Only 60% of IPs of in Vietnam Equipped with Wastewater Treatment Systems

Only 179 out of 299 industrial parks (IPs) in Vietnam are equipped with wastewater treatment systems, accounting for 60% of the total industrial zones nationwide, far from meeting the international standards, local media reported. Total capacity of all wastewater treatment systems in the IPs reaches 795,947 cubic meters (cu.m) per day or 4,256 cu.m/day on average per system. Wastewater remains a thorny issue in Vietnam as a large amount of wastewater from households and companies is directly discharged into the environment, causing serious pollution. Local experts ascribed the situation to loose management and legal loopholes, saying that many foreign-invested companies violate wastewater treatment regulations due to light punishments. In most of the cases, violators are required to pay a fine worth up to VND1 billion ($44,000). International experts warned that Vietnam would face worse environmental pollution by four or five times though the country would see a double growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the next 10 years. If GDP grows averagely 5%, Vietnam will face environmental pollution-caused damage equal to 3% of GDP, they noted. In an effort to ease the thorny issue, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at a meeting last month environmental protection is considered one of key factors to economic growth in Vietnam. The PM noted that the government must complete legal documents on environmental protection and strictly control the import of technological devices to avoid becoming a dumping ground for developed countries. (Bizlive.vn Oct 8)