Institutional Profile

Vietnam Environment & Sustainable Development Institute (VESDI)

Background

The Vietnam Environment and Sustainable Development Institute (VESDI) is an NGO institution belonging to the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE), a national non-governmental organization of scientists, managers, technicians and other people devoted to environmental protection in Vietnam. VESDI is founded based on the Vietnam Environment and Sustainable Development Center (VNESDC), which was established earlier in 1995. The founders of VESDI believe that Vietnam is entering a period of intensive economic growth, characterized by rapid industrialization, modernization and urbanization. This development process will create the foundation for improved living standards and basis for further development of the country. Yet, it will also put great pressure on natural resources and the quality of living environment of all people in Vietnam, both in rural and urban areas. VESDI was created in response to this challenge.

Mission

VESDI's mission is to provide a bridge among the activities of people, communities and governmental agencies in environmental protection and promotion of sustainable development. From one aspect, it seeks to facilitate community participation in environmental policy and decision making. From the other, it assists central and local environmental authorities in mobilizing larger and sounder channels for public participation in implementation of national and local environmental protection policies, programmes and projects, especially those aimed at safeguarding and improving local socio-economic development and sustainability.

Tasks

VESDI implements its mission by carrying out the following tasks:

w   Education, training and promotion of public environmental awareness;

w   Research and extension, including technology transfer for the solution to national and local environmental protection and sustainable development problems;

w   Advice and consultancy service, evaluation of the local state of environment, and conducting review of environmental impact assessment reports, elaboration of local environmental master planning;

w   Participating in international and regional cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development.

Organization

w   VESDI activities are supervized by VESDI Director at including:

*   Director: Dr. Le Thac Can, Professor of Hanoi National University, member of Scientific Committee of National Environment Agency (NEA);

*   Deputy-Directors: Professor Nguyen Thuong Hung, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Geo-sciences; Associate-Professor Pham Binh Quyen - Hanoi National University, Head of VESDI Branch for Northern Central Vietnam; Dr. Pham Hoang Hai, Deputy-Director of the Institute of Geography of the National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology; Professor Tran An Phong, Head of VESDI Branch for Central Vietnam and Associate-Professor Le Trinh, Head of VESDI Branch for Southern Vietnam.

*   Administrator: Mr. Nguyen Duc Tung

w   VESDI Scientific Council, with Professor Le Quy An, ex vice-minister of MOSTE as chairman; Professor Vo Quy, UNEP prize recipient; Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Sinh, ex NEA Director, General Secretary as deputy-chairmen of VACNE, provides for VESDI directorate orientations for research, extension, education and training activities.

w   Organizational units of VESDI include:

*   Division of Environmental Education, Training and Awareness Promotion;

*   Division of Research and Extension;

*   Division of Education and Sustainable Development;

*   Division of Environment and Sustainable Tourism;

*   Division of Natural Resource Management

*   Central Vietnam Branch;

*   Southern Vietnam Branch;

*   Northern-central Vietnam Branch;

*   Administration Office.

Cooperation Linkages

VESDI has close cooperation with members and organizations belonging to VACNE and VUSTA, with international organizations: UNDP, UNEP, WB, ADB, OECD, ACCT, AFD, JBIC, TAF, AusAID, JICA and international NGOs: IUCN, WWF, Oxfam, DSE, HSF, SNV, CSE, CHF.

Activities

w   Completed and current activities in environmental education and training:

*   Short term training courses in Sustainable Development, Environmental Management and Environmental Impact Assessment for environmental experts at provincial agencies (1995-2001);

*   Environmental management at district and commune level (1999-2000);

*   Environmental education for technical professional schools (1998-2002).

*   Research on Education Demand for Environmental officers (2003);

*   Environmental Education for professional higher schools (2002-2003);

*   Improving public awareness and participation in the process of developing Tourism Law in VietNam (2004-2005);

*   Capicity building of feasibility  Reforestation Projects making in VietNam (2005)

w   Completed research and extension activities:

*   Environmental impact assessment: EIA of Son La hydropower project (1995-2000), Ta Trach water reservoir project in Thua Thien - Hue (2000), Thach Ngan dam project in Nghe An (2000); Development of EIA Guidelines for hydropower project (1999); Phu My 3,300 MW Energy System; Tan Son Nhat airport passenger terminal (2000); EIA of Binh Phuoc Cement factory (2003) and Tay Ninh cement project (2004); EIA of the East - West motorway and the tunnel cross Sai Gon River (2003-2004); EIA of Nhon Trach thermo-electric and Bung river hydropower projects (2004); Promotion of public participation in EIA (2004); EIA of electricfy the countryside project in the South provinces and Ha Tinh, Vinh Phuc.

*   Water resources management: Survey and inventory of water resources in Ninh Thuan province (1998); Safe water supply for Thanh Hoa province rural  areas (2000); Environmental Monitoring for South Vietnam river navigation system ; Mekong region environmental governance

*   Socio-economic and environmental impacts of rural-rural migration in Vietnam (1998); Public participation related to resettlement in Yali hydropower project (2000).

*   Environmental indicators for Vietnam (1996-2001); Environmental indicators and  Environmental master planning for Quang Tri province (2000); Environmental Master planning for Binh Phuoc province  and Vinh Long (2003-2004); Building of  Sustainable Development Indicator in the industrialization and modernization period of VietNam (2002); Research on building set of sustainable development criterion at national level (2003); Application of national environmental quality standards in Hanoi (2001-2004).

*   Environmental changes related to plantation of industrial trees in Central Highland

*   Vietnam Rio+10 NGO National Report (2002);

*   Research on building of environmental monitoring system in Tien Giang province (2002-2003);

*   Research on Lung Ngoc Hoang natural consevation zone (2001); Research on conservation, development of rare genetic source and biodiversity protection in Thai Pin Tung commune, Dong Van district, Lang Son province (2003);

*   Research on eco-tourism development planning at the Pu Mat national park, Nghe An province; Orienting to eco-tourism development in Phu Yen province; Planning for tourism development in forest in Lam Dong province.

*   Research on environmental management strategy and action plan for environmental protection in Vinh Long.

w   Current on-going research projects:

*   Research on Sustainable Farming at the Rural - Urban Interface (2002-2006);

*   To build a small scale production cooperation model to improve poverty reduction capacity for poor single women in Ha Tinh province;

*   To build a sustainable cultivation model on slopping land to ensure food security for highland ethnic minorities living in Nghe An province;

 *  Developing of aquacultural product model with low expense for hunger alleviation and poverty reduction to protect mangrove  and its spcies in Thach Ha district, Ha Tinh province;

*   Supporting for developing special fruits planted in gardens and forest land  for hunger alleviation and poverty reduction in Huong Long commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province;

*   Diversifing livelihood for for hunger alleviation and poverty reduction for people in Cam Xuyen mountainous region, Ha Tinh province;

*   Environmental Monitoring for: South Vietnam  water way project; Phu My Electricity plant; Tan Son Nhat international airport;

*   Environmental Impact Assessment: EIA of Son La irrigation project; EIA of T2 terminal project of Noi Bai international airport; EIA of 500KV eletric line from Nha Be to O Mon and Soc Son - Quang Ninh.

*   Research on statistic of polluted sources, assessment of self cleanly and waste accept capacity in Can Tho rivers and canals.

*   Mapping of master planning for Kon Tum province;

*   Research on changing structure of agricultural plants to make basic for sustainable agricultural development in Dak Ha, Kon Tum province;

*   Evaluation on farm economy to specialized for breeding and using and forest resource in M’drak district, Dak Lak province;

*   Research on changing structure of agricultural plants at three districts in Kon Tum province.

Communication Addresses

VESDI

12A01 Suite,34T Building, Hoang Dao Thuy street, Hanoi, VietNam

Tel.: (84-4) 2210340; Fax: (84-4) 2210341

E-mail: VESDI@fpt.vn; thaccan@hn.vnn.vn;vesdi.office@gmail.com">thaccan@hn.vnn.vn;vesdi.office@gmail.com

*   Vietnamese currency account: 0021 0000 19408

Ngan hang Ngoai thuong Hanoi

*   Foreign currency account:                 0021 3700 30829

Vietcom Bank, Hanoi Branch

VESDI Branch for Southern Vietnam

8 Mac Dinh Chi, Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel.: (84-8) 8233812; Fax: (84-8) 8226957

Email: vesdec@hcm.vnn.vn">vesdec@hcm.vnn.vn

VESDI Branch for Central Vietnam

B21 Tenement 15, Hoang Hoa Tham

Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province

Tel.: (84-58) 826697; Fax: (84-58) 821784

Email: anphong32b@dng.vnn.vn">anphong32b@dng.vnn.vn

VESDI Branch for Northern Central Vietnam

169 Tran Hung Dao Str,. Vinh City

Tel.: (84-38) 534428; Fax: (84-38) 534429

Email: vesdi_ncbranch@vnn.vn

Vietnam Environment & Sustainable Development Institute