As many as 45 of the nation's 63 cities and provinces have come up with their own master plans to manage solid waste, said a senior official at a workshop held in Hanoi yesterday. In urban areas, about 31,500 tons of waste, equivalent to 84% of the total waste produced, were collected and treated each day, said head of the Construction Ministry's Technical Infrastructure Department Nguyen Hong Tien. In HCM City alone, 50% of solid waste is collected by private firms or cooperatives. In rural areas, according to the Construction Ministry's report, the situation was worse with only 40% of solid waste being collected and treated. The report also showed that only 120 out of nearly 460 landfill sites were meeting hygiene standards, resulting in many areas suffering from air and water pollution. Participants suggested the adoption of technology tailored to each project's scale and region, and incentives for stakeholders. According to Deputy Construction Minister Phan Thi My Linh, the ministry has issued documents instructing the implementation of a decree on solid waste management. Hideki Wada from the Japan International Cooperation Agency said Japan would assist Vietnam in dealing with solid waste management. It would suggest viable suggestions after visiting landfill sites across the country, he said, adding that Vietnam needed to encourage public involvement in the work. The Construction Ministry said it would also carry out a project to improve the skills of officials in solid waste management in co-operation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency towards the end of the year. The project is expected to be carried out in Hanoi and the central province of Thua Thien – Hue. The ministry added that it would inspect 26 operational factories of solid waste treatment by the end of this year. (Vietnamnews.vn Aug 12)
