From tasks, practical solutions to help prevent and respond effectively to national environmental incidents

In recent times, Vietnam has witnessed many environmental incidents due to human activities and unusual changes in nature. In reality, although there have been positive changes, the work of preventing and responding to incidents and natural disasters in general is still passive and confused; the recovery of consequences is still slow, causing negative impacts on socio- economic development, health and people's lives. Therefore, the Government has proposed practical tasks and solutions to help prevent and respond effectively to national-level environmental incidents.

Illustration light

Responding to environmental incidents and incidents must ensure the principle of timeliness and effectiveness based on the coordination of organizations and individuals participating in the response. Clearly and specifically defining the roles and responsibilities of relevant sectors, levels and organizations in emergency response to ensure effective and non-overlapping response to environmental incidents, accordingly, it is necessary to perfect policies and laws on prevention and response to national environmental incidents.

The organization and use of forces to prevent and respond to national environmental incidents must ensure effectiveness; timely and flexible warning and response, clear responsibility, mobilization, synchronous coordination, and unification of forces when incidents occur according to the procedures prescribed by the Ministry of National Defense , in which it is necessary to ensure the principle that the locality where the incident occurs must immediately report to the competent authority for assessment, decentralization, and incident response, and at the same time notify NACCET to be ready to respond to national environmental incidents.

The Ministry of National Defense is the agency in charge of organizing response to national environmental incidents, mobilizing forces from ministries, branches and localities to participate; directing core forces to establish a field command post to organize and coordinate forces participating in response to national environmental incidents, including improving the monitoring and warning capacity of monitoring stations serving response to national environmental incidents.

Build and update a database on national-level environmental incident risks nationwide; a database on environmental status from the monitoring station system of the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Ministry of Science and Technology . Build a set of scenarios, response procedures, and guidelines for responding to national-level environmental incidents as a basis for command, management, and coordination among ministries, branches, and localities.

Practical rehearsal at ViTop Chemical Co., Ltd.

In particular, equipping means, equipment, and facilities to ensure national environmental incident response forces of ministries, branches, and localities, focusing on improving the organization and investing in equipment for core forces participating in national environmental incident response. Building a database to manage national environmental incident response forces and means.

In particular, organize training, education, and improve the qualifications of forces participating in responding to national environmental incidents. Organize national environmental incident response drills, ensure national reserves of essential goods and equipment for responding to environmental incidents.

Strengthening propaganda and dissemination of laws to raise awareness of the risks and harms of national environmental incidents; the roles and responsibilities of organizations and individuals in environmental protection activities in general, and the prevention and response to national environmental incidents in particular; strengthening management, inspection and handling of violations of facilities that pose a risk of causing environmental pollution according to the provisions of law; enhancing international cooperation in research and organization of response to national environmental incidents.

Develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation programs with relevant countries and international organizations on environmental incident response. Prepare plans and be ready to send forces and vehicles to participate in training, drills, and environmental incident response in the region and internationally, while enhancing the exchange of information and data on the risks of environmental incidents; cooperate in research, application, and technology transfer to serve environmental incident response.

In particular, regarding solutions to perfect policies and laws, we will study and amend and supplement the functions and tasks of responding to national environmental incidents for the forces of ministries, branches and localities in the national environmental incident response system; study and perfect the regime and policies for the forces performing the functions and tasks of responding to national environmental incidents; and study and amend, supplement and perfect the regulations on the mechanism of mobilizing and using resources, and managing finances in responding to national environmental incidents.

Yanjiang