Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is expected to formulate a plan to closely supervise 28 projects across the country in a bid to prevent potential environmental pollution and disasters.

The ministry is collecting feedback from relevant agencies regarding their plan to monitor local projects and minimize their risk of causing pollution and environmental disasters.

The plan will then be submitted to the prime minister for approval.

A total of 28 factories, projects, and industrial parks across the Southeast Asian country have been chosen for the scheme.

They belong to the 16 industries which were highlighted as having the highest risk of environmental contamination, namely the metals industry, thermal power, pulp and paper production, petrochemicals, leather tanning, and waste treatment, among others.

The 28 targets include notorious names such as Formosa, which was responsible for causing serious seawater pollution and mass fish deaths in central Vietnam in 2016, a mining project at Nui Phao (Phao Mountain) in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, and the Lee & Man Paper mill in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang.

Some of the projects mentioned in the plan remain in their construction or pilot phases, including multiple thermal power plants in the south-central province of Binh Thuan and the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh.

The Lee & Man Paper mill in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hoang Van Thuc, head of the Agency for Environment under the ministry, said that aside from the 28 institutions, another 300 projects will also be regularly supervised.

However, that task will be given to provincial authorities, Thuc said.

According to the environment ministry, the environment has deteriorated in several parts of Vietnam in recent years, and is having a negative impact on local ecosystems and the lives of local residents.

Rapid socio-economic development and industrialization have resulted in a huge increase in demand for natural resources, the agency remarked.

Some areas focus on attracting investment and boosting economic activities without taking environment protection into consideration, it continued, adding that outdated production models also posed a big threat.

The supervision plan is aimed at resolving these issues and taking pro-active measures to prevent negative outcomes, said Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

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