh city in Hau Giang province, and Can Tho city, Anh said.

Currently, the urbanisation rate of the Mekong Delta is 31.16%, up 4.6% from 2015. Under an approved regional planning for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, the urban system of the region will be constructed with suitable distribution along the major economic corridors.

Accordingly, Can Tho city, a centrally-run first-tier urban area, is defined as a centre of administration, services, commerce, health care, education - training, science - technology, culture, tourism and processing industry of the whole region.

Rach Gia city will be developed into a hub of marine economy, trade and service in the western coastal area of the Mekong Delta, and a centre of for aquatic farming, exploitation and export. Ca Mau city will be the centre of the coastal sub-region in the area of the Ca Mau Peninsula, and a national centre of energy and petroleum services as well as ecotourism services.

Currently, Can Tho is designing measures to develop sectors towards sustainability in association with environmental protection and climate change response to suit its real conditions in particular development periods.

The city is implementing a number of projects in water drainage and wastewater treatment, climate change response and adaptation, while actively engaging in international organisations and networks to learn initiatives and solutions in environmental protection and climate change response.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Kien Giang Le Quoc Anh said that as part of the efforts to develop Vietnam’s urban areas with adaptation to climate change impacts in the 2021-2030 period, the locality is rolling out measures and solutions such as making surveys and evaluation of climate change impacts to existing and planned urban systems in the 2021-2030 period, thus calculating the capacity and level of adaptation, seeking response solutions and setting up database and risk alerting map system.

Kien Giang is also building a flood controlling system in urban areas, constructing dyke system, and piloting the development of green urban areas, he said.

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