Up to 70% of total daily wastewater from industrial parks (IPs) nationwide is discharged into environment without treatment, damaging considerably water sources, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said in a report released June 1. Vietnam now has 223 IPs, including 170 ones put into operation. A half of them have not yet had concentrated wastewater systems, the report said. Southeastern industrial parks take the lead in the volume of wastewater, accounting for a half of the whole country’s total industrial wastewater. The number of solid waste from industrial parks intends to increase, of which 20% is toxic. Vietnam estimates solid industrial waste at 4.8 million tons this year, including 630,000 tons of dangerous solid waste. The ministry said it had asked investors of the IPs to build and complete centralized wastewater treatment systems by December otherwise they will be shut down. Vietnam IPs generated jobs for 1.2 million workers and industrial production value at more than $33 billion, accounting for 38% of GDP in 2008.
