Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given the green light to a master plan on environmental protection in craft villages from now until 2030.

According to the plan, environmental pollution will be comprehensively tackled in the 47 most seriously affected craft villages nationwide in the next 2 years. The tackling of pollution there also goes hand in hand with a national program targeting pollution mitigation and environmental improvement in the 2012-2015.

In the next 5 years, facilities causing environmental pollution are expected to be removed from residential communities.

Vietnam has about 3,500 traditional craft villages, 1,000 of which now need financial support to deal with environmental pollution.

The plan is part of the government’s effort in realizing Resolution 35/NQ-CP on urgent issues of environmental protection with seven tasks and solutions.

They include enhancing environmental protection at industrial parks and clusters, enhancing the requirements in environmental protection in terms of strategies, planning schemes, development plans and projects.

The resolution also focuses on environmental protection in exploitation of mineral resources, overcoming pollution in and improving rural areas and craft villages, directing and gradually repairing environmental pollution in big cities and river basins, controlling the import of wasted materials, preventing degradation of eco-systems and decline of species, and improving effectiveness of State management over environmental protection.