Department of Natural Resources and Environment: 20 years of construction and development

On April 2, 2003, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 45/2003/QD-TTg on the establishment of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment under the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities. On October 7, 2003, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 57/2003/QD-UB on the establishment of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (TN&MT), on the basis of merging existing organizations of the Department of Land Administration and organizations performing the state management function of groundwater resources, mineral resources, and environment under a number of other departments and branches. After 20 years of construction and development, with the attention and leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment ; the coordination of departments, branches, sectors, provincial organizations, People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities; The consensus and support of all classes of people, organizations, and businesses in the province, and especially the solidarity and determination to strive in all aspects of work of generations of cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers... The Department and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the province have constantly grown and matured, achieved many achievements, and made important contributions to the socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security of the province.

Leaders of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment commended collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in performing tasks of the Natural Resources and Environment sector. Photo: Document

When it was first established, the department had only 24 civil servants, 37 public employees and a number of contract workers; 6 general and professional staff offices; 2 centers under the department. Over time, the organization and apparatus of the department have been constantly consolidated, improved and developed in both quantity and quality. In 2021, the department has reorganized and improved the organization and apparatus. Currently, the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Department are implemented according to Decision No. 79/QD-UBND dated November 4, 2021 of the People's Committee of Hung Yen province on the Regulation of functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Accordingly, the organization and apparatus of the department includes 6 general and professional staff offices; 5 affiliated public service units. The total number of cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers in the whole industry is 650 people, of which the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has 291 cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers; district level has 68 cadres, civil servants; commune level has 291 cadres, civil servants; master's and university degrees account for over 90%.

Propaganda and dissemination of laws is one of the tasks that the department focuses on. Regularly propagate the provisions of the Land Law, Mineral Law, Water Resources Law, Environmental Protection Law, etc. and the Government 's decrees, circulars of ministries and branches related to all classes of people in the province; promptly implement resolutions, directives and decisions of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee in the field of Natural Resources and Environment in many diverse forms.

Since its establishment, the Department has advised the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee to issue many directives, resolutions, action programs, decisions, and projects on the field of Natural Resources and Environment. In addition, the Department has issued many guiding documents according to its authority on expertise and profession for the fields assigned to it for management.

Land management has always been identified by the Department as a key, continuous task of the sector; the exploitation and use of land resources are increasingly more effective. In the period 2005-2010, the Department advised on the development of a 3-level synchronous adjustment of the Land Use Plan to guide the need for economical land use and prevent waste of resources. In the period 2010-2020, the planning and land use plans of districts, towns and cities were implemented simultaneously with the planning and land use plans of the province; by 2018, in order to meet the socio-economic development goals of the province, the Department advised the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Government for approval the adjustment of the land use plan to 2020 and the final land use plan (2016-2020) of the province. The Department has advised the Provincial People's Committee to approve the land use plan until 2030 and the land use plan for 2021, 2022, 2023 of 10 districts, towns and cities; completed the 5-year land use plan (2021-2025) of the province for appraisal and approval at the same time as the provincial planning. Land recovery and land allocation have contributed to the formation of urban areas, industrial parks and industrial clusters, with thousands of projects implemented, many projects put into effective production and business, creating jobs for workers, contributing large revenue to the state budget, contributing to economic growth in the province.

Thoroughly grasping the direction of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on implementing the goal of environmental protection and sustainable socio-economic development of the province, since its establishment, the Department has advised the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to issue many documents to strengthen management in the environmental field. From 2009 to present, the Department has advised the province to refuse to accept 97 projects with high risk of causing environmental pollution outside industrial zones with production types such as: Washing, grinding, dyeing, cleaning metals with chemicals, painting, plating... Strictly appraising 826 environmental impact assessment reports requiring waste treatment to meet local technical standards on domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater. 100% of newly built production, business and service establishments meet environmental protection requirements. The rate of collection and treatment of rural domestic waste is about 81%.

From 2003 to present, the Department has directed 423 inspections and examinations at 1,938 organizations and individuals. During the inspection and examination process, it has discovered, issued decisions to sanction and submitted to the Provincial People's Committee to sanction administrative violations against 598 units and organizations, with a total fine of more than 23.1 billion VND.

With the awareness of taking people and businesses as the center to serve, the Department focuses on leading and directing administrative procedure reform; enhancing research capacity, applying science and technology, implementing digital transformation well; training and improving the quality of staff associated with strengthening discipline and administrative order.

Along with that, the comprehensive leadership role of the Party Committee of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has been affirmed. In leadership and direction, the Party Committee of the Department always focuses on Party building, ideological education, improving political capacity, developing Party members; well implementing the principles and regulations on what Party members are not allowed to do. Up to now, the Party Committee of the Department has 11 affiliated Party cells with 135 Party members. Every year, the Party Committee of the Department is always assessed by the Party Committee of the Provincial Agencies - Enterprises as a Party Committee that has completed its tasks well and excellently.

With the efforts over the past 20 years, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has been honored to receive commendations and awards from all levels such as: The Department and 2 officials of the Department were honored to receive the Third Class Labor Medal from the President; 2 officials were awarded Certificates of Merit by the Prime Minister; 11 collectives were awarded the Excellent Emulation Flag by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; many collectives and individuals were awarded Certificates of Merit by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, along with other emulation titles.

Promoting the achieved results, overcoming difficulties, continuing to successfully complete assigned tasks, in the coming time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will focus on the following groups of tasks: Continuing to improve the organization, apparatus and staff of the sector from the province to the grassroots level, ensuring the good performance of assigned functions and tasks; actively and effectively participating in the work of building laws on natural resources and environment; focusing on promoting administrative reform, focusing on administrative procedure reform, digital transformation, application of information technology in professional activities; strengthening resource management and environmental protection; ensuring harmony between economic development and protection of natural resources and environment, towards sustainable development; improving the quality of citizen reception, handling complaints, denunciations, and reflecting citizens' recommendations; inspecting, checking, detecting and handling resolutely, promptly and strictly violations in the field of natural resources and environment...

Nguyen Van Phu

Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment

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