The Meet Vietnam Association, the Loyola University Chicago and the International Geographical Union held an international symposium in the central province of Binh Dinh on August 19 on reducing ocean plastic waste: education model for educationalists.

At the event  

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the association Tran Thanh Van said Binh Dinh is the first province nationwide to be chosen to pilot the project, adding that waste pollution from the use of disposable plastic items is one of the urgent issues at present. 

 Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said the Vietnamese government has actively proposed global partnership mechanisms to reduce plastic wastes, adding that socio-economy and environment are three pillars for Vietnam’s sustainable development. 

 According to him, the government is fine-tuning mechanisms and policies to control environment pollution caused by plastic wastes. 

 In particular, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Education and Training signed a cooperation programme on environmental protection for the 2019 – 2025 period. 

 The Prime Minister has called on local authorities, businesses and the entire society to join hands to prevent plastic wastes, he said. 

 As part of the event, scientists and environmentalists from US universities offered an environment training course for teachers from 10 local high schools, including environment science and sustainable development, human impacts on sea environment, impacts of plastic wastes on environment and economic development, reuse of plastic wastes, environment pollution management policies in Vietnam, and education’s importance to environmental protection. 

 Such knowledge will be taught in schools to raise student’s awareness of the effort. 

 The model will be later piloted in other cities and provinces.