A workshop was held in Hanoi on December 10 with a focus on national guidance for identifying plastic pollution hotspots and working out solutions.

IUCN Acting Country Representative Jake Brunner speaks at the workshop 

The event, organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD), was part of a project on building a network for monitoring plastics and plastics’ appearance in society and the environment (COMPOSE) and another named Marine Plastics and Coastal Communities (MARPLASTICCs).

In his speech, IUCN Acting Country Representative Jake Brunner said the recent issuance of the national action plan on plastic waste management is an important stride of Vietnam. 

However, he noted, numerous challenges are still lying ahead since plastic pollution is a problem relating to production, consumption and waste management that needs to be addressed thoroughly.

IRD Representative in Vietnam Alexis Drogoul said the COMPOSE project looks to form a network for monitoring the movement of plastics in the society and the environment in the country, thereby helping authorities understand the movement and make appropriate policies to minimise the amount of plastics discharged.

Meanwhile, the MARPLASTICCs project has been carried out since 2017 by the IUCN with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Implemented in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Thailand and Vietnam, it uses the life cycle management approach to support the global transition from the production – consumption – discharge model to a circular economy for plastics model.

At the workshop, the IUCN and partners presented methods for identifying plastic pollution hotspots in Vietnam. They also discussed ways to improve data on wastewater and solid waste management.