Environmental protection requires both awareness and action

Enterprises participate in the environmental protection process through specific actions such as complying with legal regulations and accompanying localities in environmental protection activities

Many challenges remain

According to the assessment of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, although currently, environmental protection work in the area has achieved certain results, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality, there are still some limitations.

In recent years, the problem of organic matter, nutrient, and heavy metal pollution in surface water has tended to increase at locations receiving wastewater from concentrated residential areas and industrial activities, especially in Duc Hoa and Ben Luc districts. Surface water in some canals and ditches in the fields has been and is being polluted from medium to high levels of organic matter and nutrient pollution. During this period, saline intrusion tends to continue to increase at a deeper and more severe level than in the previous period. Groundwater resources and air environment are posing many major problems.

In addition, domestic solid waste in the province has not been thoroughly treated because treatment plants have not met the requirements. Domestic solid waste in the province is currently not classified at the source; some districts still have open dumping and water leakage from landfills, causing pollution. This is also a challenge for environmental protection in the province.

The search for a location to build a waste treatment plant is still slow, affecting the management of collection, transportation and treatment of solid waste in the province. Currently, domestic waste generated in the districts has not been thoroughly collected because localities have not specified the routes and collection frequency, leading to garbage accumulation in many places, causing loss of aesthetics and not ensuring environmental hygiene.

The investment in building a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system at the Duc Hoa Dong and Duc Hoa Ha Industrial Clusters has not been thoroughly implemented due to the large investment capital, making it difficult to attract investment.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Huynh (Duc Hoa Dong Commune, Duc Hoa District), environmental protection requires radical and drastic measures from management units. The situation of littering or stagnant and congested waste still occurs in the area, causing pollution and loss of aesthetics. The problem that needs to be resolved is the treatment of wastewater from production units in the local industrial clusters. This is a very high risk of causing pollution, affecting the environment as well as the lives of people in the area.

On the other hand, awareness of environmental protection has not yet become a habit; littering, waste, animal carcasses are still littered in public places, water sources, etc. Some factories, enterprises, production and business establishments have not been proactive and self-conscious in fulfilling their responsibilities and obligations to protect the environment, most of them still pursue profits, taking environmental protection lightly.

At the same time, the task of environmental protection requires a large human resource to perform, however, due to limited staffing requirements, the human resource at all levels has not been guaranteed in quantity. The human resources responsible for climate change work in departments, branches and localities is mainly part-time, non-specialized, and lack specialized training, so the process of assessing and advising on solutions and tasks to adapt to climate change is still limited. The approach to climate change by advisory agencies is still mainly theoretical and qualitative and has not yet concretized effective solutions of a quantitative and long-term strategic nature.

One of the most important factors that need to be considered in handling administrative violations in the field of environmental protection is that the deterrence level of monetary penalties is not high, so it has not been effective and is not commensurate with the nature and extent of the consequences of the violation. Therefore, it has not had a profound impact on the psychology of many individuals and organizations in society. This is an issue that is creating concerns and a lack of trust among people in the work and the actual effectiveness of the authorities in handling violations.

In the field of environmental protection, there are many licensing management tools with overlapping and duplication of content and procedures, leading to reduced effectiveness and efficiency of state management, causing difficulties, increasing costs and time for investors, etc.

Working together

Environmental protection is not the responsibility of any agency, unit, individual or collective, but of the whole community and society. Environmental issues can be resolved appropriately when there is action from everyone, from all walks of life. Practical models with specific actions such as collecting and classifying garbage, launching environmental sanitation campaigns, planting flowers and trees to improve the landscape, etc., will contribute to making environmental protection work effective.

Many good and practical models have been effective, spreading messages about environmental protection (Photo: The model of Turning trash into money of the Women's Union of Tan Tru town, Tan Tru district)

In recent years, in Tan Tru town, Tan Tru district, women's union members have maintained many good and practical models such as Green House, Turning trash into money, Exchanging trash for gifts, etc. Thereby, gradually forming good habits, spreading positive messages about environmental protection. These models also create a source of funds to support and share with difficult circumstances in the area.

According to the Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Tan Tru town, Tan Tru district - Nguyen Thi Hong Tham, through the implemented environmental protection models, the Union hopes to call on the community to be responsible, join hands in practical actions so that the environment is increasingly improved, cleaner and more beautiful.

Environmental protection in production and business activities requires enterprises to strictly comply with regulations as well as join hands in implementation. Representative of Hoa Binh Industrial Park (Thu Thua district) - Luong Hoang Vy shared: During the investment and operation process, the enterprise is always aware of its responsibility in environmental protection. The unit has invested in a centralized wastewater treatment system to ensure compliance with standards and regulations; arranged green areas throughout the area; has a separate waste treatment area; installed an automatic monitoring station; coordinated with units with full functions of collecting and treating waste.  At the same time, the enterprise also participates in a number of environmental activities in the locality, aiming to build a green industrial park and develop sustainably.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment - Nguyen Tan Thuan, in order to promote the achieved results and overcome existing shortcomings, in the coming time, it is necessary to strengthen management and environmental protection and consider this a key and urgent task in the period of industrialization and modernization of the country associated with sustainable development. The sector continues to organize guidance on the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Biodiversity and related legal documents, bringing the Party's resolutions and the State's laws into life to raise awareness of all levels, sectors, businesses and people about environmental protection. The Department specifies the contents and tasks of environmental protection management, biodiversity protection; strengthens the inspection and examination of the implementation of environmental protection regulations. The sector proposes 4 key groups of solutions to make environmental protection work in the area effective, including perfecting the organizational structure; enhancing the capacity of the team working on environmental protection; mobilizing financial resources and perfecting policies and laws./.

By Chau Son - Translated by Q. Thien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/bao-ve-moi-truong-can-ca-nhan-thuc-lan-hanh-dong-a194817.html