Implementing partners: The project is funded by OVE from DANIDA’s Aid, the Center for Community Development (S-CODE) is the leading local partner in project implementation, management in coordination with OVE and ENERTEAM

The Danish Organisation for Sustainable Energy (OVE) is a Danish Non-Government Organization (NGO). The projects implemented by OVE have close relationship with environment in urban and rural areas. OVE is both donor and colaborator with S-CODE. In implementing the project. OVE’s International Coordinator will work in Hanam in the first year for ensuring the success of the project.

Center for Community Development (S-CODE) under SEARAV working in community development and poverty reduction. S-CODE create sustainable sollutions for reduccing poverty and improving health and living conditions in Vietnam throung community development and environment protection projects. S-CODE is responsible for OVE the project activities’s report and financial report.

ENERTEAM is specialized in science, technology and environment in HCMC. ENERTEAM main areas are restoration, Effectiveness improvement, energy protection and environment of EPZ, transport and services. Enerteam is responsible on the project result relating to technical issue.

The local stakeholders including: Hanam provincial, Thanh Liem authrority, and local key persons from 3 communes of Thanh Liêm who also took part into project proposal writing
II. CONTEXT
2.1 National Context

In the past two decades, Vietnam has made remarkable progress of economic growth result of reforms that began in 1986. However, the benefits of the reforms are slowly decreasing, and a growing understanding that if the momentum of development in Vietnam should be kept, focus needs to be shifted from agriculture to incorporating the development of industry and the private sector. as a

From 1991 to 2000, the average growth in the economy was 7.5% per year, while poverty rates dropped dramatically with two thirds remains in 11 years – from 58% in 1993 to 19.5% in 2004 – this will be considered as a underpinning for a rapid, stable, and inclusive economic growth.

By Asian standards, Vietnam has a low rate (26% in 2004) of urbanisation. Each year, 10,000 hectares of agricultural land in the peri-urban is transformed for other purposes. Vietnam’s population is growing day by day, therefore, it is necessary to have appropriate solutions for agriculture areas that are running in the urbanization process.
Policy and Legal Context

In the Socio Economic Development Plan (SEDP) 2006 – 2010 the move away from a predominantly agricultural base towards expansion of the industrial and service sectors to create development and economic growth of the country is reflected. The SEDP is an extension of the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS)[1]

The SEDP has overall economic, social and political tasks accompanied by a number of precise targets and indicators linked to the Millennium Development Goals.[2] The Plan clearly defines development orientation for all sectors and fields and outlines necessary policy measures and investments. The Plan has integrated the principles of the Poverty Reduction Strategies by setting clear goals for poverty reduction, social development, and the need for rational and effective use of natural resources. Resources from the state budget will be allocated for its implementation. Moreover, the SEDP is supplemented with socio-economic development orientations for each of the country’s regions.

As the Law on Environmental Protection (LEP), the National Strategy for Environmental Protection 2001 to 2010 (NSEP) also addresses the need for protection of natural resources by pollution prevention. The Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment is responsible for implementing the NSEP which has three broad objectives of pollution prevention and control, conservation and sustainable use of natural biodiversity resources and improving the environmental quality in urban, industrial and rural areas. The NSEP aims to link environmental protection efforts to poverty reduction strategies. However, close integration and full reference between the NSEP and the SEDP have not yet been fully achieved.

The relationship between sustainable development, the environment, poverty and gender is also an area of concern of the Government of Vietnam[3] in achieving gender equality, economic development and poverty reduction. The SEDP 2006 – 2010 also facilitates this process in order to strengthen the decentralisation process and to enhance the participation of the people, including the poor, in development planning, implementation and monitoring.[4] The Grassroots Democracy Decree no. 79, 2003 provides an important legislative framework for civil society participation in local development.

The National Agenda 21 (Strategic Orientation for Sustainable Development in Vietnam) reflects many of these ideas, by seeking to integrate socio-economic development with environmental protection, and encouraging the strengthening of management capacities, the participation of the whole society, as well as the establishment of local groups responsible for environmental protection and natural resource management, and development of community-based demonstration.
2.2 Economic Context of the target areas – Ha Nam

Ha Nam Province is located in the south of Hanoi, with about 800.000 inhabitants and a total area of 840 square kilometres, it is still a predominately rice-producing province. Agriculture counts for nearly 40 percent of provincial GDP, and farming is officially the primary occupation for over 80 percent of the rural population. At the same time, household or small-enterprises, often concentrated in craft villages, absorb 80 percent of the official manufacturing labour force in the enterprises of this province.

In some densely populated areas, the take-up of such industries has given rise to severe pollution. Local people in these areas are often greatly affected by untreated industrial waste gas, increasing problems of noise and air pollution, shortages of unpolluted water and degradation of other natural resources.

Peri-urban areas like Thanh Liem District in the Ha Nam Province provide a good illustration of this situation. This transformation renders new challenges to the management of natural resources and a necessity of improved services, including waste collection, clean water supply for domestic use, sanitation, surface and waste water drainage, and land planning and management. Moreover the production methods currently used for home-based non-farm activities such as handicrafts negatively affect the environment. Similarly, the use of natural resources, especially water in small scale production and intensive agriculture conflicts with domestic use, and along with waste from intensive husbandry contaminates and reduces drinking water resources.

Local authorities, however, often lack the capacity to address these emerging needs, and there is a strong need to equip them with the capacity to manage this urban transition underway already. Above all the local governments need to develop new planning strategies based on real needs and priorities of the local residents.

2.3 General information Thai Nguyen Province

Thai Nguyen province is 80 kilometres away from Hanoi and has a role in the economic exchange between the mountainous midland and the Red River Delta through the road, railway and waterway systems.

Thai Nguyen has a total area of 3,541 square kilometres and a population of more than 1 million people with 8 ethnic groups, it has 9 administrative units, comprising Thai Nguyen city, Song Cong town and 7 districts namely Pho Yen, Phu Binh, Dong Hy, Vo Nhai, Dai Tu, Dinh Hoa and Phu Luong.

Like Ha Nam there are industrial mining areas that make significant pollution, but most of the area is dominated by agriculture. The poor communes have problems similar to those in Ha Nam. Dong Dat commune, Phu Luong district is also a “hot” point and will be selected to implement models that are sucessful in Ha Nam.
2.4 Why do we need the project

The present form of life in the Ha Nam province as well as in the three communes in Thanh Liem district visited by the formulation team is unsustainable, caused by internal and external factors. Moreover, there is low awareness and capacity within the communities to protect and manage their local environment, which in turn impacts the health and the ability to engage in economic activities, as well as to maintain the present economic activities. Another factor is the limited capacity of the local authorities to deal with the environmental problems, as these are becoming more similar to these of urban areas.

Due to the present administrative system and the low capacity of the local authorities, sufficient environmental capacity can only be developed in order for them to play a proactive role in environmental management and improvement. The implementing partners will thus participate in training courses, information campaigns, assisting in implementation of activities, the Project Steering Committee etc.

Popular participation and civil engagement in the management of the environment are found to be keys in fostering a sustainable development. Based on this belief and the findings during the design mission we intend to focus on the community-based environmental management approach. The capacity improvement for communities can help them take part in decision- making, discussions to find out their own solutions with the supports of this project.

At the same time that these environmental problems are taking place, there is not enough being done by the local authorities to tackle them. This is due to lack of funds and resources. At the commune and district level, there are not enough fiscal resources in order to create effective and sustainable solutions. This is coupled with a lack of training and capacity among local officials. The provincial authorities are in charge of enforcing the regulations that are placed on local factories in terms of the amount of pollution that they emit, such as air pollution and waste water. However, these regulations are enforced to a minimum degree, with responsibility being left to the factory owners.

Although there are some warnings on the problems facing to local people like environment poluttion water resource, health degration, low educated people … but the main causes are not being seen clearly and thoroughly. At present, the Government resources are limited, low capacity of local authority and lack of experience in reducing environment pollution,. These are remaining issues that requires proper sollutions .