Prospects for sustainable development
Dr. Nguyen Huu Ninh
Global Environment Programme, Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam, and CERED, A01, K40 Giang Vo, Hanoi, Vietnam. Tel: 84 4 8515213. Fax: 84 4 8515213. Email: cered@netnam.org.vn.
Senior Engineer Nguyen Ngoc Binh
Forest Science Institute of Vietnam, 1A Nguyen Cong Tru St., Hanoi, Vietnam. Tel: 84 4 9710972. Fax: 84 4 9710972.
Abstract of paper presented at the conference Environmental Change and Vulnerability: Lessons from Vietnam and the Indochina Region, Hanoi, Vietnam, April 4-5th 1998.
We would like to end this conference with discussion of specific examples and recommendations rather than general issues. As an example of how Vietnam might improve prospects for sustainable development, I will describe one proposal that has been developed for protecting Vietnam’s remaining forests.
Protecting forest cover provides a good example of how reducing present-day environmental damage can:
- provide better protection against the impact of future global environmental change; and,
- reduce the scale of future change — by absorbing carbon, for example.
This is a win-win-win strategy!
The destruction of Vietnam’s forest cover over the present century is one of the nation’s major environmental losses. In the 1990s, though, the trend towards decreasing forest cover has been reversed according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Nevertheless, much needs to be done.
Protecting and restoring Vietnam’s forests requires assistance from scientists of many disciplines. Not just physical scientists — forest scientists, ecologists, biologists, hydrologists — but also social scientists — economists, planners. The human dimension is very important, particularly if effective plans are to be made for the local people. That is why Vietnam is now contributing to the International Human Dimensions Programme as well as to many parts of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme.
The example of one strategy for forest protection presented in this paper is the result of discussions between Vietnam’s scientists. The need now is for a pilot study to examine how this plan might be implemented:
- What are the strengths of the proposal?
- What are the weaknesses?
- What further research needs to be done?
There are many other areas in which research, planning and action is needed if Vietnam is to ensure sustainable development. This is true of all countries. And cooperation between countries will make this task much easier.