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For Immediate Release

Press Release

DANANG, June 21, 2023 – Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Danang People’s Committee, and Danang Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE), gathered with local partners to celebrate their joint achievements over the past seven years addressing environmental pollution challenges across Vietnam. 

“Today, we celebrate the results of our efforts, and we look to the future as we hand over successful models and products from our projects to local leaders to continue,” said Bradley Bessire, USAID/Vietnam Deputy Mission Director, during remarks delivered at today’s event. “Together, we have driven innovation and experimentation to address environmental pollution issues that offer great potential for scale-up across Vietnam.”

Today’s celebration is part of a two-day international workshop organized by Danang DONRE and USAID implementing partners: Center for Environment and Community Research (CECR), Greenhub, Live & Learn, and the Institute of Population, Health and Development (PHAD). Through five USAID projects totaling $7.2 million, the partners led diverse stakeholders in raising awareness of and taking action on air, water, and plastic pollution challenges, including:

  • generating a new body of data on environmental health and pollution issues;
  • forming subnational and national coalitions of stakeholders to take collective action;
  • facilitating diverse, transparent dialogue and scientific inputs to inform national and subnational policy development;
  • mobilizing resources for locally-led initiatives to tackle pollution issues; and
  • piloting pollution reduction and sustainable resource management models.

Specific results include:

  • Informing the revised national law on water resources management;
  • Supporting stakeholders to develop and successfully advocate for the adoption of eight subnational policies, including mandating air quality studies for better air monitoring and solutions, and controlling open burning of waste and motorbike emissions;
  • Mobilizing a total of $2.1 million across the five projects toward local efforts;
  • Supporting 15 locally-led initiatives to advance Danang’s “green city by 2030” goal;
  • Establishing the Vietnam Water Conservation Network and building it up to encompass more than 80 member organizations that take collective action on clean water issues;
  • Supporting 21 locally-led solid waste management models that collected, sorted and recycled a total weight equivalent to 200 passenger vehicles;
  • Building 48 school, household, and community water systems, benefiting more than 5,400 students, teachers, and community households.
  • Promoting citizen participation in environmental monitoring and reduction of urban air pollutants, for instance, through the installation of air sensors at more than 100 schools and offices in Hanoi.

USAID’s five projects listed below are part of a global USAID initiative called Local Works, which supports locally-led development programming in more than 30 countries:

This year, the United States and Vietnam are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the two countries’ Comprehensive Partnership. Our close cooperation improving environmental quality is yet another example of how the United States and Vietnam work strategically together to create a better future for the peoples of both countries.

For more information about USAID’s assistance to address environmental pollution, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/vietnam/addressing-environmental-pollution.
For photos of the event and project activities, visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAJpG5

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