Environmental protection: Starting with raising public awareness.

(Baonghean) - Environmental protection is a task that requires the entire community to share awareness and action. In Nam Dan district, this work has achieved encouraging results, with many residential areas consistently having clean houses, clean alleys, and clean fields...

Good practices at the grassroots level

Although not yet meeting the standards of a new rural area, Nam Xuan commune is proud of the improved awareness of its officials and residents regarding environmental protection. Here, almost every family has a two-compartment cement pit for waste disposal; each field has a waste collection bin, and the commune has three centralized waste collection areas. Walking along the clean concrete alleys of hamlets 6 and 7, and visiting the families of Mr. Ho Sy Tu and Mrs. Ho Thi Bien... to see firsthand how the people care for the environment, we were told by Mr. Nguyen Huu Thuan, the commune's agricultural and environmental officer: In Nam Xuan, since July 2012, the commune has focused intensely and invested heavily in environmental protection.

The commune has approximately 1,500 households, each supported by the commune in constructing a two-compartment waste pit for solid and organic waste. In agricultural areas, the commune has invested in 12 waste storage tanks located in the fields of 12 hamlets; in total, the entire commune now has 144 centralized waste storage tanks. The total cost invested by the commune in building these waste pits is approximately 700 million VND. Along inter-commune, inter-hamlet, and inter-household roads, the commune assigns responsibility to youth organizations, women's associations, farmers' associations, and veterans' associations. These organizations are responsible for supervising, encouraging, and working with the people to maintain these roads.

Waste storage tanks in the fields of Nam Xuan commune (Nam Dan district).

To protect the environment at cemeteries, Nam Xuan commune has invested approximately 1 billion VND in building fences. "Since the environmental protection project was implemented, and especially since the commune invested in building waste storage tanks and centralized waste disposal areas, people's awareness of environmental protection has improved significantly. People now know how to sort waste; those that can be burned are disposed of at home, while those that cannot be processed are collected and transported to the central waste disposal site..." - Mr. Nguyen Huu Thuan happily added.

In Nam Cat, a newly recognized new rural commune, environmental protection efforts have been effective. Previously, the commune promoted and encouraged residents to build incinerators for collecting and processing waste at home. However, due to the proximity of the incinerators to residential areas, they were affected by smoke and dust. Therefore, the commune shifted to contracting with Vinh Urban Environmental Company for monthly waste collection. The leaders of Nam Cat commune also shared their solutions for environmental protection, including establishing a network of collaborators who receive a small "salary" to monitor, supervise, and collect fees, and working with self-governing groups (organizations) and residents in the area to clean drainage ditches and village roads. Ms. Phan Thi Ly, a women's affairs officer in Tho Moi hamlet and an environmental protection collaborator, said: "We call it 'salary' just for fun because it's only 50,000 VND per month. But we don't worry too much about it because this work is very relevant to our family and village life. Moreover, the people of Nam Cat have a high level of awareness in environmental protection, and they pay the 3,000 VND/person/month fee very regularly and on schedule..."

Located adjacent to five communes and towns, National Highway 46, and surrounded by numerous service, production, and business establishments, as well as markets, Xuan Hoa previously faced many difficulties in environmental protection. After developing an environmental protection plan, Xuan Hoa also signed a contract with Vinh Urban Environmental Company to handle waste disposal. Every Friday afternoon, residents bring their collected waste to the gate, and on Saturday morning, Vinh Urban Environmental Company sends trucks and workers to collect and transport it away. In addition, focusing on propaganda work and strictly handling individuals who violate regulations... Ms. Chu Thi Son - an agricultural and environmental officer of the commune - said: "Previously, many people from outside the area often brought garbage to National Highway 46, within the commune's territory, and dumped it indiscriminately. Faced with this situation, the commune police monitored and caught many cases red-handed, drawing up reports and imposing fines of 1-2 million VND, forcing them to clean up the area where the garbage was dumped. These cases were then broadcast in detail on the public address system. After many such instances, the problem of indiscriminate garbage dumping has significantly decreased..."

Stay grounded in reality and provide close guidance.

Burning mangrove wood waste at home.

In its environmental protection plan for the period 2010-2015, Nam Dan district conducted a detailed assessment of the current environmental situation. This included water and air pollution, specifically identifying several polluted areas such as solid waste (household and medical waste); wastewater (residential and craft village wastewater); agricultural production (pesticides, fishing); industrial and handicraft production, construction, and craft villages; drinking water and sanitation facilities; and market areas. Simultaneously, the plan highlighted limitations and proposed directions and measures for remediation and resolution.

This includes prioritizing information dissemination through various forms, from media systems, billboards, posters, leaflets, etc., to raise community awareness of environmental protection; planning, constructing, and managing landfills; promoting social participation; investing in environmental protection in agricultural areas; addressing pesticide residue sites; and protecting the environment in industrial, handicraft, construction, transportation, and service sectors.

At the same time, Nam Dan district, based on its budget capacity and other legal funding sources, allocates appropriate funds for environmental protection; contracts labor to perform tasks supporting state management; implements the collection of environmental sanitation fees according to provincial regulations; and organizes and directs the vigorous implementation. In June and September of each year, officials assigned to implement the project are responsible for reviewing the implementation of environmental protection work in each commune-level unit. Afterward, they issue a document evaluating the achievements; pointing out shortcomings and limitations of each content according to the environmental criteria of the national program on building new rural areas; suggesting ways to improve and requiring communes to implement these within a specific timeframe. "Most recently, in September 2014, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment pointed out to Nam Giang and Nam Trung communes that the beautification of fences, cleaning of village roads and alleys, cemetery management, and wastewater drainage systems... had not met the requirements; and at the same time, proposed several solutions. With the proposed solutions, both communes diligently worked to resolve the issues, so after only a short time, the remaining shortcomings in environmental protection were resolved, and the communes were recognized by higher authorities as meeting the standards..." – Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Thanh Lam shared.

Currently, although only four communes in Nam Dan district—Kim Lien, Nam Cat, Nam Giang, and Nam Trung—have been recognized as meeting national standards for new rural development, environmental protection efforts have truly changed in almost all communes in the area. This result stems from a shift in the awareness of all officials and people regarding environmental protection. And this is truly a goal for sustainable development that we should strive for.

Nhat Lan