Attending the workshop, on the Vietnamese side were Dr. Hoang Van Thuc - Director of the Environmental Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Ms. Nguyen Hoang Anh - Deputy Head of the Environmental Quality Management Division, Environmental Pollution Control Department; and experts: Dr. Ngo Thanh Son - Vietnam Academy of Agriculture… On the side of the Federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Germany were Dr. Thomas Strassburger - Head of the Department of Soil Protection and Remediation and Mining Law; Ms. Viktoriya Lukhmanova - Department of Soil Protection and Remediation and Mining Law; Dr. Harald Mark - General Director of MSP Company, Bochum; Dr. Michael Zschiesche - Director of the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU)…
In his opening remarks at the workshop, Dr. Hoang Van Thuc, Director of the Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, stated that the Federal Republic of Germany is considered a long-standing traditional partner and one of the partners that has collaborated with the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on the most projects in the fields of climate change, environmental protection, management of marine plastic waste, water resource management, and environmental protection; among which, soil environmental protection is one of the priority areas of concern.
Furthermore, cooperative activities in soil environmental protection over the past period have yielded remarkable results, contributing to the success of the 20-year cooperation in the field of resources and environment between the two Ministries. The implementation of these activities has contributed to strengthening the sharing of experiences and mutual understanding on issues of mutual concern; and simultaneously enhancing the capacity of Vietnamese management officials in resource management and environmental protection in general, and soil environmental protection in particular.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Hoang Van Thuc expressed his desire to hear opinions from representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of the Federal Republic of Germany, representatives of agencies and units under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, the Environmental Pollution Control Department, experts and scientists on the results of Vietnam-Germany cooperation activities on soil environmental protection implemented in the past and suggestions for identifying priorities in the future. He also hoped to continue receiving support and cooperation from units within the Ministry, experts, and scientists to make Vietnam-Germany cooperation even more effective.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Thomas Strassburger, Head of the Department of Soil Protection and Remediation and Mining Law, Federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Germany, stated that Germany has always supported Vietnam in learning from Germany's practical experiences and lessons. During this cooperation, the professional workforce in Vietnam has developed significantly, along with an increasingly完善 legal framework, most clearly demonstrated in the regulations on soil environmental protection in the Environmental Protection Law, Decrees, Circulars, etc.
According to Mr. Thomas Strassburger, the cooperation between the two countries has yielded concrete results. In the future, he hopes that Vietnam can achieve outstanding results compared to other countries in soil environmental protection, and he also hopes that Germany can support Vietnam in ensuring agricultural land area, thereby guaranteeing food security.
At the workshop, participants heard presentations assessing the cooperation between Vietnam and Germany in the field of soil environmental protection; successes and new challenges from Vietnam's perspective; legal regulations and innovations in soil environmental protection; and current challenges to soil conservation in Vietnam. In addition, experts from Germany shared their experiences in land management from a German perspective with the Vietnamese delegates.
Sharing his experience in land management, Dr. Michael Zschiesche, Director of the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU), stated that the causes of soil pollution are becoming increasingly complex. Therefore, in the future, both sides need to strengthen exchanges on pollution control measures such as tax and fee instruments, and technical technologies. In addition, it is necessary to promote coordination in organizing workshops and training courses on topics that the two countries have previously collaborated on, as well as new topics.
According to Dr. Michael Zschiesche, to protect the soil environment in Vietnam, it is necessary to invest in research on the relationship between soil and climate; implement effective management measures for agricultural land, ensuring the maintenance of 3.8 million hectares of rice-growing land; and focus more on agricultural land management…
He also expressed his desire to learn from Vietnam's practical experiences in implementing legal regulations, because Vietnam is a rapidly developing country, and the rapid implementation of its legal documents and regulations has significantly contributed to soil environmental protection.
Cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and Vietnam in soil environmental protection began in 2004 when the two ministries – the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam – implemented the project “Scientific basis for identifying soil contamination areas in Vietnam” from 2005-2009.
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