Wirtschaft - Umwelt / Economy - Environment (2016)
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Wirtschaft - Umwelt / Economy - Environment (2016)
* Wirtschaft - Umwelt /
Economy - Environment
Answers sought after steel plant disaster
31.12.2016 By Sun Hsin Hsuan (The China Post) - TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Eight months after a steel plant in Vietnam owned by Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics (台塑集團) caused one of the worst environmental disasters in the country's history, Taiwanese civic groups demanded answers from the company and the government.
At a public hearing at the Legislative Yuan on Friday, representatives from environmental and human rights groups weighed in on the causes and outcomes of the April disaster, and discussed whether government negligence and legislative loopholes had contributed to the calamity. [read more]
Sechs Daten-Visualisierungen erklären das Plastikproblem
30.12.2016 Gianna-Carina Grün (DW) - Jedes einzelne Stück Plastik, das jemals produziert wurde, existiert noch heute auf Erden. Es ist sicher nicht mehr am selben Ort und wahrscheinlich nicht mehr wiederzuerkennen, aber es ist gewiss noch da, nur nicht sichtbar für die meisten von uns. Mit der weltweiten Produktion von Plastik steigt auch die Menge an "unsichtbarem" Plastikabfall irgendwo auf der Welt an.
Eines jedoch ist klar: Plastikmüll bleibt nicht nur an Land. Ein Teil davon landet im Meer. Hier verursacht er Schäden von mindestens 13 Milliarden US-Dollar (ca. 12,3 Mrd. Euro) pro Jahr.
Knapp die Hälfte des Plastikmülls im Meer stammt aus den Küstenregionen von nur fünf Ländern: China, Indonesien, Philippinen, Vietnam und Sri Lanka. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnamese growth slows to 6.21% in 2016
29.12.2016 Atsushi Tomiyama, Nikkei staff writer (Nikkei Asian Review) - HANOI -- Vietnam's real domestic product grew more slowly for the first time in four years in 2016, official figures out Wednesday show.
The reading came to 6.21%, according to the General Statistics Office, slightly missing the 6.3% government projection released around autumn and the 6.7% initial forecast made at the start of the year.
In the industrial and construction sector overall, growth eased from the 9.6% of 2015 to 7.6%. Lower oil prices led to a 4% decline in the resources and mining sector -- the sharpest drop in the past five years.
Domestic steel production did not rise as strongly as in the previous year as cheap steel from a slowing China flooded the market. [read more]
Mass fish deaths partly to blame as Vietnam's economy slows
28.12.2016 (EBLnews) - Vietnam’s economy has experienced its first slowdown in four years largely due to poor farming conditions and a mass fish die-off, the government announced Wednesday.
With GDP growth at 6.21 per cent in 2016, the economy slowed slightly from 2015’s 6.68 per cent, according to data released by the government’s General Statistics Office.
The government attributed the slowdown to poor growth in the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sector, which registered its lowest growth rate since 2011 at 1.36 per cent.
The Statistics Office also attributed the slowdown to a mass fish die-off on the central Vietnamese coastline in April. [read more]
2016 Was a Good Year for Vietnam
28.12.2016 By Tran Van Minh, Associated Press (U.S. News & World Report) - HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam's economy is forecast to grow 6.2 percent in 2016, helped by a manufacturing and building boom.
The General Statistics Office said Wednesday that this year's growth rate is below 2015's rate of 6.7 percent but is still considered a success given unfavorable global trends and a spate of natural and environmental disasters.
The southern Mekong Delta, the country's main rice growing region, earlier this year suffered the worst drought and in turn salt water intrusions in nearly a century. Toxic chemicals dumped into the sea in April by a steel complex in central Ha Tinh province, owned by a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group, devastated the region's fishing and tourism industries. [read more]
Vietnamese factory caught dumping industrial waste
27.12.2016 By Bennett Murray (Anadolu Agency) - Discovery comes at the end of a year that saw industrial pollution take prominence in Vietnamese politics.
Vietnamese police have caught a ceramic tile factory dumping industrial waste into a local river, local media reported Tuesday.
The factory, owned by Pak Vietnam Single-Member LLC in southern Vietnam’s Dong Nai province, was found to be pumping “black, putrid sewage” from a coolant bath for a coal gasification boiler, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
Industrial waste dumping has been a particularly sensitive issue in the country this year in the wake of a mass fish kill off the central Vietnamese coast in April. [read more]
Vietnam could be 'sowing the seeds of the next crisis'
26.12.2016 Jonathan Garber (Business Insider Deutschland) - Vietnam is expected to show annualized growth of 6.3% in the fourth quarter when it releases the data sometime next week.
That would be the first slowdown in annual growth since 2012, and below the 7% growth that was expected by prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
The slowdown reflects the impact of the worst drought in nearly 100 years. And while growth is likely to pick back up, according to Capital Economics, Vietnam could be "sowing the seeds of the next crisis" with its loose monetary policy. [read more]
Vietnam says recovery from Formosa industrial disaster could take a decade
23.12.2016 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - HANOI, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Vietnam's central region is expected to take a decade to completely recover from an industrial accident caused by a unit of a Taiwan conglomerate, which led to Vietnam's worst ever environmental disaster, the government said.
"Formosa had deliberately changed many of the contents of the two environmental impacts assessment reports approved in 2008 including using 'wet' coking system instead of 'dry'," the ministry said a detailed response. "These changes are illegal."
Responding this week to questions as part of a Reuters investigation in November, Vietnam's environment ministry said the firm had rectified 50 of 53 violations and was on its way to removing the biggest cause of the disaster, a highly toxic "wet" coking system that Formosa had used in a deliberate violation of its agreement. [read more]
China apparel makers turn to Vietnam for wage relief
21.12.2016 Yasuo Awai (Nikkei Asian Review) - HONG KONG -- Soaring wages at home are prompting Chinese apparel makers to shift production to neighboring Vietnam, where labor costs are nearly 60% lower.
Though such moves involve a certain amount of risk due to the nations' territorial dispute in the South China Sea, among other factors, observers do not see the trend ending anytime soon.
Nameson Holdings, which makes sweaters and other knitwear to order, plans to increase production in Vietnam. Nameson mainly supplies garments to Japan's Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo chain of casual clothing stores. Over half of the Chinese company's revenue comes from sales to the Japanese retailer. [read more]
Dam Design and Greed May Factor Into Flood Devastation in Vietnam
20.12.2016 (RFA) - The poor design and management of Vietnam’s power-generating dams are likely one of the main factors that led to recent deadly floods that inundated the country’s central provinces, experts tell RFA.
Flooding over the past two months has devastated Vietnam’s central provinces, killed dozens of people and caused millions of dollars in economic damage as unusually heavy rain has pelted the country.
While heavy rainfall is rare in Vietnam for this time of year, not all of the devastation can be blamed on a fluke of nature, as experts tell RFA’s Vietnamese Service that poor engineering and greed also contributed to the destruction.
On Dec. 16 state media reported that 13 hydroelectric dams were simultaneously discharging water in the inundated areas of the country and that the Tranh River No. 2 Reservoir had actually increased its discharge volume. [read more]
Plastics industry unified in combatting marine litter
14.12.2016 by Martijn Reintjes (Recycling International) - Vietnam: This year, a further seven plastics industry associations have signed the Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter, also known as the Joint Declaration.
These are: the American Fiber Manufacturers Association; the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association; the Flexible Packaging Association; the Ghanaian Plastics Manufacturers Association; the Myanmar Plastics Industries Association; the Indonesian Olefins, Aromatics and Plastics Association; and the Vietnam Plastics Association.
Callum Chen, secretary general of the Asia Plastics Forum, added: ‘Together, as a united, global industry, we’re involved in hundreds of marine litter prevention programmes in all regions of the globe. But there is still much to do. Growing our ranks helps further grow our work.’ [read more]
Vietnamesen trotz boomender Wirtschaft skeptisch
14.12.2016 Rodion Ebbighausen (DW) - Der Grundstein für Vietnams wirtschaftlichen Erfolg wurde vor 30 Jahren gelegt. Das Land war damals wirtschaftlich am Boden.
Auf dem sechsten Plenum der Kommunistischen Partei Vietnams im Dezember 1986 - heute vor 30 Jahren - zog die Politik nach. Die Partei stemmte sich nicht gegen die Entwicklungen und gab der Transformation von der Plan- zur Marktwirtschaft mit sozialistischen Merkmalen ihren Segen. Bekannt wurde das Programm unter dem Schlagwort "Doi Moi" (Erneuerung). Es machte den Weg frei für Vietnams wirtschaftlichen Aufstieg.
Die Probleme der vietnamesischen Privatwirtschaft rühren unter anderem daher, dass die staatseigenen Unternehmen eng mit der Partei verfilzt sind. Sie genießen Steuervorteile, gelangen leichter an Konzessionen, können Auflagen leichter umgehen und verzerren so den Wettbewerb.
Doch eine höhere Produktivität lässt sich nur mit innovativen Produkten erzielen. Dafür muss das Land mehr Ressourcen in die Ausbildung stecken, um nur einen zentralen Punkt zu benennen. Doch in diesem Feld passiert wenig. Die vietnamesische Regierung konzentriert sich stattdessen auf den Export und um ausländische Direktinvestitionen [Weiterlesen]
Why Is Climate-Conscious Vietnam Choosing Coal Over Nuclear?
12.12.2016 By Helen Clark (SCMP) - Vietnam’s decision to abandon its nascent nuclear power programme and turn back to cheaper, dirtier, coal says much about where the nation thought it was headed – and about where it has ended up.
Hanoi-based Dan Tri News reported simply that the legislative National Assembly had cancelled the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant project due to fears over “rising public debts” and “environmental risks after the Formosa case” (when a Taiwanese steel plant leaked toxic waste water into the sea, killing 100 tonnes of fish and prompting protests and ongoing public anger). [read more]
Vietnam Pivots Away from US-Led Trade Zone as Trump Preps for Office
12.12.2016 (VOA) - TAIPEI — Vietnamese officials once excited by joining the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a sweeping Pacific Rim trade zone, are looking instead to other deals that would stimulate their export-dependent economy as the pact may die under President-elect Donald Trump.
The Southeast Asian country that has cultivated export manufacturing as an economic backbone since the 1980s is shifting its focus to free trade deals with China, Russia and the European Union in lieu of the TPP, according to observers. [read more]
Vietnam arrests five bankers for 'mismanagement'
11.12.2016 (Bangkok Post) - HANOI - Vietnam has arrested five former bank employees for alleged mismanagement, including an ex-managing director and his deputy, the latest executives to be punished in the scandal-hit sector.
Tran Phuong Binh, his deputy Nguyen Thi Ngoc Van and three others were arrested for "violating laws on financial and banking activities", according to a statement from the partially state-owned Dong A Bank on Saturday.
Dong A Bank, one of the country's smaller banks and based in Vietnam's financial hub Ho Chi Minh City, was established in 1992 and lists the city's communist party office as one of its major shareholders. [read more]
Fisch oder Stahl? Die neue Umweltbewegung Vietnams
09.12.2016 von Thuc Quyen Nguyen (SOA) - Anfang April dieses Jahres wurde an den Küsten der Provinzen Ha Tinh, Qang Binh, Quang Tri und Thua Thien Hue tonnenweise toter Fisch angespült. Kilometerlange Fischberge, unzählige Muscheln, verendete Seevögel und sogar einige Wale – gefolgt vom Tod des Tauchers Le Van Ngay, der nach einem Tauchgang in diesem Gebiet zunächst über Brustschmerzen und Atemnot geklagt hatte.
Bald nach Beginn des ominösen Massensterbens maritimen Lebens in den zentralvietnamesischen Küstenprovinzen wurden erste Vermutungen über die Ursachen der Umweltkatastrophe laut, und Formosa Ha Tinh Steel (FHS oder Formosa HS), ein Subunternehmen des weltweit agierenden, taiwanesischen Formosa Plastics Group-Konglomerates, schnell als Urheber identifiziert ...[Weiterlesen]
Huit mois après la pollution maritime des côtes du Centre-Vietnam, de nombreuses victimes n’ont toujours pas été indemnisées
09.12.2016 (Églises d'Asie) - Voilà plus de huit mois que les riverains des côtes du Centre-Vietnam ont subi les dégâts de la pollution déclenchée au début du mois d’avril 2016 par le complexe industriel taïwanais Formosa Plastics. Beaucoup d’entre eux ont perdu de ce fait tous leurs moyens de subsistance. Le 23 septembre 2016, après le versement d’un dédommagement de 500 millions de dollars américains par l’usine responsable de la pollution, le Vice-Premier ministre avait signé une décision importante : il priait les responsables régionaux de faire parvenir au pouvoir central la liste des pertes subies par les pêcheurs en raison de la pollution maritime ainsi que les indemnisations requises. Selon la décision, le règlement des sommes dues devait être effectué au cours du mois d’octobre.
La presse officielle a annoncé que quelques-unes des victimes avaient reçu une indemnisation tirée de l’enveloppe de 500 millions de dollars versés au gouvernement par l’usine taïwanaise. Cependant, dans différents lieux du Centre-Vietnam, diverses catégories de sinistrés de la pollution n’ont encore rien reçu et manifestent désormais leur mécontentement. [en savoir plus]
Staudämme gefährden die Ernährung von Millionen Menschen
08.12.2016 Von Richard Stone (SZ) - Immer im April schwammen die Nyawn-Welse den Mekong aufwärts zu ihren Laichplätzen. Unterwegs mussten sie sich im Süden von Laos durch eine Engstelle drängen. Dort warteten die Fischer. Jedes Jahr fingen sie Hunderttausende der daumengroßen Tiere in ihren Netzen. Dann begann im Jahr 2014 die Arbeit an einem großen Staudamm. "Obwohl es noch mehrere Jahre dauern wird, bis der Don-Sahong-Damm fertig ist, hat er bereits den Weg der Fische abgeschnitten und die kommunale Fischerei zerstört", sagt Zeb Hogan, ein Fischereibiologe der Universität von Nevada, Reno. "Diesen Fischfang gibt es nicht mehr."
Weil die Dämme die Wanderrouten der Fische blockieren und das Mekongdelta von der Zufuhr von Sedimenten abschneiden, könnten die Fischer im Mekong-Becken mehr als ein Drittel ihrer Fänge einbüßen - ein schwerer Schlag für die 60 Millionen Menschen der Region. [read more]
Vietnamese priest complains about FPG unit
07.12.2016 By Cheng Hung-ta and Jake Chung (The Taipei Times) - A Vietnamese Catholic priest yesterday held a news conference in Taipei to complain about the operations of Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp, a Vietnamese subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group (FPG).
Father Nguyen Dihn Thuc from the Catholic Diocese of Vinh, who was accompanied at the news conference by Taiwanese lawmakers and representatives of several non-governmental organizations, said pollution from the plant in Ha Tinh Province has severely affected the region’s residents physically and spiritually.
Vietnamese fishermen have been particularly affected as massive numbers of fish were poisoned by chemicals discharged by the steel plant in April, and without fish to sell, they are unable to buy food for their families or provide schooling for their children, Nguyen said. [read more]
Vietnam teaches Japan a lesson
05.12.2016 Atsushi Tomiyama (Nikkei Asian Review) - HANOI -- A failed bid to build nuclear power plants in Vietnam has provided Japan with a bitter lesson: It has to carefully assess a recipient country's needs and a project's financial feasibility before it pushes certain pieces of infrastructure into a nation.
Vietnam on Nov. 22 abandoned its plan for nuclear power plants in the southern province of Ninh Thuan, citing construction costs of about 3 trillion yen ($26.3 billion).
In 2010, Japan won contracts for nuclear power plants in Vietnam during a meeting in Hanoi between Naoto Kan, then Japanese prime minister, and his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung. International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan, a consortium also known as JINED, played a major role in conducting feasibility studies and offering technical assistance to the Vietnamese government and Vietnam Electricity.
It can be assumed that JINED representatives interacted plenty with Vietnamese people. But did anyone involved in the bid ever entertain the thought that the project would be financially and technically difficult to realize? [read more]
Trump’s Tough Trade Talk Could Damage American Factories
02.12.2016 By Peter S. Goodman, Neil Gough, Sui-Lee Wee and Jack Ewing (The New York Times) - HOLLAND, Mich. — While much of the American political class has been consumed with recriminations over the wrenching loss of manufacturing jobs, Chuck Reid has been quietly adding them.
His company, First Class Seating, makes recliner seats for movie theaters here at a factory on the shores of Lake Michigan. Since he bought the business three years ago, its work force has grown to 40 from 15.
But those jobs will be in jeopardy if President-elect Donald J. Trump follows through on his combative promises to punish countries he deems guilty of unfair trade.
But the fabric for Mr. Reid’s seats arrives from China. So do the electronics in the “magic box” that enables moviegoers to control the recliner. Ditto, the plastic cup holders and the bolts and screws that hold the parts together. The motor is the work of a German company that makes it in Hungary, almost certainly using electronics from China. [read more]
Vietnam's Mekong Delta to receive nearly $400 million to combat climate change
02.12.2016 (UkrAgroConsult) - The delta, where nearly half of the country’s rice is grown, is at threat from saltwater intrusion. The World Bank has pledged $310 million to help nine provinces in the Mekong Delta to combat adverse weather conditions that have led to saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion and flooding.
“Recent extreme weather in the Mekong River Delta, including drought and salinity intrusion, are negatively affecting the lives of the farmers – most of them are poor,” said Achim Fock, acting country director for the World Bank in Vietnam. [read more]
Plastic Island - How our throwaway culture is turning paradise into a graveyard
01.12.2016 By Nick Paton Walsh, Ingrid Formanek, Jackson Loo and Mark Phillips (CNN) - Midway Atoll, North Pacific Ocean (CNN) -- The distance from humanity yawns out in front of you when you stand on the pale sands of this tiny Pacific island.
Standing on the island's remote shoreline brings a calm and humility -- until you look down at your feet.
On the beach lies a motorcycle helmet, a mannequin's head, an umbrella handle, and a flip-flop. They didn't fall from a plane or off a ship, and there aren't any civilians living here who could have left them behind.
China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka are considered the five worst offenders when it comes to plastic pollution, according to a study published in Science, and you can anticipate as much success telling people there to stop using disposable plastics as you would do in the US. [read more]
Vietnam battles erosion of beaches – and of tourism
30.11.2016 Coco Liu (The Christian Science Monitor) - CUA DAI BEACH, VIETNAM — As dusk falls on this landmark Vietnamese beach, Hung Hoa is about to close her seafood restaurant. It is only six o’clock.
“Nobody is coming here anyway,” sighs Mrs. Hung. Her restaurant has 10 dining tables; even though it is supper time, all of them are empty.
Once a popular tourist destination, Cua Dai beach is now a deserted place. Not far from Hung’s restaurant looms an abandoned lifeguard tower. There is no music to be heard and you rarely come across visitors. Instead, you see huge sandbags piled everywhere against the sea.
Vietnam is no stranger to typhoons and flooding. But a changing climate is making things even worse. A 2010 World Bank report warned that the country is experiencing longer typhoon and flood seasons and that “storms are tracking into new coastal areas.” [read more]
Vietnam Sends Four Women to Jail for Roadblock Protest
29.11.2016 (RFA) - A local court sentenced four women to six-month jail terms after finding them guilty of disrupting public order for their part in protests last year that blocked a major highway, RFA’s Vietnamese Service has learned.
Hoang Thi Thai, Mai Thi Trinh, Mai Thi Tiem and Le Thi Thuy joined other local people in blocking Highway 1A near the Ky Anh township in Ha Tinh province last year as a protest over local authorities’ detention of two men.
The Dec. 11. 2015 protest closed the road for 20 hours as demonstrators demanded the release of Hoang Van Thiet and Nguyen Huu Phuong.
Der Protest am 11. Dezember 2015 schloß die Straße für 20 Stunden, während Demonstranten die Freigabe von Hoang Van Thiet und Nguyen Huu Phuong forderten.
Nguyen Huu Phuong wurde während der Arbeit an der Formosa Plastics Group Stahlwerk verhaftet, und Hoang Van Thiet wurde vermutlich von der Regierung entführt. Beide Männer sind "Sicherheit Mitglieder" der Dong Yen Gemeinde, nach Zeugen. [read more]
Pollution emergency destroys tourism in central Vietnam
28.11.2016 Tran Vinh (AsiaNews) – Hanoi - The pollution emergency that hit Vietnam’s central provinces has delivered a heavy blow to the local tourism industry.
On top of job losses in the fishing industry, locals complain of the drop in tourists, discouraged by the poor quality of water and fish. Compared to 2015, the provinces of Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên and Hà Tĩnh have lost a million visitors.
Tourism Office statistics show that " marine tourism-related business in Hà Tĩnh dropped by 90 per cent. Sales and services fell by 40-50 per cent." Quảng Bình province lost revenue worth 1,900 billion dong (US$ 85 million), including restaurants, hotels and handicraft products. [read more]
La emergencia desatada por la contaminación destruye el turismo en el centro de Vietnam
28.11.2016 Tran Vinh (AsiaNews) – Hanoi - La emergencia desatada por la contaminación, que ha golpeado a las provincias centrales de Vietnam, ha puesto de rodillas a la industria del turismo. Los habitantes locales, que ya venían atravesando gravísimas dificultades a raíz de la pérdida del trabajo vinculado a la pesca, ahora denuncian los daños a largo plazo provocados por la falta de la clientela habitual, que desconfía de la calidad del agua y del pescado.
Con respecto al 2015, las provincias de Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên y Hà Tĩnh han perdido un millón de visitantes. Las estadísticas de la Oficina de Turismo muestran que “las ventas ligadas al turismo marino en Hà Tĩnh han caído un 90%. E incluso las ganancias del mercado y de los servicios económicos se han reducido en un 40-50%. [seguir leyendo]
Killing the Mekong, Dam by Dam
Regional governments have been underestimating the environmental and economic costs of Mekong dams.
28.11.2016 By Tom Fawthrop (The Diplomat) - SIPHANDONE, LAOS — Explorers, travelers, and traders have long been enchanted by the magical vistas and extraordinary biodiversity of the Mekong, especially here.
Swirling rapids roar through the surrounding forest to unleash the magnificent Khone Phapheng Falls in southern Laos. The surrounding myriad islands and forested islets, dotted among the tranquil waterways and braided channels of the Mekong, inspire awe and wonder. This is Siphandone (Four Thousand Islands) district of Southern Laos, nestled alongside the Cambodian border.
However, the serenity of Siphandone has recently been rudely disrupted by the dynamite-blasting of rocks, shattering the tranquil reverie of this ecotourism paradise.
The mighty Mekong, flowing for 4,630 km through the heart of Southeast Asia, is in deep crisis. The delta in Vietnam is both shrinking and sinking. [read more]
Vietnam cancels nuclear power plan over costs
25.11.2016 By Diarmaid Williams (Power Engineering) - The Vietnamese government has opted not to go ahead with the development of two new nuclear power plants in partnership with Russia and Japan, citing a doubling in costs for its decision.
In a statement, the government said the price for the proposed plants – approved in 2009 – had doubled to nearly $18bn, prohibitive to going ahead, as the government already has debt issues.
According to Reuters, when the government first approved plans for the two plants, growth in Vietnam’s annual power demand was projected at 17-20 percent. However, Duong Quang Thanh, chairman of state utility Vietnam Electricity group, was quoted by state-run Voice of Vietnam radio recently as saying that annual growth between 2016 and 2020 was now forecast at 11 per cent, and 7-8 per cent through 2030. [read more]
Vietnam scraps huge nuclear power plant projects
22.11.2016 (Bangkok Post) - HANOI - Power-hungry Vietnam scrapped plans for two multi-billion dollar nuclear power plants on Tuesday, citing environmental and financial reasons after the cost of the projects skyrocketed.
The two plants in central Ninh Thuan province had a combined capacity of 4,000 megawatts and were to be developed with assistance from Russia's Rosatom and the Japanese consortium JINED.
The cost of the nuclear power plants, slated to be the first in Southeast Asia, doubled since they were first tabled in 2009 to an estimated $18 billion, officials said earlier.
"The project was suspended not due to technological reasons, but the country's current economic situation," the government said on its website. [read more]
Vietnam: abandon du projet de centrales nucléaires
22.11.2016 (Le Figaro) - Le Vietnam a abandonné mardi son premier projet de production d'électricité nucléaire après un vote de l'Assemblée nationale contre la construction de deux centrales, des chantiers qui avaient été confiés au russe Rosatom et à un consortium japonais emmené par Japan Atomic Power. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam abandons plan for first nuclear power plants
22.11.2016 By Mai Nguyen and Ho Binh Minh (Reuters) - HANOI - Vietnam's National Assembly voted on Tuesday to abandon plans to build two multi-billion-dollar nuclear power plants with Russia and Japan, after officials cited lower demand forecasts, rising costs and safety concerns.
The vote to scrap the country's first atomic energy project deals a blow to the global nuclear business and to Japan's drive to begin exporting reactors after the Fukushima disaster left its nuclear industry in a deep freeze.
"We respect our customer's position, and we are ready to provide the full support to Vietnam when the country continues the implementation of its national nuclear power program," Russia's Rosatom said in an emailed comment.
Rosatom, however, is not fully pulling out of Vietnam. The state-run company said it would continue taking part in developing nuclear technologies and infrastructure, which should support peaceful nuclear energy in Vietnam, it said without elaborating. [read more]
Vietnam media fined for 'false' fish sauce reports
21.11.2016 (Channel NewsAsia) - HANOI - fined scores of news outlets for publishing now-discredited reports about toxic fish sauce, accusing them of sparking public panic over the staple condiment in a country plagued by food scares.
Reports emerged in mid-October that some fish sauce contained dangerously high levels of arsenic, with local media mainly citing a survey by the state-controlled Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association (Vinastas).
The government said Monday the reports failed to distinguish between highly-toxic inorganic arsenic, and organic arsenic which is present mainly in seafood and is less toxic.
The ministry fined 50 news organisations for running the reports, including the mainstream Thanh Nien newspaper which was slapped with a nearly $9,000 penalty. [read more]
Vietnam: les médias condamnés pour des articles sur de la sauce
21.11.2016 (Le Figaro) - Le Vietnam a condamné lundi des dizaines d'organes de presse pour la publication d'articles alarmants sur de la sauce de poisson toxique, qui aurait causé une panique dans le pays où il s'agit d'un condiment de base.Mi-octobre, des articles s'appuyant sur une enquête de l'association des consommateurs du Vietnam (Vinastas), contrôlée par l'Etat, avaient expliqué que certaines sauces de poisson commercialisées dans le pays contenaient des niveaux très élevés d'arsenic. Le ministère a infligé lundi des amendes allant de 420 à 2.000 euros à une cinquantaine d'organismes de presse.Le quotidien Thanh Nien s'est vu de son côté infligé une amende de 8.500 euros pour avoir réalisé sa propre enquête sur la sauce de poisson. [en savoir plus]
Massive setback for Rosatom as Vietnam scraps nuclear deal
20.11.2016 (fin24) - Hanoi - Vietnam is scrapping plans to build two nuclear power plants over soaring costs and safety concerns, state media reported on Friday.
The communist nation approved plans to build the plants in 2009 in Ninh Thuan province with an eye towards easing energy shortages brought about by its rapidly industrialising economy.
"The total investment has risen too high," Le Hong Tinh, deputy head of Vietnam's Commission of Science, Technology and Environment, was quoted as saying by the Tien Phong newspaper.
Tinh added that the projects could also pose an environmental threat and said the nation could not afford to risk another disaster after a toxic industrial leak triggered mass fish deaths earlier this year. [read more]
Aktionsplan gegen Wilderei und Wildtierhandel in Hanoi verabschiedet
18.11.2016 (Der Farang) - HANOI (dpa) - Gut 50 Länder wollen Wilderern und skrupellosen Wildtierhändlern effektiver das Handwerk legen. Sie verabschiedeten dazu am Freitag in Vietnam einen Aktionsplan. Unter anderem kündigte die deutsche Delegation an, afrikanischen Ländern bei der Stärkung der Strafverfolgungsbehörden zu helfen, um mehr Wilderern den Prozess zu machen. Vietnam versprach Aufklärungskampagnen, um die Nachfrage nach Schmuck aus Elfenbein oder angeblichen Potenz- oder Heilmitteln aus Nashorn zu stoppen. China will Touristen mit Broschüren in Flugzeugen davor warnen, Wildtierprodukte zu kaufen.
Der Markt für Körperteile wildlebender Tiere ist in Vietnam und China besonders groß. [Weiterlesen]
Saving the pangolin: The fight to help 'the most trafficked mammal on earth'
15.11.2016 (9new) - Pangolin Mi Bo arrived at a rescue centre in Vietnam missing a paw, after it was cut off in a snare trap.
The rest of his body is marked by cuts, and he will probably never regain enough strength to return to the wild. But he is among the lucky ones.
Rescued from poachers, Mi Bo and dozens of other pangolins - also known as "scaly anteaters" - are being nursed back to health by Vietnamese conservationists fighting to save the creatures from extinction. [read more]
Thanks to Donald Trump, China just won the global green technology sector
11.11.2016 C. Custer (Tech in Asia) - There’s no denying who the king of technology in the 20th century was: America. But the 21st century poses new challenges that must be met by the rise of the green technology and green energy sectors across the globe. And whatever country is producing the best green tech solutions is in the pole position to spring to the top of the 21st century technological heap.
America’s election of Donald Trump virtually guarantees that country will be China.
To be fair, China was already ahead of the US on this front. It began investing big in green tech more than a decade ago, and it is now the world’s leading investor in green energy. Last year alone, China invested more than US$100 billion in green energy – that’s more than double what the US invested – and that number is expected to grow. Trump or no, there’s a good chance China would have won this race. But the US, the second-biggest global investor, was in a better position than any other single nation to challenge China on this front.
The president-elect, who has called climate change “a total hoax” and who has threatened to pull out of the Paris climate deal, quite obviously doesn’t seen the green tech sector as a priority. He has called the development of green energy “a big mistake” and called for the US to drill more fossil fuels.
Donald Trump’s win is likely to be a disaster for the American green tech sector. That’s great news for China and its plan to be the dominant force behind green technology development in the 21st century. [read more]
Vietnam Cracks Down on Dissenters
10.11.2016 (RFA) - The Vietnamese government is escalating a nationwide crackdown on human rights activists and people critical of the government’s handling of the chemical spill that devastated the country’s central coast, according to Amnesty International and other reports.
On Nov. 6, four people were arrested who are connected to a new civil society organization “The Alliance of Self-Determined People.”
All three have been charged with “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the penal code, according to a report in Vietnam Right Now. [read more]
Vietnam verzichtet auf Bau eines Atomkraftwerks
10.11.2016 (NZZ) - (sda/dpa) Vietnam hat die Pläne für den Bau seines ersten Atomkraftwerks aufgegeben. Es bestehe kein Bedarf an Strom aus dem geplanten Projekt in der südlichen Provinz Ninh Thuan, berichteten staatlich kontrollierte Medien des kommunistischen Einparteienstaates am Donnerstag. [Weiterlesen]
"Die sozialen Medien sind voll von Umweltthemen"
28.10.2016 Rodion Ebbighausen (DW) - Vietnam hat mit einer zunehmenden Anzahl von Umweltproblemen zu kämpfen. Dabei sind die Umweltgesetze eigentlich gut, doch es mangelt an deren Durchsetzung. Warum, erklärt Sonja Schirmbeck von der FES.
Deutsche Welle: Das Fischsterben in der zentralvietnamesischen Provinz Ha Tinh, die Luftverschmutzung in Hanoi, die Shanghai und Peking übertroffen hat … Vietnams Umweltprobleme nehmen offensichtlich zu. Zahlt Vietnam damit den Preis für viele Jahre rasantes Wirtschaftswachstum?
Es ist richtig, dass wir dieses Jahr große Umweltkatastrophen in Vietnam erleben mussten. Neben den genannten gab es noch eine Jahrhundert-Dürre im Mekong-Delta und parallel zu den hohen Smogwerten in Hanoi ein massenhaftes Fischsterben im Westsee. Der See ist für den Fischfang nicht relevant, hat aber eine große symbolische Bedeutung, da er in unmittelbarer Nähe des Regierungsviertels liegt. Die Umweltproblematik ist offenbar außer Kontrolle. Dass immer mehr Fälle publik werden, zeigt, dass sich die Vorfälle immer schlechter vertuschen lassen. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam affected by pollution from local, Chinese coal power plants
22.10.2016 (AECEN) - Phung Chi Sy, director of the Environmental Technology Center (ENTEC), noted that coal thermal power plants inevitably cause air pollution and this is the heavy price Vietnam has to pay to continue developing coal power plants to satisfy the increasingly high demand for electricity.
The exhaust gas from power plants such as NOx and SO2 can affect human respiratory system and even cause cancer.
Meanwhile, according to Pham Ngoc Dang, director of the Center for Urban Environment and Industry, more than 50 percent of the coal power plants in Vietnam use Chinese technologies which are outdated, consume more fuel and last a shorter time than technologies from Japan and Germany.
Chinese technologies also do not thoroughly treat the power plants’ waste to the environment. [read more]
Pollution du Centre-Vietnam : déploiement massif des forces de l’ordre pour empêcher les pêcheurs de déposer leurs plaintes au tribunal
19.10.2016 (Églises d'Asie) - Comme Eglises d’Asie l’avait annoncé, très tôt dans la matinée du 18 octobre, aux alentours de 4 h, plus d’un millier de pêcheurs de la région de Quynh Luu se sont rassemblé dans la cour du presbytère de la paroisse catholique de Phu Yên. Il leur fallait ensuite franchir les quelque 200 km les séparant du Tribunal populaire de Ky Anh, dans la province de Ha Tinh, où ils projetaient de déposer de nouvelles plaintes contre le complexe sidérurgique taïwanais Formosa, responsable de la catastrophe écologique qui a touché les côtes du Centre-Vietnam en avril dernier et a causé des ravages considérables au milieu marin. [en savoir plus]
Giftige Abwässer im Meer - Vietnams Meeresfrüchte-Industrie unter Schock
12.10.2016 (Handelsblatt) - Vergiftetes Wasser spülte Tonnen toter Fische an Land: Nach einer Chemiekatastrophe in Vietnam stehen Meeresfrüchte dort nicht mehr besonders hoch im Kurs. Aber auch die Tourismusbranche kämpft ums Überleben.
Ob Frühlingsrollen mit Krabben oder Tintenfischsalat - in Vietnam gehören Meeresfrüchte und Fisch oft wie selbstverständlich auf den Teller. Aber vielen ist die Lust auf Lebensmittel aus dem Meer gehörig vergangen. Der Grund: Das Wasser ist gefährlich verschmutzt.
Aus dem taiwanesischen Chemiekonzern Formosa Plastics gelangten im Frühjahr giftige Abwässer ins Meer. Unzählige tote Fische wurden an die Küste gespült. Die Angst vor vergifteten Meerestieren ist seitdem allgegenwärtig. Immerhin erklärte die Regierung im September, dass die Küstengewässer noch immer durch giftige Chemikalien hoch belastet sind.
Zwar hat Formosa der vietnamesischen Regierung rund 450 Millionen Euro gezahlt, um die betroffenen Fischer zu entschädigen. Doch die Regierung hat das Geld bisher nicht verteilt. [Weiterlesen]
Hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen sue Formosa Ha Tinh Steel over fish deaths
28.09.2016 (Taipei Times) - Hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen have filed claims seeking compensation from a Taiwanese steel company that acknowledged its toxic chemicals caused a massive fish kill, a local priest helping the fishermen said yesterday.
The factory, owned by Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp (台塑河靜鋼鐵興業), said in June that it was responsible for the pollution that killed large numbers of fish off the central Vietnamese coast in April, and pledged to pay US$500 million to clean it up and compensate affected people.
Catholic priest Dang Huu Nam, who led the group of fishermen, said 506 petitions had been submitted to the People’s Court in Ky Anh town, Ha Tinh Province, where the massive fish kill occurred. [read more]
FPG says Vietnamese government will handle fishermens' lawsuits
27.09.2016 (Focus Taiwan) - Hanoi, Sept. 27 (CNA) The steel unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) in the Vietamese province of Ha Tinh, which is being sued by over 200 Vietnamese fishermen for compensation over pollution, said Tuesday that the case will be handled by the Vietnamese government.
Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Vice General Manager Yu Ching-chang (余慶璋) told CNA that the company has received all the information regarding the lawsuits, but said that the matter will be handled by the Vietnamese government.
The company has nothing to do with the matter, and is therefore unable to comment, Yu said. [read more]
Vietnam revs up state enterprise selloffs
22.09.2016 Atsushi Tomiyama (Nikkei Asian Review) - HANOI -- Vietnam's plan to let go of stakes in 12 major state enterprises is gaining speed, exciting foreign companies looking to tap strong demand in this previously inaccessible market of 93 million people.
The government aims to fully divest from these companies by the end of 2017. Vietnam Dairy Products, or Vinamilk, will be among the first to go. [read more]
Vietnam: des milliers de poissons morts échouent à nouveau sur les plages
17.09.2016 (RFI) - Au Vietnam, des dizaines de tonnes de poissons morts se sont à nouveau échouées sur les plages du centre du pays. En avril dernier, des millions de poissons avaient déjà été tués par la pollution causée par une firme taïwanaise, ce qui avait provoqué des manifestations, fait rare dans le pays.
Cinquante tonnes de poissons morts se sont échouées ces derniers jours sur les plages de la rivière Thu Bon, dans le centre du pays, et d’après les résidents le cours d’eau a viré au noir. [en savoir plus]
Le Vietnam de nouveau confronté à la mort de milliers de poissons
16.09.2016 (L'Orient Le Jour) - Des milliers de poissons ont été retrouvés morts, ces derniers jours sur les plages du centre du Vietnam, quelques mois après une grave pollution qui en avait décimé des millions.
Ces derniers jours, ce sont 50 tonnes de poissons morts qui se sont échouées sur les plages, une catastrophe que plusieurs médias locaux ont attribuée à une pollution liée au rejet de boue par des bateaux en mer. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam: des milliers de poissons morts échouent à nouveau sur les plages
17.09.2016 (RFI) - Au Vietnam, des dizaines de tonnes de poissons morts se sont à nouveau échouées sur les plages du centre du pays. En avril dernier, des millions de poissons avaient déjà été tués par la pollution causée par une firme taïwanaise, ce qui avait provoqué des manifestations, fait rare dans le pays.
Cinquante tonnes de poissons morts se sont échouées ces derniers jours sur les plages de la rivière Thu Bon, dans le centre du pays, et d’après les résidents le cours d’eau a viré au noir. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam investigating new fish deaths
16.09.2016 (Phys.org) - Vietnam is investigating new mass fish deaths along its central coast, an official said Friday, months after a major steel plant was blamed for a toxic leak that wiped out tonnes of marine life in the fishing hub.
Public anger has mounted in Vietnam since dead fish started washing ashore in April after the Taiwanese steel firm Formosa discharged contaminated waste into the ocean, causing the worst ecological disaster in decades.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said it was analysing waste samples "to determine if there is any link with the fish deaths", with results expected by September 20.
Meanwhile, dead fish, including large carps, also started showing up along the Thu Bon River in central Quang Nam province this week, with state-run Thanh Nien newspaper reporting residents saying the waterway has turned black in recent days. [read more]
Vietnam fines Taiwanese firm for illegal dumping
14.09.2016 (The Taipei Times) - WASTEWATER:The Dong Nai provincial government investigated Header Plan based on residents’ claims of pollution in the canal since the factory opened in 2002.
A Taiwanese company has been fined US$9,000 for dumping wastewater in a Vietnamese canal, a Vietnamese official said yesterday, just months after another firm from Taiwan was blamed for mass fish deaths in Vietnam.
Public anger has mounted against foreign companies accused of polluting Vietnam since April, when tonnes of dead fish washed up off the central coast in the country’s worst ecological disaster in decades.
State media said residents have complained of increasing pollution in the canal since the plant opened in 2002.
The company has been ordered to clean up the waterway and was fined more than US$9,000, an official said yesterday. [read more]
Vietnam's Farms Need Green Technology To Meet Demand For Safe Food
12.09.2016 Iris Leung (Forbes) - Heralded by the World Bank as a development success story, Vietnam recently entered the lower middle-income bracket which has also increased the demand for quality of consumer goods.
According to a 2016 report compiled by Hong Kong market research firm Cimigo, the number of high-income households earning over $500 monthly has grown from 1.8 million to over 4 million over the past 10 years.
Dr. Dao The Anh, Director at the Center for Agricultural Research and Development in Hanoi, said that this shift has to do with the lengthening value chain — thanks to consumer’s heightened interest in food source. [read more]
Airbus sichert sich Milliardenaufträge in Vietnam
06.09.2016 (FAZ) - Der europäische Flugzeugbauer Airbus hat sich Milliardenaufträge in Vietnam gesichert. Die Verträge wurden anlässlich eines Staatsbesuchs von Frankreichs Präsident Francois Hollande in dem Land unterzeichnet. Die Fluggesellschaft Jetstar Pacific gab am Dienstag bekannt, für eine Milliarde Dollar zehn Maschinen vom Typ A320 zu kaufen. Sie sollen 2017 ausgeliefert werden.
Vietnam Airlines bestellte zehn A350-Maschinen. Vietnam Airlines ist die Mutter von Jetstar Pacific mit einer Mehrheit von 70 Prozent. Die restlichen 30 Prozent gehören der australischen Qantas. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam's Fishermen Stranded After Toxic Spill Destroys An Industry
29.08.2016 Brett Davis (Forbes) - The toxic spill that devastated the marine environment in four central Vietnamese provinces earlier this year has also ripped the livelihood from some 200,000 people – local fishermen and their families.
Most of these coastal areas were recently deemed to be safe for swimming, but at the moment authorities are still debating about how and where commercial fishing activities can resume.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced on August 27 it was looking at four options restricting the areas available for fishing.
Health authorities in the country are still warning people it is not safe to eat seafood from the central coast region. It’s estimated that total seafood catches have fallen by around 1,600 tons per month. [read more]
About 8.7 Vietnamese People Infected With Hepatitis B
29.08.2016 (Bernama) - HANOI, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- Vietnam is estimated to have 8.7 million people infected with hepatitis B while the number for hepatitis C are 1 million, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH)'s Department for Preventive Medicine.
Hepatitis B and C killed 23,000 and 6,000 people respectively in 2015, said the department at a conference here on Monday, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported. [read more]
The Fallout From Vietnam's Mass Fish Deaths Continues
27.08.2016 Brett Davis (Forbes) - The mystery of Vietnam’s mass fish deaths was officially solved two months ago when Formosa Ha Tinh Steel (FHS) was found to be behind the discharge of toxins into the ocean on the country’s central coast. However, the saga continues to play out on various fronts.
It was hoped that the one positive that might come out of the whole sorry tale was better environmental stewardship from corporations and authorities. Yet it surfaced in mid July, not two weeks after FHS was slapped with the massive fine, that one of its business units was under investigation for burying waste on a farm in Ha Tinh province. [read more]
Le Vietnam, nouvelle place forte du commerce illégal d’ivoire
26.08.2016 (The Conversation) - Le Vietnam, déjà très demandeur en cornes de rhinocéros, s’impose aujourd’hui comme un marché en pleine expansion pour le commerce illégal de l’ivoire. La quantité d’ivoire proposée à la vente dans ce pays a ainsi augmenté de plus de 600 % ces huit dernières années, selon une nouvelle étude conduite par deux chercheurs spécialisés, Lucy Vigne et Esmond Martin.
Lucy Vigne et Esmond Martin ont ainsi répertorié 242 boutiques proposant ouvertement quelque 16 099 pièces d’ivoire à Ho-Chi-Minh-Ville, Buôn Ma Thuôt ainsi que dans des villages situés dans le nord du pays, tout près de la frontière chinoise. L’ivoire proposé se présente majoritairement sous forme de petites sculptures et autres pièces travaillées. L’ivoire brute ne fait, elle, pas partie de cette marchandise qui alimente la demande chinoise. [en savoir plus]
La Comisión Europea pone bajo lupa los envíos vietnamitas de productos del mar
24.08.2016 (misPeces.com) - Vietnam – Las autoridades vietnamitas han tomado medidas contra las empresas acuícolas del país después de que la Comisión Europea haya realizado una advertencia de seguridad alimentaria por haber detectado productos químicos tóxicos y residuos de antibióticos en sus exportaciones.
El Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural de Vietnam ha advertido a las empresas acuícolas que no van a renovar sus licencias de exportación a menos que sean conformes con las normas de seguridad alimentaria de la Unión Europea.
En concreto, las autoridades alemanas han bloqueado envíos de panga de Can Tho Export-Import Seafood JSC al encontrar carbonato sódico, y en España no aceptarán panga desde Southern Fishery Industries Co Ltd después de detectarse eritorbato de sodio. [seguir leyendo]
China sets sights on new global export: nuclear energy
24.08.2016 (The Asahi Shimbun) - BEIJING--On a seaside field south of Shanghai, workers are constructing a nuclear reactor that is the flagship for Beijing's ambition to compete with the United States, France and Russia as an exporter of atomic power technology.
The Hualong One, developed by two state-owned companies, is one multibillion-dollar facet of the Communist Party's aspirations to transform China into a creator of profitable technology from mobile phones to genetics.
Still, experts say Beijing underestimates how tough it will be for its novice nuclear exporters to sell abroad. They face political hurdles, safety concerns and uncertain global demand following Japan's Fukushima disaster. [read more]
Vietnam: Importante mobilisation du diocèse de Vinh contre la pollution maritime
23.08.2016 par Jacques Berset (cath.ch) - La mobilisation du diocèse catholique de Vinh, dans le nord du Vietnam, se poursuit contre la pollution maritime causée par l’usine taïwanaise Formosa, installées sur les côtes de la province du Ha Tinh.
Le 22 août, un communiqué du Ministère vietnamien des Ressources naturelles et de l’Environnement s’est efforcé de ramener de l’optimisme au sein de l’opinion publique. Une enquête portant sur les quatre mois de pollution dans les quatre provinces touchées montrerait que le taux de substances toxiques aurait considérablement diminué et que de jeunes poissons commenceraient à voir le jour, affirme le Ministère.
Dimanche 7 août dernier, rapporte l’agence d’information “Eglises d’Asie” (EdA), près d’une dizaine de milliers de catholiques de Vinh, à l’appel de la hiérarchie du diocèse, se sont mobilisés sur les routes du pays. De longs cortèges se sont formés pour protester contre la catastrophique pollution de l’environnement. [en savoir plus]
ASEAN trade beckons strict food safety measures
23.08.2016 Atsushi Tomiyama (Nikkei Asian Review) - HANOI -- Rising income levels combined with an increase in cross-border trade in Southeast Asia has meant many countries in the region have had to begin strengthening food safety measures in order to meet growing consumer awareness.
Under new food safety laws revised in July, the maximum punishment for food poisoning and other violations in Vietnam was raised by five to 20 years' imprisonment. Fines were increased tenfold to 500 million dong ($22,425).
The launch of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community late last year practically abolished tariffs within the region and spurred greater cross-border distribution of good. [read more]
La UE limita la importación de especies acuícolas de Vietnam
23.08.2016 (La Voz de Galicia) - La Comisión Europea ha impedido a una empresa vietnamita las exportaciones tras haber detectado residuos de un antibiótico prohibido en un envío realizado a principios de este mes.
Autoridades vietnamitas han advertido a las compañías locales de acuicultura que no les renovarán sus permisos de exportación a menos que cumplan con todas las normas de seguridad, tras una reciente advertencia recibida de la Unión Europea sobre la presencia de niveles excesivos de antibióticos. [seguir leyendo]
Urban water pumping raises arsenic risk in Southeast Asia
River water is now flowing into aquifers through highly contaminated sediments
22.08.2016 (ScienceDaily) - Large-scale groundwater pumping is opening doors for dangerously high levels of arsenic to enter some of Southeast Asia's aquifers, with water now seeping in through riverbeds with arsenic concentrations more than 100 times the limits of safety, according to a new study from scientists at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, MIT, and Hanoi University of Science.
Normally, groundwater levels in this monsoon region are higher than the rivers, so water flows from aquifers into adjacent waterways. A few years ago, however, scientists began noticing that large-scale groundwater pumping around cities like Hanoi was lowering the groundwater level, so much so that the flow had reversed in some areas and river water was making its way into the aquifers instead. [read more]
Vietnam doubtful of Trans-Pacific Partnership sign-off
22.08.2016 By Wayne Hay (Al Jazeera) - Southeast Asian nation's economy expected to do well, whether the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership succeeds or fails. Vietnam, with its strong export-led economy and potential for growth, is tipped to significantly benefit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The country expects revenue to increase by as much as 50 percent when tariffs apply under the 12-nation trade deal.
President Barack Obama has been trying to push the deal through before the end of his term in January.
If he runs out of time, prospects for the deals success are dimmer because the two main candidates to replace him oppose the agreement.
If the TPP does not go ahead happen, it could leave the door open for China to forge closer economic ties with some member nations. [read more]
Police beat thousands of protesting Christian fisherfolk already suffering from mass fish deaths in Vietnam
21.08.2016 Hazel Torres (Christian Today) - Thousands of Christians in Vietnam recently got a double whammy.
First, their main source livelihood was gravely affected when illegal waste dumping into the sea by a foreign company resulted in an environmental disaster, contaminating and killing much of the fish in the coastal area, Asia News reports.
Second, when some 4,000 Christian residents of the fishing community of Ky Anh staged a rally to clamour for protection and assistance from the local government, instead of helping them, the local leaders sent in the police to beat them up, leaving several protesters injured by truncheon blows.
International Christian Concern, a group that monitors Christian persecution, noted that the mass fish deaths have left thousands of families living in the coastal town in a state of panic. [read more]
Vietnam: Locals help Chinese traders manipulate dragon fruit market
18.08.2016 (Fresh Plaza) - In Vietnam's south-central province of Binh Thuan, many locals are said to be helping Chinese traders manipulate the dragon fruit market. Le Thi Ngoc, director of Ngoc Ha, a local import-export business, claimed that many dragon fruit businesses are unable to compete with underground Chinese traders working there.
The Vietnamese trader added it is not an issue if the Chinese buy at a high price, as local people will benefit.
“However, what they often do is initially offer a high price and then drastically lower it once they receive the order, justifying it with all kinds of reasons,” she added.
Ngoc also revealed that several companies owned by Vietnamese on paper are actually run and managed by Chinese. [read more]
Globale Proteste / Entschädigungssumme zu gering
Ethecon - Stiftung Ethik & Ökonomie - Medienerklärung vom 17.08.2016
17.08.2016 (Schattenblick) - Die FORMOSA PLASTIC GROUP (FPG) verursachte durch ein Stahlwerk in Vietnam außerordentlich große Schäden an Mensch und Umwelt.
Durch den entstandenen Druck konnte eine erste Entschädigung in Höhe von 500 Mio. USD erzwungen werden. Die taiwanesische Regierung sicherte gegenüber ethecon zu, sich für Entschädigungen durch FPG einzusetzen. ethecon kritisiert die Höhe und fordert angemessene Zahlungen und Entschädigungen.
Auch die vietnamesische Regierung muss handeln. Wir haben mittlerweile mit dem am von der vietnamesischen Regierung berufenen Expertenteam beteiligten Forscher Dr. Schröder gesprochen. Er bedauerte der Deutschen Stiftung Meeresschutz und auch uns gegenüber, dass das Team keine eigenen Proben des verseuchten Wassers entnehmen durfte und sich bei seinen Berichten auf die bereits existierenden Berichte einheimischer Wissenschaftler stützen musste. Die vietnamesische Regierung muss vollständige Transparenz über Hergang, Qualität und Ausmaß der Katastrophe schaffen. [Weiterlesen]
Holzschmuggel über die grüne Grenze
Ohne Korruption wäre der illegale Handel mit Tropenholz nicht möglich.
17.08.2016 Von Robert Luchs (Die Tagespost) - Es sind nicht die Lastwagenfahrer und die zerlumpten Männer mit den Kettensägen, die zum Raubbau des Tropenwaldes beitragen. Diese Männer könnten ihre schlecht bezahlte Arbeit nicht ausführen, wenn sie nicht von Polizeioffizieren und verantwortlichen Bediensteten der Forstbehörden in den nordöstlichen Provinzen Kambodschas gedeckt würden. Und so rollen die vollbeladenen Trucks vor allen Dingen nachts über die grüne Grenze nach Vietnam, obwohl die Regierung in Phnom Penh erst kürzlich wieder ein massives Vorgehen gegen den unkontrollierten Einschlag des Tropenwaldes angekündigt hatte.
Im Vergleich zum Vorjahr hat sich demnach der eigentlich mit einem Verbot belegte Handel verzehnfacht. Zu diesem sprunghaften Anstieg soll auch die laxe Haltung der Vietnamesen beigetragen haben, die nicht länger nach einer Handelserlaubnis fragen. Xuan Phuc von der NGO betont, ohne Korruption sei der Raubbau in dieser Größenordnung nicht möglich. Umweltorganisationen und Dorfbewohner in den östlichen Provinzen berichten, nur eine enge Zusammenarbeit von Polizei, Militär und Grenzbeamten ermögliche es, die riesigen Stämme nach Vietnam zu bringen. [Weiterlesen]
Record Fine Feared Too Small to Cover Dead Fish Damage in Vietnam
15.08.2016 (VOA) - Observers and activists in Vietnam say a record pollution fine against a foreign-owned steel mill neither compensates all victims nor sends a stern enough warning to the country’s other export manufacturers.
In June, the government fined the plant $500 million, believed to be the largest ever against a company in Vietnam, for fish deaths along 200 kilometers of coastline southeast of Hanoi. The steel making complex also apologized and agreed to clean up the wastewater system.
But people familiar with the issue say the fine cannot cover the continued losses to fishermen, resorts and locals who may have contracted skin diseases from touching the water. They also hope Vietnamese authorities will test the ocean water to ensure it’s now safe.
Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha told local media in June the amount covers only direct material damages, not psychological losses to fishermen who lost income. He called the fine “too small.” [read more]
Vietnam now rivals China as illegal ivory hub
15.08.2016 By John Muchangi (The Star) - The battle to save Kenya’s last 32,000 elephants may largely depend on a vague law in Vietnam, some 7,000 kilometres away.
As a result of China’s tougher stance against illegal ivory, Vietnam has now risen to become one of the world's biggest market for the illegal products.
Two researchers from Kenya visited the country’s expansive ivory markets and found that the amount of ivory on sale has increased by more than 600 per cent in the past eight years.
“Tusks are smuggled into Vietnam, nearly all from Africa, with only a few nowadays from domesticated and wild elephants on Laos and Vietnam,” Lucy Vigne and Esmond Martin say in a report they compiled from their extensive research. [read more]
Police Attack Protesters in Vietnam's Khanh Hoa Province
12.08.2016 (RFA) - Police in Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa province on Friday beat demonstrators who had gathered to protest a waste-management plant that local villagers fear is polluting the area, according to sources.
“They sent about 200 policemen from the province to crack down on us,” one of the protesters told RFA’s Vietnamese Service. “We are very upset and wanted to hear some explanation from the factory, but they did not talk to us. Instead, they beat us.”
The protester, who gave her name as Nguyen, told RFA that at least five people from Ninh An village, three of them seniors, were sent to the hospital with injuries sustained in the beatings. “They hit people on their necks and heads,” she said. “Some were severely injured and sent to the hospital.” [read more]
Vietnam's Solution To Fish Death Scandal Leaves Many Locals Unsatisfied
11.08.2016 Ralph Jennings (Forbes) - This stinky chapter in Vietnam’s current affairs log was supposed to be over. After 80 tons of dead fish washed up on central coast beaches in April, citizens protested that the government moved too slowly in finding the cause. After weeks of sporadic demonstrations, some of them squelched, and another month of checking around for causes, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry named Taiwanese-invested Formosa Ha Tinh steel plant the culprit for releasing toxic chemicals into the ocean. The subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group paid $500 million to help fishing communities, apologized and agreed to clean up its waste system.
That was supposed to close the case of the initially mysterious pileup of millions of fish from April 4 to 15. But now it’s August and a lot of things still smell fishy if you ask around in Vietnam.
About 5 million people in four provinces were hurt by the fish deaths and a lot have yet to recover, says Duc Truong, part of the Vietnamese NGO Democracy Brotherhood and an independent journalist who investigated the kill. [read more]
Anti-pollution protesters demand Taiwan’s Formosa quit Vietnam
10.08.2016 (The Manila Times) - TAIPEI: Angry Vietnamese protesters rallied in Taiwan Wednesday calling for local conglomerate Formosa to leave their country after an environmental disaster affected hundreds of thousands of people.
The demonstration outside Formosa’s headquarters, in Taiwan’s capital Taipei, included relatives with families in the area at the center of the scandal, which saw tons of dead fish wash up along Vietnam’s central coastline in April.
Around 40 protesters, all Vietnamese currently living and working in Taiwan, held placards reading “Formosa out of Vietnam” and “Damaging the environment is killing people.” [read more]
The worst drought in decades is crushing Vietnam, but there's still hope things will get better later this year
10.08.2016 Chloe Pfeiffer (Business Insider) - It’s been understood for a while that Vietnam will probably not reach the ambitious growth target it set for itself in 2016. Its growth in the second quarter was a pretty lackluster 5.6%, bringing first half growth to a total of 5.5% — well below its 6.7% target.
So the economy probably isn’t going to grow by nearly enough in the rest of the year to make 2016 look great. The new Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc — who succeeded former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung after he set an even more ambitious target of 7% earlier this year — even said it would be “hard to achieve” the necessary expansion in the second half of 2016.
One of the biggest causes of Vietnam’s problems in 2016 has been a huge drought — the worst in three decades and caused in part by El Niño. [read more]
Vietnam Catholics defy critics, observe environment day
State media criticism of church event draws fire from local netizens
09.08.2016 (UCANews) - State media have accused church leaders of causing social disorder and attempting to dupe foreign donors by holding a Day for the Environment on Aug. 7.
Catholics in Vinh Diocese, northern Vietnam, observed the environmental celebration by holding Mass and adoration, conducting peaceful demonstrations and cleaning up garbage from around their parishes.
The diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission initiated the event to raise public awareness about environmental protection. [read more]
Christenverfolgung in Vietnam
Vortrag und Diskussion mit Peter Kinast (Open Doors Deutschland)
13. Juni 2015
Im Weltverfolgungsindex (WVI) von 2015 liegt Vietnam mit 68 Punkten auf Platz 16. 2014 befand sich Vietnam mit 65 Punkten auf Platz 18.
Peter Kinast von Open Doors Deutschland, der Vietnam besuchte und das Leiden der Gläubigen hautnah erlebte, wird vom schweren Los der verfolgten Christen in Vietnam berichten. [Weiterlesen]
* Menschenrechte / Human Rights
Letter from a father: Demand the Vietnamese Authority to review dead penalty for my son Nguyen Van Chuong
19.12.2014 (Dân Làm Báo) - My name is Nguyen Truong Chinh, born in 1945, I am currently residing at Hamlet 1 Binh Dan Village, Kim Thanh, Hai Duong Province. My telephone number is 01626627673 (+84 1626627673). I am writing this letter in desperation, asking you for help by calling on the Vietnamese Government to review my son's - Nguyen Van Chuong - case.
Having a son on dead penalty and soon to be executed, like many normal parents, we could not described the pains and heart aches we have endured in the last 8 years to see my son was unjustly put in jail and was constantly tortured for the crime he did not commit. My son was wrongly accused of murder a police major in Dinh Vu District, Hai Phong City on July 14, 2007 at 21:00 hours. However, at the time the homicide occurred, my son Nguyen Van Chuong was at Hamlet 1 Binh Dan Village, Kim Thanh, Hai Duong Province - our home village which was 40km away from the crime scene, visited friends and relatives as he normally did every weekend. There many alibis and witnesses are willing to prove my son's where about at the time the homicide occurred. [read more]
* Politik - Demokratie
Streit um Rohstoffe: China baut vierte künstliche Insel
28.11.2014 (Der Spiegel) - Hamburg - Im Südchinesischen Meer lagern große Mengen an Rohstoffen. Jetzt zeigen Satellitenbilder, dass China dort erneut eine künstliche Insel angelegt hat - es ist mittlerweile die vierte. Landebahn und Hafen sind bereits zu erkennen.
Am Fiery Cross Reef nahe der Spratly-Inseln haben Baggerschiffe demnach in den vergangenen vier Monaten eine drei Kilometer lange und bis zu 300 Meter breite Sandinsel geschaffen. Das Riff habe zuvor großteils unter Wasser gelegen. In den vergangenen Monaten hatte China bereits am Johnson South Reef, am Cuateron Reef und am Gaven Reef künstliche Inseln aufgeschüttet. [Weiterlesen]
* Menschenrechte / Human Rights
Vietnam: Pervasive Deaths, Injuries in Police Custody
16.09.2014 (HRW) - Bangkok – Police throughout Vietnam abuse people in their custody, in some cases leading to death, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Vietnamese government should take immediate action to end suspicious deaths in custody and torture of detainees by police, Human Rights Watch said.
The 96 page report, “Public Insecurity: Deaths in Custody and Police Brutality in Vietnam,” highlights cases of police brutality that resulted in deaths and serious injuries of people in custody between August 2010 and July 2014. Human Rights Watch documented abuses in 44 of Vietnam’s 58 provinces, throughout the country and in all five of the country’s major cities [read more]
Hanoi silent on treatment: DPP’s Su
05.08.2016 By Chen Wei-han (The Taipei Times) - Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Su Chih-feng (蘇治芬) yesterday said that the Vietnamese government did not give any explanation for a series of difficulties she encountered on a trip this week.
Su and her entourage returned from Vietnam yesterday after a five-day trip to learn more about a pollution incident involving a Formosa Plastics Group steel mill in Ha Tinh Province, visit a Catholic orphanage in Vinh and purchase Vietnamese children’s books to promote mother-tongue education in Yunlin County.
She said that even after the visit, the group did not understand anything about the pollution incident other than what was reported by the media, but she questioned the transparency of the Vietnamese government’s investigation.
“We cannot reach a definite conclusion on the pollution incident,” Su said. “The Vietnamese government is obliged to make its investigation report public.” [read more]
Related Stories: Lawmaker responds after passport held 03.08.2016, Taiwanese lawmaker held in Vietnam airport 02.08.2016
Vietnamese carvers move centre stage as China cracks down on illegal ivory sales
04.08.2016 (The Conversation) - Vietnam, already a major source of demand for illegally poached rhino horn, is now fast becoming a major market for illegal ivory. The amount of ivory on sale in Vietnam has increased by more than 600% in the past eight years, according to a new report by leading ivory trade researchers Lucy Vigne and Esmond Martin.
The researchers found 242 retail outlets with 16,099 pieces of ivory openly displayed for sale in Ho Chi Minh City and Ban Ma Thuot, and in villages in the north near the Chinese border. This ivory is largely made up of small carvings and other pieces of worked ivory. Raw ivory does not appear to be part of the retail trade in ivory that feeds demand in China.
There is one key reason for Vietnam’s increase in trade – China’s crackdown on illegal ivory sales and promises to reduce the domestic trade in ivory. Through evidence gathered and testimony from officials, carvers and wildlife trade investigators, the researchers concluded that Vietnam has become the main route for the smuggling of ivory and other wildlife products into China. [read more]
Nghi Thiet fishermen protest new port: Police beat them
03.08.2016 (AsiaNews) - Hanoi (AsiaNews / RFA) - The Vietnamese police forcibly broke up a demonstration by fishermen in the village of Nghi Thiet (Nghe An province) and beat some protesters. Several protesters were hospitalized and officers did not even spare the elderly.
The protests, which began last July 30, are against the construction of a new port that would favor one of the largest cement companies in Vietnam. The fishermen - whose livelihood is made impossible by cargo ships - demand compensation which authorities do not want to concede.
100 plainclothes police officers blocked some streets of the city with fire trucks and ambulances. About 700 fishermen then braved the police who started beating the demonstrators. [read more]
Vietnam probes harmful waste dumping from Taiwanese firm
03.08.2016 (U.S. News & World Report) - HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnamese police have launched an investigation into the illegal dumping of harmful waste material from a Taiwanese steel company already under fire for massive fish deaths in what officials say was the country's worst environmental disaster.
Bui Dinh Quang, deputy police chief in Ha Tinh province where a unit of the Formosa Plastics Group is located, said a local company was the target of the investigation after police last month caught the company burying the industrial waste at a private farm.
About 390 tons of the waste was buried in two places, including on the private farm in Ha Tinh province, Quang said. [read more]
Los pescadores de Nghi Thiet se manifiestan contra el nuevo puerto: la policía los ataca
03.08.2016 (AsiaNews) - Hanoi (AsiaNews / RFA) - La policía vietnamita ha bloqueado con la fuerza una manifestación de pescadores en el pueblo de Nghi Thiet (provincia de Nghe An) y ha atacado a algunos manifestantes. Diversos heridos tuvieron que ser llevados al hospital y los agentes no han ahorrado ni siquiera a los ancianos. Las protestas, iniciadas el pasado 30 de julio, están dirigidas contra la construcción de un nuevo puerto que favorecería una de las mayores empresas de cemento vietnamita. Los pescadores -cuyo trabajo se volverá imposible por las naves de cargo- ´piden una indemnización que las autoridades no quieren conceder.
Para bloquear las manifestaciones, 100 agentes vestidos de civil han cerrado algunas calles de la ciudad con camiones de bomberos y ambulancias. Unos 700 pescadores a ese punto han desafiado a la policía que ha empezado a atacar a los manifestantes. [seguir leyendo]
Lawmaker responds after passport held
03.08.2016 By Alison Hsiao (The Taipei Times) - Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chih-feng (蘇治芬) yesterday urged people to refrain from “excessive imagination and interpretation” after her passport was held at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Monday. Su flew to Vietnam on Sunday with her staff and several academics.
Su said that the reason Vietnamese authorities held her passport was unclear, adding that she still has faith in President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) “new southbound policy.”
In a Facebook post, Su said the goal of her trip was to better understand the pollution incident involving Formosa Ha Tinh Steel — a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics that apparently discharged toxic waste into the sea, causing mass fish deaths — gauging the room for development for the “new southbound policy” and purchasing Vietnamese children’s books to promote mother-tongue education in Yunlin.
Su also said that the group was being followed by plainclothes police, who have been taking pictures of the group and reporting to the authorities the details of their itinerary. [read more]
Taiwanese lawmaker held in Vietnam airport
02.08.2016 By Sun Hsin Hsuan (The China Post) - TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A legislator visiting Vietnam to seek cooperation opportunities for Taipei's "New Southbound Policy" was held for nine hours at an airport while en route to a Taiwanese-built steel plant that in April was blamed for that country's "most serious environment crisis."
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) wrote on her Facebook page Monday afternoon that Vietnamese authorities had confiscated her passport and refused to issue her a boarding pass.
Su and her team were at the Noi Bai International Airport, which is the largest airport in northern Vietnam and which serves the capital city Hanoi. They were heading to Vinh City, where they planned to transfer to Ha Tinh by bus to visit the multibillion-dollar steel plant, constructed by Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation (台塑河靜鋼鐵興業), a subsidiary of Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics. [read more]
Historia de dos camaroneros: ¿Cómo afecta el cambio climático al delta del río Mekong?
02.08.2016 (iAgua) - El delta del río Mekong en Viet Nam es famoso por sus campos de arroz, estanques de camarones, diques y canales. Este fértil mosaico sostiene los medios de subsistencia de más de 17 millones de personas. Pero el cambio climático, la escasez de agua y la contaminación deterioran la estructura de la vida económica en la zona. Se necesitan nuevos enfoques para gestionar la tierra y el agua en tiempos de incertidumbre.
La vulnerabilidad del delta del Mekong se hizo evidente este año, cuando se registró una sequía histórica. Las condiciones meteorológicas extremas se combinaron con bajos caudales del río, junto con el desarrollo de los países situados en el nivel superior de la desembocadura. Muchos agricultores se quedaron con poca agua dulce y tuvieron que buscar maneras de adaptarse.
En una visita reciente a la provincia de Ca Mau, en el extremo meridional de Viet Nam, expertos agrícolas describieron cómo se había marchitado el arroz y se habían muerto los camarones y los peces. [seguir leyendo]
Vietnam legt Pläne für Chemiekomplex auf Eis
01.08.2016 (Chemie Technik) - Die Pläne für den Bau eines Chemiekomplexes in der Binh Dinh-Provinz, Vietnam, mit einem Gegenwert von 20 Mrd. US-Dollar sind vorerst vom Tisch. Die Gründe für diese Entscheidung seien teils politischer Natur, aber auch dem aktuellen Ölmarkt geschuldet.
Der Chemiekomplex, ein Joint Venture des staatlichen Energiekonzerns PTT (40 %), Saudi Aramco (40 %) und des Staates Vietnam (20 %), sollte sowohl über eine eigene Raffinerie mit eines Tageskapazität von 400.000 bbl. [Weiterlesen]
FPG pays first half of compensation for Vietnamese affected by mill pollution
01.08.2016 (The Taipei Times) - Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Tran Hong Ha said in a televised meeting held by the nation’s parliament that FPG paid US$250 million in compensation on Thursday last week for the damage inflicted by the pollution, and the other half of the compensation is expected to be paid on Aug. 28.
He said that the government placed the first payment in a single bank account and would distribute the funds to the victims of the pollution and also use the funds to clean the toxic waste discharged by FPG’s steel complex, Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp (台塑河靜鋼鐵興業), located in the Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh Province, central Vietnam. [read more]
Keeping Vietnam’s textile and garment industry competitive
30.07.2016 Authors: Tomoo Kikuchi, NUS and Huong Vo, VNU (East Asia Forum) - Vietnam has transformed from one of the world’s poorest countries to a lower middle income economy in just 25 years. Beginning in 1986, Vietnam undertook key structural reforms in various areas, including state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform, private sector development, financial reform, public expenditure management and trade liberalisation.
Vietnam is at a crossroads: it can either move to the next level of industrialisation or risk losing competitiveness. Vietnam has long welcomed foreign capital in the T&G industry. Foreign-invested companies contribute to 60 per cent of export revenue, but there are few linkages between domestic and foreign firms.
For example, Japanese firms have been sub-contracting to Vietnamese companies for their garment orders, but they have not created backward linkages by investing in yarn and fabric facilities. When labour costs in Vietnam eventually increase, foreign investors will move to countries with lower labour costs such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. [read more]
Catastrophe environnementale au Vietnam
29.07.2016 (Métro) - HANOI, Viêtnam — La pire catastrophe de l’histoire du Vietnam empêche quelque 200 000 personnes, dont 41 000 pêcheurs, de gagner leur vie, a dénoncé vendredi le gouvernement du pays.
Un rapport présenté à l’Assemblée nationale et cité par un quotidien local ajoute que la pollution générée par une aciérie taïwanaise a également décimé le tourisme dans quatre provinces.
L’entreprise Formosa Plastics Group a admis être responsable de la situation le mois dernier et s’est engagée à dépenser 500 millions $ US pour nettoyer les dégâts et dédommager les victimes. Le régime de Hanoï aurait déjà empoché la moitié de cette somme. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam says pollution from Taiwan firm affected 200,000
29.07.2016 (Bangkok Post) - HANOI - The Vietnamese government said the toxic pollution a Taiwanese-owned company has acknowledged discharging from its steel complex has harmed the livelihoods of more than 200,000 people, including 41,000 fishermen.
The pollution from a unit of Formosa Plastics Group also decimated tourism in central provinces, the Thanh Nien newspaper on Friday quoted the government saying in a report to the National Assembly.
Formosa acknowledged late last month that it was responsible for the pollution and pledged to pay $500 million to clean it up and compensate affected people.
An estimated 115 tonnes of fish washed ashore along more than 200 kilometers of Vietnam's central coast in April, the report said adding 140 tonnes of farmed fish and 67 tonnes of farmed clams have died. [read more]
Fischsterben: Vietnamesische Küste großflächig verseucht - Keine Lösung für Säuberung in Sicht
27.07.2016 (Deutsche Stiftung Meeresschutz) - Zur Untersuchung der Umweltkatastrophe hatte die vietnamesische Regierung auch internationale Experten zu Rate gezogen. Doch leider wurde deren Aufgabe darauf eingeschränkt, zu den von einheimischen Wissenschaftlern der Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) erstellten Berichten Stellung zu nehmen und eine oberflächliche Besichtigung vor Ort vorzunehmen, wie der beteiligte deutsche Experte Dr. Friedhelm Schroeder berichtet. Eigene Probenentnahmen oder Untersuchungen waren nicht möglich, bedauert der Chemiker, der 25 Jahre Mitarbeiter des Helmholtz-Zentrums Geesthacht war und jetzt als wissenschaftlicher Berater tätig ist.
Vietnamesische Wissenschaftler gehen davon aus, dass es mindestens 50 Jahre dauern wird, bis sich das zerstörte Ökosystem an der Küste wieder erholt hat. Eine derart lange Regenerationszeit hält auch Dr. Schroeder – zumindest für die geschädigten Korallenriffe - nicht für ausgeschlossen, ursächlich dafür allerdings sieht er nicht den Einzelfall der jetzigen Katastrophe, sondern generell den praktisch nicht vorhandenen Umweltschutz in Vietnam.
"Das gesamte betroffene Küstengebiet steht voller Fabriken, die ihre Abwässer größtenteils ungeklärt ins Meer leiten", erklärt er und kritisiert, dass man bei der Ursachenerforschung andere mögliche Verursacher völlig außer Acht gelassen habe. Vorstellbar sei auch, dass das Immunsystem der Fische durch die dauernde Umweltbelastung schon so geschwächt ist, dass nun ein "kleinerer" Auslöser genügt habe, an dem sie dann starben. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnamese reporters attacked and beaten during Formosa steel firm investigation
23.07.2016 (Asian Correspondent) - THREE Vietnamese journalists were beaten while attempting to investigate a waste scandal involving Taiwanese-owned Formosa steel firm in the northern Phu Ninh District.
Police in the district confirmed that the three reporters, two men and one woman from Lao Dong newspaper and VTC14 television channel, were attacked on Friday at the Phu Ha Environment Company.
The Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp. had reportedly moved 145 tons of “dangerous” waste from the Ha Tinh Province, over 500 kilometres away, to Phu Ninh. Reporters went to investigate after receiving complaints about the waste from residents in the area. [read more]
Irrigation in Mekong basin to expand farmland threatens Vietnam’s delta
23.07.2016 (The Nation) - SOUTHERN Vietnam is highly vulnerable to more drought and salinisation in the future when its fellow countries in the lower Mekong river basin irrigate the river water to serve their expanding farm land, experts warn.
The lower basin of the trans-boundary Mekong River starts from Laos and runs through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the East Sea (South China Sea). Any attempts to interrupt the natural status of the river would pose risks to Vietnam's Cuu Long (Mekong) delta where more than 17 million people rely on the river for a living. [read more]
Vietnamese workers in Thailand: lesser known but valuable labour source
21.07.2016 Writer: Christopher Bruton (Bangkok Post) - Because of the lack of proper welcoming facilities, and the prevalence of illegal workers, there are no accurate statistics on the number of Mekong Region country nationals presently undertaking economic activities in Thailand. Estimates may be on the conservative side. However it is believed that there are over 3 million Myanmar workers, close on one million Cambodian workers and potentially another million Lao workers, this latter group being hard to identify because of racial and linguistic similarly with their trans-Mekong neighbours of the Isarn region.
In addition to the predominant, direct neighbouring country workers, there is one additional important group of Mekong Region workers, namely the Vietnamese, who form a significant group of foreign workers in Thailand. This migrant worker group often provide employers with the benefits of superior skills, diligence and performance effectiveness. [read more]
Formosa Steel verursacht Umweltkatastrophe in Vietnam
20.07.2016 Ulrike Kirsch (Deutsche Stiftung Meeresschutz Juli 2016) - Küstengewässer auf Jahrzehnte zerstört – Massives Fischsterben – Hunderttausende verlieren Lebensgrundlage.
Ende Juni sollte die Roheisengewinnung im erst Ende 2015 in Betrieb genommenen Stahlwerk Formosa Steel Ha Tinh in Vietnam beginnen. Doch bereits in der Pilotphase kam es zu einer Umweltkatastrophe, die die Küste verseuchte, die Lebensgrundlage vieler Fischer und Aquafarmer zerstörte und auch der Tourismusbranche tiefe Einschnitte bereiten wird.
Auf einem über 200 km langen, sich über vier vietnamesische Provinzen (Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri) erstreckenden Küstenabschnitt setzte Anfang April ein massives Fischsterben ein. Insgesamt 277 Tonnen Fische aus Hoch- und Tiefsee wurden tot angeschwemmt bzw. starben in den zahlreichen Fischfarmen in diesem Gebiet, wie vietnamesische Medien berichten.
Doch die Regierung unternahm nichts zur Aufklärung oder zum Schutz der Bevölkerung, öffentlich wurde das Ganze ohnehin erst nur auf Facebook am 6. April. Stattdessen ließ man Kundgebungen – mitunter brutal – zerschlagen und Demonstranten festnehmen. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnamese Protesters Demand Justice Despite Government Settlement on Fish Kills
17.07.2016 Written by Don Le (Global Voices) - Netizens have quickly jumped online to share their frustration with the investigation process following the Vietnamese government’s media conference regarding the cause of the environmental disaster which led to 70 tonnes of dead fish being washed up ashore.
The mysterious fish kill which destroyed the livelihoods of fisherfolk across central Vietnam was largely attributed to dirty discharge from the industrial plant of Formosa, a Taiwanese company.
Following the release of the findings and announcement that Formosa had agreed to pay $500 million USD in compensation for the environmental disaster, the Facebook community responded by asserting that the compensation is insignificant in the context of the damage Formosa has wreaked on the environment. [read more]
FORMOSA PLASTICS - Aufklärung und vollständige Entschädigung. Jetzt!
15.07.2016 Von Ethecon (scharf-links) - FORMOSA HA TINH STEEL, eine Tochter der FORMOSA PLASTIC GROUP (FPG), ist für das große Fischsterben in Vietnam verantwortlich. Die Hauptversammlung des Konzerns in Taiwan war begleitet von breiten öffentlichen Protesten. ethecon überreichte im Saal einen Offenen Brief. Auch die taiwanesische und vietnamesische Regierungen erhielten einen Offenen Brief, entzogen sich allerdings jeglicher Reaktion. ethecon - Stiftung Ethik & Ökonomie fordert weiterhin eine lückenlosen Aufklärung des Verbrechens an Mensch und Umwelt, eine angemessenen Entschädigung aller Betroffenen, eine Säuberung sämtlicher betroffener Biotope sowie eine nachhaltige Lösung für die Abwasserentsorgung des Stahlwerks.
Der Konzern bietet nun 500 mio. USD als Entschädigung an, dass entspricht 450 Mio. Euro. Diese Summe ist in Anbetracht des Ausmaßes der Katastrophe allerdings geradezu absurd.
Sarah Schneider, Geschäftsführerin von ethecon: „ 450 Millionen Euro sind für den Schaden an der Umwelt und für eine Entschädigung der betroffenen rund 2 Millionen Fischer_Innen sowie deren Angehörige eine Provokation. Der Konzern muss angemessen entschädigen zahlen und für eine nachhaltige Säuberung aller betroffener Biotope einstehen.“ [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam says investigating dry waste by Formosa steel unit
15.07.2016 (Reuters) - Vietnamese environmental authorities said they were working with local officials in the Ha Tinh province to investigate dry waste, belonging to a unit of Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group, that was found dumped on a residential farm.
The probe puts Formosa Ha Tinh Steel under the spotlight yet again - this time for waste dumped inland in the province where earlier this year the firm released toxic waste into the sea and caused massive fish deaths in one of the biggest environmental disasters to ever hit Vietnam.
Vietnamese state media also reported that people in Thien Cam, about 60 km away from the Formosa steel plant to the north, suspect waste in a landfill there came from Formosa as well. [read more]
FPG denies killing fish
13.07.2016 By Chen Wei-han (The Taipei Times) - ‘CONFLICTING’:An Environmental Jurists Association official said the data were incomplete, as they lacked coordinate information and the collectors’ names. - A senior official on Monday said that monitoring data suggested that a Formosa Plastics Group (FPG)-invested steel mill in Vietnam was not to blame for a pollution incident and massive fish die-off.
Hong Fu-yuan (洪福源), who is chairman of group member Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corp, presented data that indicated levels of two chemicals blamed for causing the fish deaths near the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp steel plant were below legal limits.
According to two tests conducted in six locations in the ocean near the steel plant in Ha Tinh Province on April 23 and May 5, phenol levels were below 0.001 milligrams per liter (mg/L), below the Vietnamese government’s limit of 0.03mg/L, while cyanide concentrations were below 0.004mg/L, below the Vietnamese limit of 0.01mg/L. [read more]
Umweltprobleme in Vietnam - Selbstgenähte Jutebeutel statt Fischsterben
12.07.2016 von Philipp Hinz (Wirtschaftswoche) - Im Mai diesen Jahres sind Millionen tote Fische an das Ufer einer 200 Kilometer langen Strandlandschaft in Vietnam gespült worden. Das Geschäft mit Tourismus und Fisch kollabierte. Vor wenigen Tagen hat die vietnamesische Regierung nun bestätigt, dass giftige Abwässer eines Stahlwerks der taiwanesischen Firma Formosa die Ursache waren.
In der Küstenstadt Danang - dem Zentrum der verseuchten Region - betreibt die Unternehmerin Anna Hübner ihr nachhaltiges Restaurant "Treehugger" und organisiert Touristenausflüge. Auf dem lokalen Markt ist sie als die Deutsche mit den Altkleider-Beuteln bekannt. Im Gespräch erzählt Hübner, wie ihre deutsche Vorstellung von Nachhaltigkeit in Vietnam wahrgenommen wird, und was Sie als Einzelne gegen die systemische Umweltzerstörung bewirken will. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam inflation may exceed target: officials
09.07.2016 (The China Post) - State price management agencies in Vietnam will face many challenges in the second half of the year if they are to meet the National Assembly's (NA) target of keeping inflation under 5 percent, experts said at a conference held yesterday.
Addressing the conference on price movements, representatives of the ministry of finance's Pricing Management Department, expressed concern that inflation in the second half of 2016 will be under pressure by the state budget balance, continuous price hikes in health care and education services in accordance with market mechanisms, as well as the central bank's policies on regulating foreign exchange and interest rates.
In the domestic market, unexpected price hikes in some cities and provinces are also expected as the country is nearing a season of storms and floods. [read more]
Vietnamese Protesters Fault Government Handling of Fish Kill Disaster
07.07.2016 (RFA) - Thousands of Vietnamese took to the street in the central coastal province of Quang Binh on Thursday to press the government and a Taiwanese conglomerate to help fisherman who lost their livelihoods in mass fish die-off in April.
The protest by Catholic parishioners in the town of Ba Don came a week after Taiwan’s Formosa Ha Tin steel mill admitted that toxic chemicals discharged from their massive industrial plant in the Vung Ang Economic Zone caused one of largest environmental disasters in Vietnam’s history.
A Vietnamese government investigation into the April spill determined that the release of toxic chemicals including cyanide from the plant caused the fish kill and the company, a subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group, apologized for the spill and offered $500 million in compensation. [read more]
Vietnam’s zombie companies threaten long-term growth
06.07.2016 Author: Ian Coxhead, University of Wisconsin-Madison (East Asia Forum) - The biggest macroeconomic challenge facing Vietnam today is sustaining growth. Most doi moi-era growth has resulted either from efficiency gains associated with the introduction of a market economy (opening domestic markets and trade, relaxing restrictions on labour movement and land transactions) or from expanded endowments of low-skill labour and capital. GDP continues to grow at a very respectable rate, albeit lower than that projected in national planning documents.
But the warning signs for future growth are clear: a low (29 per cent) contribution of total factor productivity growth to total growth; underwhelming growth rates of human capital; persistent budget deficits and increasing public sector debt; and a seeming loss of will to press ahead with the reform agenda.
Vietnam’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) contribute to each of these problems and, as such, continue to prevent the country from realising its full growth potential. With privileged access to credit from the state-owned commercial banks, SOEs continue to absorb 49 per cent of investment despite creating only a tiny share of new jobs and contributing almost nothing to export earnings. As a group, they are hugely inefficient: their average capital productivity, to take just one metric, is roughly half that of non-state industries. [read more]
Le gouvernement désigne le taïwanais Formosa comme responsable de la pollution maritime mais ne convainc pas l’opinion publique
06.07.2016 (Églises d'Asie) - Quelle est la cause exacte ayant provoqué la pollution des eaux côtières de quatre provinces du Centre-Vietnam et la mort de millions de poissons et crustacés à partir du début du mois d’avril 2016 ? La réponse à cette question a été la première revendication des milliers de manifestants venus protester quelque trois semaines après le début de la pollution dans les rues de Hanoi et de Saigon. La question était également sur les lèvres et les pancartes des paroissiens du diocèse de Vinh, particulièrement touchés par cette pollution. Dans sa vigoureuse lettre pastorale à ce sujet, Mgr Nguyên Thai Hop, évêque du diocèse, demandait, lui aussi, aux autorités de prendre la responsabilité de désigner publiquement le responsable de cette catastrophe d’une ampleur considérable. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam government criticized for being soft on polluters
06.07.2016 (UCAN India) - Religious, political and civil society organizations in Vietnam have criticized the government for allowing Formosa Ha Tinh Steel to continue operating, and called for people to demand justice.
"We condemn the communist government for allowing Formosa to continue its operation [which] damages the marine environment," representatives from 23 Vietnamese organizations said in a joint statement issued on July 4. There number included 11 religious leaders from Buddhist, Christian and indigenous religious communities.
Government Office Chief, Mai Tien Dung said the plant’s leaders promised to resolve the incident, pay US$500 million in compensation, and obey environmental laws.
But the activists said the compensation was not enough to restore the polluted waters and people’s livelihoods. Indeed, scientists estimate it will take 50 years for the ecosystem to recover. Their statement also criticized government leaders for not apologizing to the people. [read more]
Strafzahlung für Chemiekonzern aus Taiwan in Vietnam nach Umweltverschmutzung
05.07.2016 (RTI) - Taipei – Der Chemiekonzern Formosa Plastics muss wegen schwerwiegender Umweltverschmutzung 460 Millionen Euro Strafe an die vietnamesische Regierung und Bevölkerung zahlen.
Eine Stahlfabrik der taiwanischen Unternehmensgruppe hatte Anfang April Giftstoffe wie Phenol und Zyanid über Unterwasser-Leitungen ins Meer vor der Küste Mittelvietnams geleitet, wie das Unternehmen am 30. Juni zugab.
Dem ging eine knapp dreimonatige Untersuchung der vietnamesischen Behörden voraus. Die Giftstoffe sollen unter anderem ein massenweises Fischsterben in einem 200km langen Küstenabschnitt hervorgerufen haben, was vietnamesische Fischer ab dem 6. April bemerkten. [Weiterlesen]
Moody's: Four Formosa companies' ratings unaffected by toxic waste claim in Vietnam
05.07.2016 (Moody's Investors Service) - Hong Kong -- Moody's Investors Service says that the claim by the Vietnamese government (B1 stable) that Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation (unrated) has discharged toxic waste, resulting in mass fish deaths, is credit negative for the Formosa Group companies, but has no immediate impact on their Baa1 issuer ratings and stable outlooks.
The Formosa Group companies are Formosa Plastics Corporation, Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, Formosa Chemicals & Fiber Corporation, and Formosa Petrochemical Corporation. Each of them held an equal 11.43% shareholding in Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation at end-2015.
"The toxic waste incident highlights the execution risk to the Formosa Group's new business of steel production in a new market, Vietnam," says Franco Leung, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit Officer.
The incident is still evolving and no official penalty amount has been disclosed. Moody's will continue to monitor the incident and assess the financial implications. [read more]
Controversy shrouds Formosa Plastics' Vietnam fine
05.07.2016 Cheng Ting-Fang and Debby Wu, Nikkei staff writers (Nikkei Asian Review) - TAIPEI -- Formosa Plastics Group was slapped with a $500 million fine for the petrochemical titan's alleged culpability in mass fish deaths in central Vietnam on June 30, but a source close to the company said that it was coerced into pleading guilty.
A person familiar with the issue told the Nikkei Asian Review, however, that Vietnamese officials forced Formosa Plastics, one of the country's largest foreign investors, into pleading guilty. Nonetheless, Formosa Plastics said that now it would focus on dealing with the aftermath of the pollution before deciding on the mass production schedule.
According to the source who did not want to be named, Formosa Plastics Chairman William Wong and senior company executives flew to Vietnam to discuss the shoals of dead fish with Hanoi in mid-June.
However, Wong was allegedly prevented from boarding the return flight until he signed a deal to say Formosa Plastics was to be blamed for the deaths and would pay a hefty fine. Wong was only allowed to board the plane back to Taipei after signing the affidavit, the source said. [read more]
Formosa urged to share pollution probe results
04.07.2016 By Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter (Taipei Times) - A coalition of environmental groups, an immigrant workers’ rights group and politicians on Saturday issued a statement calling on Formosa Plastics Corp to reveal the results of an investigation about a pollution incident in Vietnam in April that caused mass fish deaths.
While Formosa Plastics accepted responsibility for the pollution, it should make public the Vietnamese government’s investigation, the plant’s pollution monitoring data and a list of 384 tonnes of chemicals used in waste pipes to ascertain the cause of the pollution, the joint statement by the Environmental Jurists Association, Vietnamese Migrant Workers and Brides Office, Taiwan Association for Human Rights and Covenants Watch said.
The company should explain what caused the pollution and how it was caused, as well as its pollution remediation plan, while the fishermen, farmers, families of disaster victims and people who were forced to relocate should be eligible to file for compensation, the statement said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Kun-yuh (吳焜裕), who endorsed the statement, yesterday said the real cause of the pollution remains unknown. [read more]
Plastic buckets, broken printers shine light on Hanoi's poor
04.07.2016 (Reuters) - Vietnamese families living in slums along the Red River in Hanoi are using red plastic buckets and old printers to help light homes, cook meals and slash electricity costs by as much as a third.
The recycled goods form the blades and motors of electrical generators that power old motorcycle batteries to illuminate lamps with a brightness equivalent to a 45-Watt light bulb.
Though the output generated is small, it makes a significant difference for families previously denied power because they lived too far from a power station or had to ration supply because of the expense, at an average cost of $9 a month. [read more]
Mass Fish Deaths in Vietnam Highlight the Country’s Press Freedom Problem
02.07.2016 By Helen Clark (Huffington Post) - MELBOURNE, Australia — The stink from Vietnam’s fish kill scandal — which left some 70 tons of dead fish scattered across the beaches of four of the country’s provinces and fishermen out of work — is symptomatic of something greater than worries about food security and the environment: access to information and the ability to distribute it.
On June 30, almost three months since the mass fish deaths began, Vietnam’s newspapers all began printing the same story: Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp., a subsidiary of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group, blamed by many for the incident, had accepted responsibility for the industrial pollution that had caused the environmental fiasco and would pay $500 million in compensation.
While the public waited for answers and the tourism industry suffered, the press was also curtailed. As the New York Times mentioned in its reporting of the incident: “Officials said that it had been necessary to restrict news coverage of the disaster while the investigation was underway [read more]
Taiwan investors in Vietnam warned of protests against FPG pollution
02.07.2016 (Focus Taiwan) - Taipei (CNA) - Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOEA) said Saturday that it has warned Taiwanese investors operating in Vietnam of possible protests to be staged by residents in the Southeast Asian country against pollution caused by a steel mill owned by the Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團).
The warning from Taiwan's government came after FPG apologized on June 30 after its steel mill Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp., located in the Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh Province, central Vietnam was found to be discharging pollutants, killing fish along a 130-mile stretch of coast in the country. [read more]
It's Official: Formosa Subsidiary Caused Mass Fish Deaths in Vietnam
01.07.2016 By Shannon Tiezzi (The Diplomat) - In early April, residents along the central Vietnamese coast began noticing unprecedented numbers of dead fish. A month later, over 100 tons worth of dead fish had been collected, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had labeled the crisis “the most serious environmental incident Vietnam has faced.”
Phuc promised an investigation. Now, nearly three months after the first dead fish washed ashore, the government has announced its conclusion – and it’s the same one local residents reached from the outset: pollution from a steel plant in Ha Tinh province, owned by Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group’s local affiliate, Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp, poisoned the fish. [read more]
Viet Steel Mill Owners Acknowledge Huge Fish Kill
01.07.2016 By David Brown (Asia Sentinel) - A sampling of public reaction suggests that the Vietnamese are impressed but hardly exuberant over an apology and a promise by the Taiwanese owners of a huge new steel plant in central Vietnam to pay half a billion US dollars for losses to fisher family livelihoods and for damage by toxic discharges from the plant in early April.
Too many questions remain unanswered, bloggers and pundits said after a Hanoi press conference on June 30 where a ministerial task force celebrated an end to the nation’s worst-ever crisis of environmental management.
The nature and origins of a lethal cocktail of cyanide and phenol that devastated marine life along a 300 kilometer stretch of Vietnam’s coast early in April were “under investigation” for nearly three months.
blogger superstar Doan Trang called the half-billion dollar compensation package not a victory, but rather “the price for which the Party and State sold out the people.” After this “so-called success,” Trang forecast, “anyone who dares question it or demands transparency will be labelled ‘reactionary.'” [read more]
Taiwan investor apologizes for polluting Vietnamese seashores
30.06.2016 (Focus Taiwan) - Taipei (CNA) - Formosa Plastics Group issued an apology Thursday and promised to compensate victims after its steel mill in Vietnam was found to have polluted coastal waters causing a massive die-off of fish and affecting the livelihood of fishermen.
"We respect the investigation (by Vietnamese authorities)," said Formosa Plastics Group in a statement after Vietnam released a report that blamed its Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company complex in central Vietnam for polluting the coastal waters of four provinces.
Some media reports said the investor will pay US$500 million to solve the problem, but no amount of funds was mentioned in the statement. [read more]
Scandale écologique au Vietnam: le gouvernement incrimine le taïwanais Formosa
30.06.2016 (RFI) - L’immense catastrophe écologique qui a causé au Vietnam la mort de millions de poissons en avril dernier revient sur le devant de la scène. Le gouvernement de Ho Chi Minh-ville a annoncé ce jeudi lors d’une conférence de presse attendue par tout le pays que l’aciériste taïwanais Formosa - et surtout son gigantesque complexe sidérurgique dans le centre du pays - était responsable de cette immense pollution, et qu’il allait verser près de 500 millions d’euros de dédommagements.
« Nous souhaitons nous excuser pour avoir causé cet incident environnemental, pour avoir de façon négative influencé la vie, la production et le travail des gens du secteur de la pêche », a annoncé un représentant de Formosa Vietnam dans une vidéo diffusée pendant la conférence de presse du gouvernement vietnamien.
En avril, des tonnes de poissons morts s’étaient échouées sur les plages du centre du pays, poussant les autorités à interdire la consommation des produits de la mer et portant un coup sévère à l’industrie de la pêche. Un secteur très important pour le Vietnam - il lui a encore rapporté près de 6 milliards d’euros l’an dernier. [en savoir plus]
Empresa taiwanesa indemnizará con 462 mde a Vietnam por vertidos tóxicos
30.06.2016 (Zócalo Saltillo) - Hanói, Vietnam.- La siderúrgica taiwanesa Formosa indemnizará a Vietnam con 462 millones de euros por el derrame tóxico que causó la muerte de millones de peces en abril, informaron este jueves las autoridades.
Tras semanas de investigaciones, el gobierno vietnamita finalmente confirmó las sospechas de que el grupo taiwanés Formosa, que posee un enorme complejo siderúrgico en la región, era el responsable del vertido contaminante.
“Las violaciones y los errores en los procesos de construcción de la fábrica de Formosa son la causa de la grave contaminación que afecta el medio marino”, explicó en una conferencia de prensa el portavoz del gobierno, Mai Tien Dung.
El funcionario agregó que el grupo había aceptado entregar 11.500 millones de dongs, equivalentes a 462 millones de euros (521 millones de dólares). [seguir leyendo]
Vietnam says Formosa unit's steel plant caused environmental disaster
30.06.2016 By Mai Nguyen (Reuters) - Vietnam said on Thursday a $10.6 billion steel plant run by a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics caused an until-now mysterious environmental crisis by releasing toxic wastewater into the sea.
Formosa Ha Tinh Steel, which operates a new plant set to become the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia, on Tuesday admitted responsibility for a disaster that caused massive fish deaths in coastal provinces in April, said Mai Tien Dung, head of the government office.
The spill sparked public outrage across Vietnam and three successive weekends of protests, with demonstrators venting their fury at both Formosa and the government, accusing them of a cover-up.
Formosa had apologized and would provide $500 million in compensation for those affected, Dung said. [read more]
Hanoi Air Quality Getting Worse
30.06.2016 (Bernama) -- HANOI -- The quality of air in Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi, has consistently worsened, especially in urban areas, main transport routes and ongoing construction sites, director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Ngoc Dong said.
In the meantime, Dong said that the implementation of projects on dealing with pollution, such as environmental monitoring and pollution control remained ineffective.
Currently, there are six air monitoring stations in the city, only two of which are still operating. [read more]
Vietnamese Activists, Bloggers Decry Lack of Government Transparency Over Mass Fish Kill
29.06.2016 (RFA) - Vietnamese activists and bloggers have expressed doubts that the government will be fully transparent about the results of its investigation of mass fish deaths that began three months ago along the country’s central coastal provinces, when officials publicly disclose their findings on Thursday.
Government experts have claimed that a “red tide,” or a release of dangerous chemicals by humans, caused at least 100 tons of dead fish to begin washing ashore in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien-Hue provinces in early April.
But ordinary folks believe that wastewater runoff from a huge steel plant run by Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation, a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Corporation of Taiwan, poisoned the fish. [read more]
Vietnam's new decree affects foreign organizations conducting water research
29.06.2016 (The Jakarta Post) - The government has enforced Decree 41/2016/ND-CP regulating the authorization for foreign organizations and individuals to conduct scientific research in Vietnam’s territorial waters.
Under the decree, foreign organizations and individuals conducting research in the country’s waters must be authorized by competent agencies.
The government has enforced Decree 41/2016/ND-CP regulating the authorization for foreign organizations and individuals to conduct scientific research in Vietnam’s territorial waters.
Under the decree, foreign organizations and individuals conducting research in the country’s waters must be authorized by competent agencies. [read more ]
Brexit: Vietnamese Exports To UK To Face More Barriers
28.06.2016 (Bernama) - HANOI -- Vietnam's exports to the United Kingdom will face several barriers if the country leaves the European Union, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported Dang Hoang Hai, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's European Market Department as saying on Monday.
According to Dang, among Vietnamese commodities shipped to the UK, many have to be transited in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
When Brexit occurs, Vietnamese exports will be forced to redo all procedures such as customs clearance and food hygiene and safety check-ups before reaching the hands of UK customers. [read more]
Drought in Vietnam Holds Back Growth as Farming Takes Knock
28.06.2016 Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen Giang Nguyen (Bloomberg) - Economic growth in Vietnam was little changed in the second quarter as a crippling drought hurt farming output and demand for exports weakened.
As the world’s biggest producer of robusta coffee and a major exporter of rice, the worst drought in three decades is weighing on Vietnam’s economy this year. The longer-term outlook remains good though as the nation benefits from a manufacturing industry that’s grown in importance over the years after companies such as Samsung Electronics Co. set up plants there to export smartphones. [read more]
Fishing Industry, Green Experts Express Concern About Paper Plant in South Vietnam
28.06.2016 (RFA) - Vietnam’s fishing industry and environmental experts have expressed concern about the waste treatment system of a new paper plant in Hau Giang province in southern Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, fearing it could discharge contaminated effluents that harm the area and kill fish.
Their concerns come about two months after a mass fish kill that some believe resulted from the discharge of contaminated effluents by another factory in the central coastal provinces. The fallout from tons of dead fish floating ashore included rare mass protests over lost livelihoods.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), which fears that the U.S. $1.2 billion paper plant scheduled to begin operations in August will cause environmental pollution and contaminate seafood in the area, has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to assess the situation, according to Vietnam’s Dan Tri International news website. [read more]
Vietnamese Artists Respond to Marine Disaster Through #IChooseFish
27.06.2016 by Ben Valentine (Hyperallergic) - In early April, a disturbing sight appeared on the central Vietnamese coast. In just a few days, hundreds and then tens of thousands of dead and dying fish appeared on the sand. At first, some locals rejoiced, gathering the fish still gasping with life to eat. Many of those residents became sick, and as more dead fish piled-up, Vietnam couldn’t deny the fact: it had a huge environmental disaster on its hands.
Born from the callousness of Formosa and the government’s incompetence, #IChooseFish has been the online rallying cry for Vietnamese anger and protests stemming from the mass fish die-off. While the extent of the demonstrations that have followed comes as a surprise, Vietnam remains a country where freedom of press and assembly are strictly controlled.
Many are using social media and the #IChooseFish hashtag to share and learn about the news. The tag grants them a relatively new opportunity to counter the Vietnamese party line while running relatively little risk of being arrested or beaten. However, while not nearly as rampant or sophisticated in scope as in neighboring China, censorship online is still common in Vietnam, and it appears Vietnam blocked Facebook in mid-May over the #IChooseFish protests. [read more]
Investitionen in Vietnam brauchen gute Vorbereitung
27.06.2016 Rodion Ebbighausen (DW) - Deutschland und Vietnam setzen verstärkt auf wirtschaftliche Kooperation. Politik und Verwaltung beider Länder machen Werbung, doch deutsche Unternehmer haben noch viele Fragen.
Die Neubesetzung der jeweiligen Botschaft in Hanoi und Berlin setzt ein klares Zeichen: Seit etwa sechs Monaten ist Botschafter Christian Berger der Vertreter der Bundesregierung in Vietnam. Zuvor war er Beauftragter für die Außenwirtschaftsförderung des Auswärtigen Amtes. Ebenfalls seit mehr als sechs Monaten ist der vietnamesische Botschafter Doan Xuan Hung in Berlin. Er war zuvor in Japan und besonders erfolgreich bei der Förderung der wirtschaftlichen Zusammenarbeit.
Für den Wirtschaftsstandort Vietnam sprechen: Der große Markt mit fast 90 Millionen konsumfreudigen, überwiegend jungen Leuten. Die vergleichsweise niedrigen Lohnkosten, die deutlich unter denen von China liegen.
Aber es gibt auch Probleme: Die Infrastruktur in Vietnam ist in vielen Teilen des Landes nicht ausreichend. Das betrifft sowohl Straßen und Energieversorgung, als auch die für Mittelständler wichtige Zulieferindustrie und die Rohstoffbereitstellung, die internationalen Standards nicht immer genügt. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam's Mass Fish Death Mystery Continues, Or Does It?
26.06.2016 Brett Davis (Forbes) - There is still no official finding on what killed hundreds of tons of fish along Vietnam’s central coast. Sort of. Authorities announced in early July they had determined what caused the mass fish deaths, but would not detail how or who was responsible until the end of the month.
The incident, and the follow up from various government departments at provincial and national levels, caused genuine outrage across the country. There were protests in several cities demanding answers.
That the government flagged that they know the source of the toxins that killed the fish but not make it public for several more weeks is certainly an odd development. [read more]
Can Vietnam's Tourism Industry Save the Environment?
24.06.2016 By Ai Vuong (The Diplomat) - Given the recent massive fish die-off in Central Vietnam, environmental issues in the country are under more scrutiny than ever. The extent of the impact on the fishing industry and local people is still unknown as scientists, corporations, and civil society are struggling to give a satisfactory explanation. Although the cause of the coastal calamity remains a mystery, the tourism industry has taken note.
Unfortunately, the expansive, rapid development of hotels, resorts, and cruises, among other projects trying to accommodate large-scale numbers of visitors, have precipitated monumental environmental effects.
A prevalent and well-documented example of human-created pollution in Vietnam is the erosion of Halong Bay. An average of 5,500 tourists each day embark on cruises through the UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of Vietnam’s most popular natural destinations. However, the bay and its surrounding ecosystems have been so polluted that tourists can be seen dutifully picking up trash instead of leisurely swimming in the water. [read more]
Vietnam delays start-up of steel plant pending investigation into mass fish deaths
18.06.2016 Cheng Ting-Fang (Nikkei Asian Review) - TAIPEI -- A senior executive of Formosa Plastics Group said on Friday that the company's $10.6 billion steel plant in Vietnam, one of the biggest foreign investment projects in the country, will not be able to begin full production next week as planned, amid public accusations that the new facility discharged toxic waste and killed fish in Vietnamese waters.
"Vietnamese regulators have not completed environmental and other inspection processes to approve the steel plant's operation," Yu Ching-chang, vice president of Formosa Ha Tinh Steel, told the Nikkei Asian Review on Friday. He added that his company is negotiating with government officials. [read more]
Formosa Plastics faces protests
17.06.2016 By Abraham Gerber (Taipei Times) - Vietnamese migrant workers yesterday protested outside a hotel where a Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團) board meeting was taking place, calling on the firm to disclose pollution readings near a Vietnamese steel mill and condemning human rights violations associated with the plant.
More than 30 workers gathered outside Taipei’s Sunworld Dynasty hotel, chanting slogans demanding clean sea water, while holding placards showing photographs of dead fish they said washed ashore along the Vietnamese coastline.
Representatives from the Environmental Jurists Association, Covenants Watch and the Taiwan Association for Human Rights called on Formosa Plastics to release relevant data and provide compensation, while calling for new regulations to prevent investment scandals overseas. [read more]
Taiwan activists press Formosa Plastics over dead fish in Vietnam
17.06.2016 (Reuters) - Activists in Taiwan called on the island's largest industrial group, Formosa Plastics, to investigate recent mass fish deaths in Vietnam, near where the company has a steel plant.
The deaths in April of fish in Vietnam's Ha Tinh province, where the Taiwan group's $10.6 billion steel plant is located, and three other provinces along a 200 km (125 miles) stretch of coast, sparked rare protests in Communist-ruled Vietnam.
Echo Lin, an activist shareholder in one of the group's companies, said the company should investigate the disaster. [read more]
Fish deaths delay start of Vietnam's first big blast furnace
17.06.2016 Atsushi Tomiyama (Nikkei Asian Review) - HANOI -- The government has ordered a large steel mill under construction in central Vietnam to delay the start of operations due to allegations that runoff from the plant killed many fish in April.
The blowing-in to start the blast furnace at the plant in Ha Tinh Province initially was set for June 25. Plant owner Formosa Plastics Group of Taiwan says it aims to begin operations once the company receives clearance to do so, but it is unclear when that will be.
Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the provincial government seem to have problems with the plant's underground wastewater system. [read more]
Circular Letter of Bishop of Vinh regarding disaster of marine environmental pollution in Central Vietnam
16.06.2016 Translated by Paul Tam (GNsP) - In recent days, we have witnessed the heartbreaking disaster of pollution of the marine environment as never before. Hundreds of tons of dead fish were washed ashore in the coast of Central Vietnam. Shrimps, clams, shells, birds, mangrove forests were found in sudden mass death, and the ecosystem in the continental shelf were destroyed. Millions of fishermen, people living by aquaculture and salt production, seafood traders, people in the catering and tourism business… suddenly fell into unemployment and became helpless due to the occupations they live by were completely turned upside-down. Panic, impoverishment and fury are the miseries they are suffering from.
Although the authorities have yet to announce an official conclusion, many people believe that toxic waste containing heavy metals from industrial areas is the very cause of the disaster. If really so, this environmental disaster has long-term enormous dangers. [read more]
Taiwan lawmakers urge Formosa probe over Vietnam fish deaths
16.06.2016 (Channel NewsAsia) - The fish deaths have devastated local fishermen and caused public anger in Vietnam, including rare public protests which were broken up by authorities, who arrested scores of activists.
TAIPEI: Taiwanese lawmakers urged the government on Thursday (Jun 16) to investigate local conglomerate Formosa's possible role in mass fish deaths in Vietnam, as activists said industrial pollution from its multi-billion dollar steel plant could have caused the environmental disaster.
If Formosa is behind the tonnes of dead fish that began washing up along Vietnam's central coast two months ago, it could jeopardise new President Tsai Ing-wen's signature policy of promoting investment in Southeast Asia in a bid to reduce Taiwan's economic reliance on China, lawmakers said.
The fish deaths have devastated local fishermen and caused public anger in communist Vietnam, including rare public protests which were broken up by authorities, who arrested scores of activists.
Vietnam's state-run media initially pointed the finger of blame at Formosa's steel plant in central Ha Tinh province, but has since back-peddled. [read more]
Problems for Vietnamese Pangasius Producers
16.06.2016 (The Fish Site) - GLOBAL - In 2015, Asia and Latin America remained the lucrative markets for pangasius while the leading producer, Viet Nam, continued to be plagued by production problems.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the value of Vietn Nam’s tra catfish is expected to continue to fall this in 2016.
Officials anticipate that the value of the trafish export will see a year-on-year drop of 5 per cent to USD 1.5 billion in 2016. According to VASEP, in 2015, the total value of tra fish exports reached USD 1.6 billion, which was 10 per cent lower than the value in 2014.
2015 was a difficult year for Vietnamese exports of tra fish products in most large markets. Challenges included lower demand, stagnant selling prices as well as increasingly stricter standards on quality, food hygiene and safety. [read more]
FORMOSA PLASTICS stoppen!
15.06.2016 Ethecon (scharf-links) - Am 17. Juni 2016 findet in Taipeh/Taiwan die Hauptversammlung der FORMOSA PLASTICS GROUP (FPG) statt. Zusammen mit Organisationen und AktivistInnen aus aller Welt wird ethecon bei der Hauptversammlung, aber auch rund um den Erdball auf das von der Tochter Formosa Ha Tinh Steel verursachte große Fischsterben an den vietnamesischen Küsten aufmerksam zu machen. Die Umwelt wird im großen Stil zerstört, die Gesundheit der Menschen massiv in Gefahr gebracht. Die FPG muss ihre giftigen Einleitungen sofort beenden. ethecon - Stiftung Ethik & Ökonomie, hat die Besitzer_Innen und das verantwortliche Management der FPG bereits 2009 mit dem Internationalen ethecon Black Planet Award an den Pranger gestellt und unterstützt die Proteste gegen den Konzern in Vietnam, Taiwan und anderen Ländern.
Die FORMOSA PLASTIC GROUP (FPG) ist mit einem Umsatz von 78 Mrd. US-Dollar und 106 Tsd. Beschäftigten einer der größten Konzerne der Welt. Seit Anfang 2016 betreibt FPG das Stahlwerk Formosa Ha Tinh Steel in Vietnam.
Die Inbetriebnahme des Stahlwerks geht zeitlich mit dem Sterben der Fische in vier vietnamesischen Provinzen einher. Auf einem rund 200 Kilometer langen Küstenstreifen werden massenhaft Fischleichen angeschwemmt, Menschen leiden nach Fischgenuss unter gesundheitlichen Schäden und das ökologische Gleichgewicht der Region droht zu kippen. Auch wird gemeldet, dass die vietnamesische Regierung die Menschen dazu aufforderte, keinen Fisch mehr zu verzehren.
Neusten Angaben zufolge hat die vietnamesische Regierung die Schuldigen bereits identifiziert, weigert sich allerdings die Ergebnisse der Öffentlichkeit mitzuteilen. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnamese Fishermen Face Growing Hardship Over Contaminated Fish
13.06.2016 (RFA) - While Vietnamese officials have yet to publicly announce what killed tens of thousands of fish in waters along the country's central coastal provinces in April, residents of the affected areas are complaining about the financial hardship they now face with job losses and lack of income.
Fishermen from the central region said they have not been able to fish offshore for several weeks, while local merchants complained that they have not yet received promised support from the government.
One fisherman’s wife from Vung Ang in Ha Tinh province told RFA’s Vietnamese Service that that her husband had to go to Taiwan to work, while she remained behind to try to find a job to help feed their two children.
“We have no money,” said the woman who declined to give her name. “My husband and I have to live separately to make money for our children. We have been living off the sea, and now we have no sea to rely on, so we have to find other jobs to do.”
The government has provided each family affected by the environmental disaster with 22 kilograms (49 pounds) of rice, but still has not informed them of the cause of the fish deaths, she said. [read more]
Funcionarios rechazan oferta de EE.UU. para asistencia sobre muerte masiva de peces
13.06.2016 (FIS) - Un alto diplomático de EE.UU. dijo que los funcionarios vietnamitas rechazaron ofertas estadounidenses de asistencia técnica relacionada con una investigación sobre una muerte masiva de peces a lo largo de la costa central del país del sudeste asiático.
La oferta por parte del Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), con sede en Washington, fue inmediatamente rechazada según informó el Embajador de EE.UU. en Vietnam Ted Osius.
La muerte masiva de la vida marina ha provocado indignación en todo el país y la mayoría de las protestas han sido dispersadas por la policía. Los manifestantes culpan de la catástrofe, que dejó un estimado de 100 toneladas de peces muertos en las playas de las costas centrales a finales de abril, a la liberación de sustancias químicas tóxicas de una nueva planta de acero de propiedad taiwanesa [seguir leyendo].
For Vietnam and its state enterprises, something has to give
13.06.2016 Atsushi Tomiyama (Nikkei Asian Review) - HANOI -- State-owned enterprises present a dilemma for Vietnam. There is a pressing need to reform the businesses, as the country is set to open up its market under the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. At the same time, the government is reluctant to lose its cash cows.
Either way, the government cannot afford to sit on its hands.
Last October, the government published a list of 10 major state-owned companies and said it would part with all of its shares in them. The list included Vietnam Dairy Products (Vinamilk), the country's largest dairy producer, and Baominh Insurance. Recently, however, a revised list emerged with only two of the companies named as candidates for share sales this year. Vinamilk and Baominh were excluded, dashing investor hopes. [read more]
Vietnam: Fatal phenol toxin found in 30 tons of frozen fish at seafood facility
13.06.2016 (Asian Correspondent) - HEALTH officials in the north-central province of Quang Tri have ordered a seafood trade facility there to destroy 30 tons of frozen fish after tests showed it contained phenol, a lethal toxic substance.
Six samples of the fish, including tuna, sardine and mackerel, were collected by the provincial health department for inspection from an establishment in Cua Tung town, Vinh Linh District.
Two out of three samples were found to contain phenol, a potentially lethal substance that is prohibited from use in food, said the director of the Quang Tri health department, Tran Van Thanh. The samples contained 0.037 milligrams per kilogram, according to a report from the inspection. [read more]
What’s driving growth in Vietnam’s auto industry?
10.06.2016 Arve Hansen, University of Oslo (East Asia Forum) - After many years of slow growth and stagnation the last couple of years have seen a significant boom in car sales in Vietnam. The country most known for its staggering motorbike population now appears to be rapidly heading for the age of the automobile. What has caused this change of fortunes for the auto industry, and will this new trend create a strong domestic auto industry in Vietnam?
The car market in Vietnam has seen an exceptional start to 2016, with sales for the first quarter of the year up 38 per cent compared to the same period last year. And that is keeping in mind that 2015 was a record-breaking year, reaching 244,914 sold units according to the Vietnamese Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Some would say it was about time the market started taking off. Foreign manufacturers have been in Vietnam since the mid-1990s, seemingly waiting for this moment. [read more]
Vietnam Rejected US Assistance in Mass Fish Death Probe
09.06.2016 Trung Nguyen (VOA) - A top U.S. diplomat says Vietnamese officials rejected U.S. offers of technical assistance with an investigation into a mass fish death along the Southeast Asian country's central coast.
Addressing the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said overtures of assistance, made in late April, were immediately declined.
"Pretty much right away, I offered technical assistance from the United States if the government of Vietnam wanted it for figuring out what had happened, and the reasons that so many fish had died along the central coast," he said. "That immediate offer of assistance was not accepted." [read more]
Philippines' Universal Robina recalls tea, energy drinks in Vietnam
09.06.2016 (Reuters) - MANILA - Universal Robina Corp, a unit of Philippine conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc, said on Thursday it recalled "several" thousand boxes of its C2 tea drink and Rong Do energy drink in Vietnam due to "excessive lead content".
An audit by Vietnamese health authorities indicated "one batch of C2 and one batch of Rong Do as having exceeded Vietnam product safety standards," a company statement said. [read more]
Toxic Fish in Vietnam Idle a Local Industry and Challenge the State
08.06.2016 By Richard C. Paddock (NYT) - NHAN TRACH, Vietnam — Since a devastating fish kill blighted the waters along 120 miles of coastline in central Vietnam, hundreds of people are believed to have fallen ill from eating poisoned fish.
Here in the fishing village of Nhan Trach, the squid that sustain the local economy have virtually disappeared. And a fishing ban has left hundreds of traps sitting unused on the beach and dozens of small fishing boats idle.
The government’s failure to respond and its previous support for the Taiwan-owned steel plant at the heart of the crisis have fueled widespread suspicion of corruption and the hidden influence of foreign interests at the expense of Vietnamese livelihoods, a potent mix that challenges the legitimacy of Communist Party rule.
“Quite simply, in Vietnam, human life is less important than the political life of the government and government institutions,” said Nguyen Thi Bich Nga, an activist in Ho Chi Minh City. “In this way, we can explain all that is unusual in this country.” [read more]
Vietnams Reisbauern kämpfen mit Dürre
07.06.2016 Bennett Murray, Bac Pham, Christiane Oelrich (DW) - Das Mekong-Delta ist Vietnams Hauptanbaugebiet für Reis. Aber die schlimmste Dürre seit 90 Jahren hat die Felder ausgetrocknet. Viele Bauern stehen vor dem Aus und suchen nun nach Alternativen.
Eine armselige Hütte aus Palmblättern: Hier lebt Reisbäuerin Truong Dieu mit ihrem Mann, den Eltern, den Schwiegereltern und vier Kindern. Die Arbeit ist ohnehin schwer - aber mit der schlimmsten Dürre seit 90 Jahren ist nichts mehr so wie früher. Dabei war die Gegend bei Can Tho mit sattgrünen Reisfeldern seit Jahrzehnten das Markenzeichen des fruchtbaren Deltas des mächtigen Mekong in Südvietnam.
Doch nun ist der Wasserpegel des nahen Bachs so niedrig, dass er die Bewässerungskanäle nicht erreicht, die zu Truong Dieus Feld führen. Ein totaler Ernteausfall für die 41-Jährige. [Weiterlesen]
Protests To Resurface In Wary Vietnam After Mass Fish Deaths
07.06.2016 Ralph Jennings (Forbes) - Two months after tons of fish died on beaches along the central coast of Vietnam in April, protests are still living. The government hasn’t said why so many creatures died over those 11 days. Instead it has squelched public protesters bent on demanding more transparency and attention to the environment after three decades of breakneck industrialization.
But without answers about the 80 tons of dead fish, a threat to food safety and tourism, anger is expected to resurface in public, frustrating the Southeast Asian government hoping for 6.7% economic growth this year based mainly on export manufacturing. The answer may implicate water pollution and with it some of that manufacturing. Lack of an answer risks more protests, a hit to that social stability that delights Vietnam’s foreign investors. [read more]
Vietnamese police break up protest over fish deaths
06.06.2016 (Star Tribune) - HANOI, Vietnam — Police in Vietnam's capital have broken up a protest over what critics charge is the government's delayed response to massive fish deaths which they believe are linked to industrial pollution.
A protester, Le Hoang, said more than 30 people marched peacefully in downtown Hanoi for about 15 minutes on Sunday before most were taken to police stations in two buses. He said they were held for several hours and then released without charge.
Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said the government should provide people with basic answers to the fish deaths instead of cracking down on peaceful protesters. [read more]
Vietnams Reiskorb leert sich
31.05.2016 Von Klaus Sieg (Rheinische Post Online) - Saigon. Mit dem Anbau von Reis hat sich Nguyen Ngoc Van aus dem Mekongdelta einen bescheidenen Wohlstand erarbeitet. In seinem Haus im Dorf An Lac Tay stehen ein Fernseher und zwei Kühlschränke. Eine ansehnliche Reihe schöner Hemden hängt im Kleiderschrank. Der Besucher bekommt einen Ventilator auf die Veranda gestellt. Es ist drückend heiß. "Vieles ist besser geworden", sagt die Mutter und reicht selbst gemachte Bonbons aus Banane, Erdnuss, Ingwer, Sesam und viel Zucker. "Händler kommen und kaufen unseren Reis, wir produzieren für den Weltmarkt und erzielen bessere Preise."
Aber zuletzt musste die Familie mit Ernteverlusten kämpfen, weil das Wasser aus dem tideabhängigen Kanal zu salzig war, mit dem Nguyen Ngoc Van seine kleinen Reisfelder bewässert. Obwohl die Küste fast 100 Kilometer entfernt ist. Manche der normalerweise drei Ernten pro Jahr fielen komplett aus. "Mit einer Ernte pro Jahr weniger reicht das Geld nicht, um Saatgut und Dünger für die nächste zu kaufen, wir müssen dann etwas bei der Bank leihen", erklärt Nguyen Ngoc Van und blickt über den Hof mit dem Steinsarkophag, in dem der Vater begraben liegt. Seit 30 Jahren bewirtschaftet die Familie die Farm.
Das Mekongdelta ist eine der fruchtbarsten Regionen weltweit. Aber wie lange noch? Der Klimawandel, der dadurch steigende Meeresspiegel, großflächige Waldzerstörung, die explodierende Zucht von Shrimps und massive Eingriffe in den Flusslauf gefährden die Produktion von Lebensmitteln im Delta. Einer, der davor seit Jahren warnt, ist der Umwelt- und Agrarwissenschaftler Duong Van Ni von der Universität in Can Tho. "An der Südspitze Vietnams wuchs früher das Land jedes Jahr etliche Meter in Richtung Meer, jetzt aber wird es wegen fehlender Mangroven durch Erosion zerstört", sagt der Forscher. [Weiterlesen]
Fischsterben in Vietnam - Festnahmen vereiteln neuen Protest
Immer wieder gibt es Proteste gegen ein Fischsterben in Zentralvietnam. Polizei und Staatssicherheit gehen gegen Demonstranten vor.
30.05.2016 Sven Hansen (taz) - BERLIN - Vietnams Polizei und Staatssicherheit haben am Sonntag im Zentrum der Hauptstadt Hanoi erneut Bürgerrechtler festgenommen. Unter ihnen sollen sechs bekannte Blogger gewesen sein, berichtete die Organisation Vietnam Human Rights Defenders.
Demnach wollten die Festgenommenen mit einem Sitzstreik Aufklärung über ein Fischsterben an der Küste Zentralvietnams fordern. Kaum hatten sie ihr Transparent „Wir wollen wissen, warum so viele Fische sterben“ enthüllt, seien der Blogger La Viet Dung und seine Begleiterin abgeführt worden.
In den letzten Wochen gingen die Behörden in mehreren Großstädten Vietnams immer wieder gegen Demonstranten vor, die Aufklärung über die Umweltkatastrophe und eine Bestrafung der Verantwortlichen verlangten. [Weiterlesen]
Drought and ‘Rice First’ Policy Imperil Vietnamese Farmers
28.05.2016 By Jane Perlez (NYT) - SOC TRANG, Vietnam — When the rice shoots began to wither on Lam Thi Loi’s farm in the heart of the Mekong Delta, a usually verdant region of Vietnam, she faced a hard choice: Let them die in the parched earth, or pump salty water from the river to give them a chance.
Like many seasoned farmers here, she risked the saline water. The crop perished within days.
The Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s premier rice growing region, is suffering its worst drought since French colonial administrators began recording statistics in 1926. Giant cracks, some a foot deep, gouge the hard earth; brown stalks of dead rice litter the fields; and the dryness is so severe even the pests lie shriveled on the ground. [read more]
Vietnam: Zentralbank soll Gold der Bevölkerung verpfänden
27.05.2016 (goldreporter.de) - Die Vietnam Gold Trading Association fordert, private Goldbestände sollten verfügbar gemacht werden, um die Wirtschaftsentwicklung in Vietnam zu fördern.
Wir kennen ähnliche Praktiken bereits aus Indien, wo der Staat die Bevölkerung zur Abgabe ihrer privaten Goldbestände verleiten will, um die starke Dollar-Nachfrage und das Handelsdefizit einzudämmen.
Nun fordert die Vietnam Gold Trading Association (VGTA) von Zentralbank des Landes, ebenfalls Schritte zu unternehmen, um die privaten Goldbestände der Bevölkerung zu kapitalisieren. Ziel solle es sein, Kapital für Investments verfügbar zu machen und die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung zu fördern. [Weiterlesen]
Großauftrag aus Vietnam für Boeing
23.05.2016 (der Standard) - Chicago – Der Flugzeugbauer Boeing hat aus Vietnam einen Großauftrag über 100 Mittelstreckenjets erhalten. Die Billigfluglinie Vietjet habe die Maschinen in der Billigflieger-Spezialversion 737 MAX 200 geordert, teilte der Airbus-Rivale aus den USA nach der Unterzeichnung des Vertrags am Montag in Hanoi mit. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam: Drought Heightens Risk Of Forest Fires
18.05.2016 (Bernama) - BINH PHUOC - Prolonged dry weather has significantly increased forest fire risk in the southeast region of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said, citing authorised agencies report.
In southern Binh Phuoc province, at least 150 forest fire hotspots have been named since the beginning of this year.
The province has more than 58,000 hectares of forests, scattered through the Bu Gia Map, Phuoc Long, Dong Phu, Loc Ninh, and Bu Dang districts. The risk of fire is extremely high in these forests.
In southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, nearly 30 forest fire hotpsots have been pointed out. Of these, the Long Son, Thi Vai, and Minh Dam mountains are at highest risk, as there is no water available on these mountains to battle fires. [read more]
Vietnam's Fishy Fish Deaths: A Bouillabaisse Of Politics, PR And Business
17.05.2016 By Brett Davis (Forbes Asia) - It began in early April, when thousands of dead fish began washing up on the shores of central and northern-central Vietnam. Some estimates put the number of dead fish at more than 100 tons. There was lots of speculation about the cause of the mass fish deaths, from undersea earthquakes to algal blooms, although the most likely culprit was thought to be some kind of discharge of toxic chemicals by nearby industrial plants.
Various government agencies swung into action testing fish and water samples, and international assistance was requested to determine a cause. Perhaps not surprisingly, consumption of seafood has plummeted, along with market prices, leaving entire communities dependent on fishing in an economically perilous situation.
Yet the main question in the public’s mind, what was the cause of the mass deaths, has remained officially unanswered. There has been steady stream of fingers pointed at a Taiwanese joint-venture steel plant in Thanh Hoa province, where most of the fish have washed ashore.
This past Sunday, May 15, as with the two previous Sundays, the social media site was blocked in Vietnam. This coincided with rare street protest demanding answers to the mass fish deaths and greater transparency from authorities.
Police issued a statement blaming the protests on “an exile reactionary organization based in the United States”. It is difficult to know the extent of the involvement of this group, apparently named Viet Tan, but it ignores the fact many young Vietnamese people are demanding greater accountability from authorities, and greater regard for the environment. [read more]
Swift-Hacker wollten 1,2 Millionen Euro von Vietnam auf slowenisches Bankkonto transferieren
17.05.2016 (Wiener Zeitung) - Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt/Ljubljana. (reu/wak) Cyberkriminelle versuchten vergangenen Dezember ohne Erfolg, Geld von einer vietnamesischen Bank zu einer slowenischen Bank zu transferieren. Das internationale Zahlungsverkehrssystem Swift habe das vietnamesische Institut informiert, dass bei einem Swift-Vermittler im Ausland ein Schadprogramm installiert worden sein könnte.
Laut einem vietnamesischen Zentralbanker war das der bisher einzige Versuch, von vietnamesischen Konten illegale Transfers zu starten. [Weiterlesen]
Protestation au Vietnam
17.05.2016 Laurent Thézé (Blog Laurent Thézé) - Drôle de première expérience au Vietnam, hier dimanche 15 Mai. Appel à manifester dans la rue de Bui Vien, le quartier international du Dictrict 1 à Ho Chi Minh. Récit de ma rencontre avec la police vietnamienne !Il est tout juste 16h00, Angel, une amie canadienne enseignant à Ho Chi Minh, et moi-même, revenons d’un week-end dans la région du Mékong Delta, située à quelques heures au Sud. En me rendant au Budget Hostel, l’auberge de jeunesse dans laquelle j’ai pris l’habitude de rester en étant à Ho Chi Minh, j’apprends qu’une manifestation doit avoir lieu entre 15h00 et 20h00 dans la rue principale du quartier. On me déconseille de m’y rendre, forcément, j’y vais.
La rue de Bui Vien semble en effet différente à première vue, ou bien mon imagination me joue des tours. De nombreux policiers, en tenues vertes kaki, bleues, ou encore beiges arpentent les rues. Ils sont nombreux, matraques à porté de mains pour certains. Cette fois-ci j’en suis sûr, ce n’est pas mon imagination.
On choisit de s’installer sur le balcon d’un restaurant au milieu de la rue. Sur internet, nous trouvons des blogueurs appelant les internationaux à filmer afin d’enregistrer les abus policiers qui ont eu lieu lors de la précédente manifestation : groupes de protestants embarqués dans des bus, manifestants battus … Un groupe de policiers, en tenues vertes arrêtent un vietnamien en scooter tandis que d’autres en tenues bleues font la circulation, créant un peu plus de problèmes au bordel habituel. Il leur tend une carte, sa pièce d’identité j’imagine. Environ sept policiers pour ce jeune homme qui repartira escorté en poussant son scooter. [en savoir plus]
"Wollt ihr Stahl oder Fisch?"
16.05.2016 Von Arne Perras, Danang (SZ) - Seit Wochen sterben in Vietnam massenhaft Fische. Eine Fabrik soll das Meer verseucht haben, aber geklärt hat die Regierung noch nichts.
Wenn es dunkel wird, füllen sich die Nudelküchen. Mi Quang heißt die Spezialität der Stadt Danang, Bandnudeln in würziger Brühe, garniert mit geraspelten Erdnüssen und frischem Grünzeug. Man kann das Gericht mit Fisch oder mit Fleisch bestellen, doch in diesen Tagen hat sich die Wahl für die Vietnamesen erübrigt. "Den Leuten ist die Lust auf Fisch gründlich vergangen", klagt eine Kellnerin im Lokal Xu Quang. "Alle bestellen jetzt Huhn oder Rindfleisch. Was für ein Jammer. Ein Leben ohne Fisch? Das können wir uns nicht vorstellen."
Nun rühren viele ihren geliebten Fisch nicht mehr an. Und mit wachsender Wut und Ohnmacht verfolgen sie, was ihnen die staatlich kontrollierte Presse tröpfchenweise an Meldungen über die jüngste Umweltkatastrophe serviert.
Was die Tiere vergiftet, ist auch mehr als einen Monat nach den ersten Funden nicht geklärt. Selbst Arten, die in größerer Tiefe leben, sind gestorben, auf einer Länge von mindestens 200 Kilometern sind Millionen Fischleichen angeschwemmt worden. Vier Provinzen in Zentralvietnam hat es getroffen, und das Geschäft mit Meeresfisch droht völlig einzubrechen. [Weiterlesen]
Scandale écologique au Vietnam: le gouvernement met en garde les manifestants
16.05.2016 (RFI) - Au Vietnam, depuis trois semaines des manifestations sont organisées tous les dimanches après la découverte de millions de poissons morts sur les côtes du centre du pays. C'est la société taïwanaise de sidérurgie Formosa qui est soupçonnée d'être responsable de la pollution maritime. Les autorités ont promis que les responsables seraient sévèrement punis, mais les résultats de l'enquête se font attendre.
« Les poissons ont besoin d'eau fraiche et les hommes de transparence. » C'est l'un des slogans qu'on pouvait lire sur les pancartes des rares manifestants présents dimanche à Hanoï et Ho Chi Minh-Ville. Les forces de l'ordre avaient été déployées pour empêcher les grands rassemblements.
Trung Min Duc est journaliste indépendant. Il voulait aller manifester, mais la police l'a empêché de sortir de chez lui. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam bank says interrupted cyber heist using SWIFT messaging
15.05.2016 By My Pham, Mai Nguyen and Jim Finkle (Reuters) - Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank said that it interrupted an attempted cyber heist that involved the use of fraudulent SWIFT messages, the same technique at the heart of February's massive theft from the Bangladesh central bank.
Hanoi-based TPBank said in a statement late on Sunday
in response to inquiries from Reuters that in the fourth quarter of last year it identified suspicious requests through fraudulent SWIFT messages to transfer more than 1 million euros ($1.1 million) of funds. [read more]
Hackerangriffe auf Banken - Vietnamesisches Institut berichtet von abgewehrter Attacke
15.05.2016 (NZZ) - (Reuters) Auch in Vietnam ist eine Bank Ziel eines Hackerangriffs geworden. Die Tien Phong Bank (TPBank) teilte der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters schriftlich mit, sie habe Ende 2015 eine Cyber-Attacke abgewehrt. Das internationale Zahlungsverkehrssystem Swift habe das Institut informiert, dass bei einem Swift-Vermittler im Ausland ein Schadprogramm installiert worden sein könnte. Ziel der Hacker sei eine Transaktion von umgerechnet mehr als einer Million Euro gewesen. Weder Swift – ein Dreh- und Angelpunkt des internationalen Finanzsystems – noch Kunden sei ein Schaden entstanden, erklärte die Bank. [Weiterlesen]
Sancionada en Vietnam empresa taiwanesa por violar normas ambientales
11.05.2016 (Prensa Latina) - Hanoi - Autoridades de la sureña provincia vietnamita de Ba Ria-Vung Tau sellaron 28 máquinas teñidoras de una empresa textil taiwanesa en un parque industrial por violar normas de protección medioambiental, refieren hoy medios de prensa.
La medida aplicada la víspera a Mei Sheng, radicada en la zona de Ngai Giao, es válida por tres meses a fin de que pueda resolver las consecuencias generadas para los recursos ambientales y acuáticos, según se explicó.
Se trata de la séptima vez que la empresa es sancionada por vertimiento ilegal de residuos, a lo que se añade la construcción de un taller de teñido con una capacidad anual de mil 100 toneladas y la perforación de 26 pozos de agua sin el debido permiso. [seguir leyendo]
Pollution maritime au Centre-Vietnam : nombreuses protestations et manifestations dans les milieux catholiques
10.05.2016 (Églises d'Asie) - La pollution des côtes du Centre-Vietnam a débuté aux premiers jours d’avril 2016, il y a déjà plus d’un mois. L’environnement maritime de cinq provinces a été gravement pollué par des substances toxiques qui, à l’heure actuelle, ont provoqué la mort de millions de poissons ainsi que la détérioration de la qualité du sel de mer. A l’origine de la catastrophe, on pointe du doigt les eaux usées déversées par un complexe sidérurgique installé à Vung Ang, dans la province de Ha Tinh, appartenant à des investisseurs taïwanais.
Dès le début de l’affaire, après les premières constatations de pollution maritime, les soupçons se sont rapidement portés sur ce complexe sidérurgique taïwanais du nom de Formosa. Les dénonciations ont été reprises par la presse officielle. Dans les derniers jours du mois, des protestations et des manifestations se sont produites. La première a eu lieu à Canh Duong, dans le Quang Binh. Les pêcheurs ont bloqué la route nationale 1A. Le 1er mai, des manifestations ont eu lieu à Hanoi et à Saigon. Des milliers de personnes sont descendus dans les rues pour protester contre la catastrophe et exiger des éclaircissements sur le drame. [en savoir plus]
Protestors In Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Demand Accountability for the Dead Fish in Central Vietnam
08.05.2016 Dan Vineberg (The New Travel Blog) - I followed the protest in Saigon between 9am and 11:30am, capturing some interesting moments.
Protests in Vietnam are rare. Really rare.
The Communist run country has no protected right-to-asssemble and very limited free speech in its media.
Today though there were major protests in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and Saigon, where I live. I was close enough to get a lot of pictures and speak to a few protestors about why they were there. [video]
Vietnam Tech Startups Boom
09.05.2016 By Michael Tatarski (AEC News Today) - Well-known for its relatively low-tech textile and agriculture industries, Vietnam is fast becoming a regional technology hub. Multinationals such as Samsung and Intel already have multi-billion dollar presences here (See: Vietnam’s High-Tech Hub: More Than Just Silicon Dreams), and Vietnam tech startups are now joining the scene in a big way.
Though there are no concrete statistics on tech startups in the country, Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. estimates that there are about 1,500 currently in operation. If correct, this would mean Vietnam has more startups relative to population than regional neighbors China, Indonesia, and India.
US Embassy Vietnam’s Entrepreneurship Challenge
The US Embassy in Vietnam is getting involved as well, late last month announcing the Ambassador’s Entrepreneurship Challenge. Regional winners will be fully funded to attend the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Startup Camps in Vietnam to sharpen their skills before competing in the final round in front of judges and potential investors and incubators. [read more]
Vietnam: manifestation après une pollution maritime, 100 personnes interpellées
08.05.2016 (La Libre) - Une centaine de personnes ont été interpellées dimanche à Hanoï après une manifestation contre une société taïwanaise accusée d'être responsable d'une pollution maritime dans le centre du pays qui a causé la mort de milliers de poissons.
Réunie devant l'opéra d'Hanoï, la foule de quelques centaines de personnes a été rapidement dispersée par la police.
"Jamais la mer vietnamienne n'avait été polluée aussi sérieusement", s'est indigné auprès de l'AFP Nguyen Manh Trung, un vétéran de l'armée de 68 ans, venu manifester.
Mais au Vietnam, "la police est experte en matière de répression des manifestations", ajoute ce dernier alors qu'une centaine de personnes étaient mises de force dans des bus. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam Police Break Up Protest Against Taiwan Firm Over Fish Deaths
08.05.2016 (IBT) - Vietnamese police broke up a demonstration in the capital, Hanoi, on Sunday when protesters gathered for the second time in a week to denounce a Taiwanese firm they accuse of causing mass fish deaths in central coastal provinces.
Hundreds took to the street in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's second-largest city, last week to vent their anger at a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics, even though an official investigation found no links between the fish deaths and Formosa's $10.6 billion coastal steel plant.
A group of protesters sat on the bank of a big lake in Hanoi before police shepherded them on to a waiting bus, Reuters witnesses said. Demonstrators were also put on buses at a square in front of the nearby Hanoi Opera House.
Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam and are often quickly suppressed by uniformed and plain-clothes police. State-controlled media has not reported any of the demonstrations. [read more]
Dutzende Festnahme bei Protesten gegen Fischsterben in Vietnam
08.05.2016 (Die Welt) - Nach einem massiven Fischsterben in Vietnam sind bei Protesten gegen einen Konzern aus Taiwan etliche Demonstranten festgenommen worden. Im Zentrum der Hauptstadt Hanoi versammelten sich am Sonntag mehrere hundert Demonstranten, wie ein Reporter der Nachrichtenagentur AFP berichtete. [Weiterlesen]
Scores held as Vietnam breaks up fish deaths protest
07.05.2016 (The Star Online) - HANOI: Vietnamese police detained scores of people Sunday as they broke up a protest against a Taiwanese company accused of being behind a toxic leak that has caused mass fish deaths off the central coast.
The protest in Hanoi, which follows a similar demonstration last weekend, was swiftly dispersed by authorities on Sunday morning, an AFP reporter witnessed, in a communist country where all shows of dissent are tightly controlled.
Several hundred demonstrators had gathered in the heart of the capital outraged at the poisoning of waters near Ha Tinh province that has left tonnes of fish and clams dead and decimated the local fishing industry, accusing Taiwanese steel mill Formosa of overseeing a toxic leak.
“Never has the Vietnamese sea been this badly polluted,” army veteran Nguyen Manh Trung, 68, told AFP.
But “the police are now more and more professional in breaking up protests,” he added of the scores of people taken away in unmarked cars. [read more]
Enfado monumental en Vietnam tras encontrar millones de peces muertos en las playas
06.05.2016 Fausto Ramírez (Renovables Verdes) - El desastre ecológico que acaba de provocar la emisión de millones de peces muertos sobre las playas de Vietnam ha provocado un gran enfado. El asunto ha tomado una vuelta política en este país donde la palabra y la expresión de la cólera son habitualmente disimuladas. El pasado 1 de mayo, cientos de personas desfilaron por las calles de la capital para protestar contra la sociedad taiwanesa acusada de estar en el origen de una fuga de productos tóxicos que provocó la muerte de millones de peces.
Esta empresa, llamada Formosa, construyó una fábrica de acero en la provincia de Ha Tinh, en el centro del país. Peces muertos, que comenzaron a ser arrastrados en masa a las playas a finales de abril, se vieron acumulados en más de 200 kilómetros de la costa, hasta el sur de la antigua capital imperial de Hué e incluso en la parte filipina del archipiélago de las Spratleys.
Los manifestantes que se concentraron en el centro de Hanoi, desfilaron presentando pancartas con eslóganes que no dejaban lugar a la ambigüedad: “Formosa fuera de Vietnam”, “si el mar muere, nos morimos”, “salvar el mar”. Otra manifestación parecida tuvo lugar en el sur de Vietnam, en Hong Chi Minh. [seguir leyendo]
Scandale écologique au Vietnam : des millions de poissons morts découverts sur les plages
06.05.2016 (Francetv Info) - "La mer meurt, nous mourons", "Sauvez la mer !"... Dimanche 1er mai, des centaines de personnes ont manifesté à Hanoï, la capitale du Vietnam, pour protester contre Formosa, une société taïwanaise dont l'aciérie vietnamienne est accusée d'être impliquée dans une fuite toxique qui a ravagé les côtes du centre du pays.
Pendant plusieurs heures, les manifestants ont dénoncé une catastrophe écologique qui fragilise le commerce des pêcheurs et la sécurité alimentaire des habitants.
Réaction tardive des autorités: L'affaire tombe mal pour les autorités, indique Le Monde. "Notre réponse face à ce désastre environnemental a été lente", a admis le ministre vietnamien de l'Environnement, reconnaissant des défaillances dans la réaction du gouvernement. [en savoir plus]
Geschäfte in Vietnam - Ausgeliefert
05.05.2016 von Frederic Spohr & Stephan Scheuer, Hanoi, Peking (Handelsblatt) - Mittelständische Unternehmer klagen über willkürlich entscheidende Behörden und unberechenbare Gerichtsverfahren – zwei erschütternde Beispiele aus Vietnam und China und wie sich derartige Katastrophen verhindern lassen.
Heinrich Schenk erwartet wieder einen Überfall. Er hat die Polizei informiert und seine Wachmänner am Firmentor verstärkt, selbst seinen Fahrer hat er nach vorn abkommandiert. Sie harren vor dem Fabriktor aus, kalter Wind bläst ihnen ins Gesicht. Die Männer sollen Schenks ehemaligen Geschäftspartner abwehren. Der hat eine Gesellschafterversammlung im Werk einberufen - für Schenk nichts anderes als die Ankündigung eines Angriffs.
Dabei wollte Schenk nur, was derzeit so viele deutsche Unternehmen wollen: günstig in Vietnam produzieren, gerade jetzt, da die Löhne in China stark gestiegen sind.
Doch das Verhältnis mit dem vietnamesischen Partner eskaliert - und eine Odyssee vor den Gerichten des Landes beginnt.
Sein Fall ist ein Lehrstück darüber, was passieren kann, wenn sich Unternehmen auf das Geschäft in einem Land mit unzureichender Rechtssicherheit nicht genügend vorbereiten. "Es gibt keine unabhängigen staatlichen Gerichte in Vietnam", sagt Marko Walde, der Delegierte der deutschen Wirtschaft in Vietnam. [Weiterlesen]
As Vietnam's Fish Kill Scandal Grows, a Scientist Says the Cause is Known
05.05.2016 (Eco-Business) - Hanoi already knows what caused the massive fish kill that devastated the country’s central coast, but has yet to release the information to the public, a noted Vietnamese oceanographer told RFA’s Vietnamese Service.
“Everybody agreed, and even the government knows what the root problem is from the waste, and they know where to find the source of waste,” Nguyen Tac An, the former director of Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography told RFA. “However, to announce the name of the source is the government’s decision.”
The government’s handling of the situation has raised more questions than answers. In late April, government officials said they didn’t know the cause of the fish kill, but they blamed it on a red tide or “a chemical toxin generated by people on land or sea.” [read more]
Vietnam: About 100 scientists called in to probe mystery of mass fish deaths
05.05.2016 (Asian Correspondent) - The mysterious deaths of masses fish in Vietnam, which has seen tonnes of carcasses wash up ashore along its coastlines since early April, has cause widespread public outrage and left authorities scrambling to find answers.
The Vietnamese government is reeling in about 100 scientists to help probe the phenomenon, which has affected the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of families from fishing villages there and is said to be an environmental disaster.
Apart from commercial fish, the mass deaths also included large whales and seagulls.
Samples of the dead fish and surrounding waters have also been sent to laboratories in Japan, Switzerland, and the U.S. to be put under the microscope. [read more]
Colère au Vietnam après la découverte de millions de poissons morts sur les plages
05.05.2016 Par Bruno Philip (Le Monde) - Le désastre écologique qui vient de provoquer le rejet de millions de poissons morts sur les plages du Vietnam fait des vagues à Hanoï. L’affaire a pris un tour politique dans ce pays où la parole et l’expression de la colère sont habituellement muselées. Dimanche 1er mai, des centaines de personnes ont défilé dans les rues de la capitale pour protester contre la société taïwanaise accusée d’être à l’origine d’une fuite de produits toxiques qui a provoqué le carnage.
Cette compagnie, nommée Formosa, a construit une aciérie dans la province de Ha Tinh, dans le centre du pays. Des poissons morts, qui avaient commencé à être rejetés en masse sur les plages fin avril, ont été retrouvés sur quelque deux cents kilomètres de rivages, jusqu’au sud de l’ancienne capitale impériale de Hué et même dans la partie philippine de l’archipel des Spratleys, à Pag-asa… [en savoir plus]
Vietnam Bans Unsafe Seafood in Central Provinces
05.05.2016 Tra Mi (VOA) - Vietnamese officials on Wednesday banned the processing or selling of dead seafood washed ashore or caught within 20 nautical miles of a mysterious mass fish kill along the country's central coast.
The decree by Vietnam's agriculture and rural development agency sets guidelines for destroying possibly contaminated seafood but does not elaborate on measures to cope with violations.
Wednesday's ban comes a day after Vietnam’s environmental and health ministries said seawater and seafood in four affected provinces met safety indicators.
"The government’s responses and acts are inappropriate since the people want to know what caused these mass fish deaths," Hanoi resident La Viet Dung told VOA's Vietnamese Service. "It’s been a month now, but they haven’t provided us with a legitimate answer which makes us doubtful. This is either due to their weak governance, or they're trying to hide something. They have to clearly and immediately let us know the real cause and measures to overcome this tragedy.” [read more]
UN Human Rights Office concerned about implications of environmental disaster in Vietnam
05.05.2016 (The Online Citizen) - The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia (OHCHR) expressed concern on Thursday over the impact of mysterious mass fish deaths along Vietnam’s central coast on the enjoyment of human rights in the country, in particular, the right to health and food.
The Regional Office is also concerned about the treatment of those joining protests which erupted over the fish deaths, and called on authorities to respect the right to freedom of assembly in line with international law.
On May 1, hundreds of people organized peaceful rallies in several cities across the country to protest against the disaster in a rare show of public anger tolerated by the authorities. During these demonstrations at least a dozen participants were beaten and temporarily detained by police. [read more]
Amid Fish Deaths, Social Media Comes Alive in Vietnam
04.05.2016 By Thu Huong Le (The Diplomat) - Facebook is the platform of choice for activists organizing rallies in response to the latest environmental disaster.
In Vietnam, a scandal surrounding the mass die-off of fish has created an explosive wave of debate and activism on social media, particularly Facebook. Responding to the social media outcry, many rallied in cities across Vietnam on Sunday, during a national four-day holiday. The rallies took place at an unprecedented scale, spanning three regions.
The protests responded to the mass deaths of fish, a crisis that has been ravaging Vietnam’s four central-coast provinces since early April. The environmental disaster has killed thousands of fish and caused financial and environmental damages to fishermen and people living in what was already one of the country’s most vulnerable regions. The cause is unconfirmed as yet, but many Vietnamese suspect pollution from a steel plant operated by a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group.
This is the second time Vietnamese people demonstrated on the streets in response to an environmental disaster, braving the weather and the maze of undercover police to voice their concerns. Back in March 2015, citizens in Hanoi also staged a citywide protest against the local government’s arbitrary decision to chop down hundreds of trees without consulting either the public or experts. [read more]
Rare street protests follow offshore poisoning in Vietnam
04.05.2016 (Nikkei Asian Review) - HO CHI MINH CITY -- Demonstrators took to the streets in Vietnam on May 1 after at least 70 tons of fish washed ashore in the central provinces in recent weeks, a diver died after working on a breakwater at an industrial zone, and thousands of fishing boats remained in port.
Protesters in Ho Chi Minh City carried placards that read, "I love fish" and, "Fish die today, we die tomorrow," and called for Taiwanese investors to get out of Vietnam.
First noticed in early April, serious pollution initially blighted fisheries off the Vietnamese north-central province of Ha Tinh.
Sunday's demonstrations in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Vung Tau were peaceful and well organized, and were marshaled by police. The uniformed presence suggested official endorsement in a country where such public displays are not usually allowed. [read more]
Millions of dead fish on Vietnam's shores raise industrial pollution fears
04.05.2016 By Scott Duke Harris (Los Angeles Times) - The dead started washing up in April: miles and miles of fish, countless clams, the occasional whale. Government researchers eventually concluded that "toxic elements" were responsible for the die-off, which Vietnamese officials described as "unprecedented."
Now people are wondering whether the seabirds dying along Vietnam's central coast are also victims of industrial pollution.
"This is a test for the government to get to the bottom of this and take appropriate action," said attorney Fred Burke, Vietnam managing partner of the international firm Baker & McKenzie. He is also chairman of the TPP Committee of the Hanoi Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce. [read more]
Grand angle – Des poissons morts sur les côtes du centre du Vietnam
04.05.2016 (Consulat général de France à Ho Chi Minh-Ville) - La découverte de la mort massive de poissons échoués sur près de 200 km de côtes du centre du Vietnam, tout particulièrement dans la province de Ha Tinh, a fait grand bruit. D’après le vice-ministre de l’agriculture, M. Vu Van Tam, leur mort est liée à la présence de produits chimiques dans l’eau de mer. L’affaire, révélée par la presse le 20 avril, pose des questions au-delà du scandale environnemental.
La réaction des réseaux sociaux ne s’est pas fait attendre. Des slogans et images « Je suis poisson » ou « Je suis vietnamien, je choisis le poisson » ont pullulé sur facebook. La polémique a tant enflé que les représentants de Formosa ont dû présenter des excuses publiques en conférence de presse. [en savoir plus]
Taiwanese chemical spill thought to cause mass fish die-off in Vietnam
04.05.2016 By David Brown (Eco-Business) - Vietnam has bet its future on its ability to attract — and learn from — foreign investors. It has a young workforce, low wage rates and a streamlined approval process for investment. Foreign capital has surged into VN in the last few years, much of it bearing the prestigious marques of multinational corporations.
Now a devastating fish kill along the nation’s central coast has Vietnam’s government tied up in knots and its citizens muttering that the regime has been far too ready to drop environmental protection standards.
When Vietnam’s national media picked up the story circa April 24, units of Vietnam’s Fisheries Agency had already counted some 70 tons of dead fish washed up on the beaches of four provinces. Subsequently there were also reports of the collateral decimation of fish-eating seabird colonies. [read more]
La muerte masiva de peces en Vietnam aviva las críticas al Gobierno
04.05.2016 Eric San Juan (EFE verde) - La muerte de toneladas de peces y moluscos en el litoral de Vietnam ha reabierto el debate en el país sobre la protección medioambiental y ha avivado las críticas al régimen comunista por su opacidad en la gestión de la crisis.
Según la prensa estatal vietnamita, más de 30 toneladas de peces y 100 toneladas de almejas han aparecido muertas en las costas del centro de Vietnam en las últimas cuatro semanas.
El lugar más afectado es la localidad de Vung Ang, en la provincia de Ha Tinh, próxima al complejo siderúrgico taiwanés Formosa, al que miles de vietnamitas acusan de envenenar el mar con aguas residuales. [seguir leyendo]
Fish Death Crisis Prompts Vietnam Waste Water Probe
04.05.2016 (Bloomberg) - Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered an investigation into how a Taiwanese-owned steel plant located near central Vietnamese beaches where millions of dead fish washed ashore last month received approval to pipe waste water directly into the sea.
With the official cause of the fish deaths still unknown and the newly sworn-in government struggling to contain growing public anger over the disaster, Phuc said the government was determined to track down the main culprits with "objectivity, honesty, prudence and urgency."
"If the disaster occurred in other countries, a state of emergency would have been declared or at least warnings would have been given to the public," said a Facebook user named Nguyen Tien Thanh. "What we have seen is that nearly a month after the incident was first reported, the government leader started giving instructions." [read more]
Beaches of Dead Fish Test New Vietnam Government's Response
02.05.2016 by Diep Pham & Mai Ngoc Chau (Bloomberg) - Millions of dead fish stretched out over 200 kilometers of central Vietnamese beaches are posing the biggest test so far for the new government.
The Communist administration led by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has been criticized on social media for a lack of transparency and slow response, with thousands protesting Sunday in major cities and provincial areas.
The government says it doesn’t know why the wild and farmed fish were found dead on the coast of four provinces from April 6 to April 18. The phenomenon “caused economic and environmental damage, hurt the fishery industry, and particularly resulted in puzzled sentiment among citizens,” it said in a statement April 28. [read more]
How the vietnamese government reacts to the dead fishes
02.05.2016 (Người Việt Online) - Millions of dead fish stretched out over 200 kilometers of central Vietnamese beaches are posing the biggest test so far for the new government.The Communist administration led by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has been criticized on social media for a lack of transparency and slow response, with thousands protesting Sunday in major cities and provincial areas. [YouTube Video]
China Dumps Chemicals to Kill Fish Around Disputed Island to Drive Away Fishermen
01.05.2016 (Elite Readers) - Pag-asa Island, an island in the West Philippine Sea occupied by Filipinos, and the marine species around it are reportedly being destroyed and Chinese vessels are the culprit. These vessels are reportedly dumping chemicals in the area intentionally.
According to a Facebook page called Kalayaan ATIN ITO, China is aiming to cripple economic activities ultimately pushing away civilians and “isolate the islands.” The page added that once these civilians will leave the island, the Chinese will reportedly take control of the area and establish a military base.
The ecosystem and surrounding coral reefs on Pag-asa Island have been destroyed and civilian Filipinos and their source of livelihood have been affected. [read more]
Vietnamese rally against Taiwan firm over mass fish deaths
01.05.2016 (Business Standard) - Hundreds of people gathered today in the Vietnamese capital to protest against a Taiwanese company suspected of involvement in a toxic leak that has hit the fishing industry along the central coast.
Tonnes of dead clams were found last week in Ha Tinh province where fish began washing up on beaches earlier in April, sparking a public outcry.
Demonstrators who marched around Hoan Kiem lake in central Hanoi carried banners reading "Formosa out of Vietnam", "The sea dies, we die" and "Save our sea".
Reports on social media said hundreds of demonstrators also massed in Ho Chi Minh City in the south. [read more]
Protestas en Vietnam contra una empresa acusada de la muerte masiva de peces y almejas
01.05.2016 (swissinfo) - Cientos de personas se manifestaron este domingo en Hanói contra la empresa taiwanesa supuestamente implicada en el escape tóxico que causó la muerte de toneladas de peces y almejas, provocando grandes estragos en la industria pesquera del centro de Vietnam.
La semana pasada fueron halladas toneladas de almejas muertas en la provincia de Ha Tinh (centro), en la misma zona donde se encontraron grandes cantidades de peces muertos a principios de abril.
Se sospecha que el grupo taiwanés Formosa, que posee un gran complejo siderúrgico en la región, causó la contaminación que provocó el desastre.
Los manifestantes ocuparon las orillas del lago Hoan Kiem en el centro de Hanói. "Fuera Formosa", "El mar muere, nosotros morimos" o "Salvad el mar", eran algunas de las consignas que podían leerse en las pancartas. [seguir leyendo]
Vietnam: manifestation contre une société accusée d'avoir ravagé la pêche
01.05.2016 (L'Express) - Hanoï - Des centaines de personnes ont manifesté dimanche à Hanoi pour protester contre une société taïwanaise accusée d'être impliquée dans une fuite toxique qui a ravagé l'industrie de la pêche sur les côtes centrales du Vietnam.
Des tonnes de palourdes mortes ont été retrouvées la semaine dernière dans la province de Ha Tinh, là où des cadavres de poissons avaient déjà commencé à s'échouer début avril.
L'opinion publique s'est émue alors que l'industrie locale de la pêche subissait de lourds dégâts.
Le groupe taïwanais Formosa, qui possède un immense complexe sidérurgique dans la région, est soupçonné d'être à l'origine d'une pollution qui a provoqué ces ravages. [en savoir plus]
Rare street protests in Vietnam over mysterious mass fish deaths
01.05.2016 (SCMP) - Public outrage is mounting over a possible toxic leak into the sea near an industrial zone where Taiwanese firm is located.
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Vietnam on Sunday against a Taiwanese firm they accuse of causing mass fish deaths along the country’s central coast, with some also blaming the government for a sluggish response to a major environmental disaster.
Though an official investigation has found no links between the fish deaths and a $10.6 billion coastal steel plant run by a unit of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics, public anger against the company has not abated.
Hundreds gathered in Hanoi holding banners that said: “Formosa destroying the environment is a crime” and “Who poisoned the central region’s waters?”
Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam and uniformed and plain-clothes police are usually quick to suppress them. On Sunday they cleared traffic to allow demonstrators to do a lap of a big lake in the heart of Hanoi.
Several hundred protesters marched in Ho Chi Minh City, the economic hub, according to multiple accounts on Facebook, which is used by 30 millions Vietnamese.
State-controlled media has not reported any of the demonstrations, however on Friday state-run Tuoi Tre News reported that more than 100 tonnes of dead molluscs were found in the same coastal region where dead fish began washing up on beaches. [read more]
Umweltkatastrophe in Vietnam
30.04.2016 (Forum Vietnam 21) - Nahezu unbemerkt von der Weltöffentlichkeit ist Vietnam seit ein paar Wochen von einer Umweltkatastrophe betroffen.
Bereits Anfang April 2016 wurden vermehrt tote Fische in den Küstenprovinzen von Zentralvietnam gefunden. Die Katastrophe nahm ihren Lauf in Provinz Ha Tinh, weitete sich auf die südlichen Nachbarprovinzen Quang Binh, Quang Tri und Thua Thien - Hue und erreicht nun auch schon Da Nang. In der letzten Aprilwoche erreicht das Massensterben mit hunderttausenden von toten Fische den vorläufigen Höhepunkt. Für die Fischer ist dies das Aus für ihre Lebensgrundlage.
Die Ursache für das massive Fischsterben ist noch unbekannt. Regierung und Industrie weisen jede Schuld weit von sich. Das in der Industriezone Vung Ang, Provinz Ha Tinh, befindliche Stahlwerk "Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company (FHS)" steht unter dem Verdacht, giftiges Abwasser ins Meer geleitet zu haben. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam Fish Deaths Cast Suspicion on Formosa Steel Plant
30.04.2016 By Linh Tong (The Diplomat) - In central Vietnam, fish are dying on a massive scale, and locals suspect pollution is the cause.
In addition to the off-shore conflict in the South China Sea, Vietnamese citizens now have to face another disaster on the country’s central coast. Unprecedented fish kills have been discovered along the beaches of four central coastal provinces, namely Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, and Hue. Among the dead fish are not only small, shallow water fish, but also rare species living in deep water and far offshore.
On April 26, five divers with the Nibelc company, a construction company contract by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp (an offshoot of the Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group) had to be hospitalized suspiciously, allegedly due to pollution dumped by Formosa industrial site into the sea water in Ha Tinh. Previously, on April 24, Le Van Ngay, another Nibelc diver, died after diving in the water near the Formosa project. [read more]
Fish kill at the Kalayaan island group
29.04.2016 (Facebook Kalayaan ATIN ITO) - Mayor Bitoonon: What action have you done to find out the cause of this fish kill that's regularly occurring at PAG-ASA Island?
When we were there last year, the civilian residents confirmed to us that Chisese vessels are regularly releasing chemicals to destroy the corals and marine species. [read more]
Vietnam: après une hécatombe de poissons, une usine taïwanaise soupçonnée
29.04.2016 Frédéric Noir (RFI) - Au Vietnam, depuis plusieurs jours, des centaines de tonnes de palourdes et de poissons morts ont été retrouvées sur 200 km de côtes, le long des plages et dans les fermes d’élevage du centre du pays, provoquant l’inquiétude de la population et des pécheurs. Les soupçons se tournent vers une conduite d’eaux usées qui relie la mer à l’usine d’acier taïwanaise de Formosa.
« Je suis Vietnamien et je choisis les poissons ». Ce slogan repris sur les réseaux sociaux est une réponse à la société taïwanaise Formosa. Le directeur des relations extérieures de ce groupe industriel a en effet déclaré cette semaine sur une télévision d’Etat vietnamienne : « Vous ne pouvez pas tout avoir. Vous devez choisir entre les poissons, les crevettes ou une aciérie ».
Si le groupe s’est depuis excusé pour ces propos, cette déclaration a provoqué la colère de nombreux Vietnamiens. Une colère alimentée par les nombreuses photos qui circulent sur Internet, avérées ou non, montrant des amas de poissons morts sur les plages, des canalisations déversant des produits chimiques dans l’océan et, fait plus rare dans ce pays communiste, des photos de manifestations sporadiques encadrées par la police dans le centre du pays. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam tells Taiwan firm to dig up waste pipe amid 'huge' coastal disaster
29.04.2016 By Ho Binh Minh (Reuters) - Vietnam has told owners of a Taiwanese-built steel plant to dig up a controversial waste pipe, even after it found no evidence tying its discharge to mass fish deaths that have triggered health fears and public anger.
Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at farms and on beaches in central Vietnam since April 6, impacting 200 km (124 miles) of coastline, with no known cause of what the government is calling one of its worst ever environmental disasters.
Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha declared illegal the waste pipe operated by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh, a unit of Formosa Plastics, after officials examined water samples around the site. [read more]
Massives Fischsterben in Vietnam
29.04.2016 Rodion Ebbighausen (DW) - Hunderttausende tote Fische spült das Meer an die Küste Zentralvietnams. Vier Provinzen mit mehr als 200 Kilometern Küste sind betroffen. Die Ursachen sind unklar. Im Internet ist eine hitzige Debatte entbrannt.
Bereits Anfang April erhoben Fischer aus Zentralvietnam und die vietnamesische Fischereibehörde Vorwürfe gegen die Industriezone Vung Ang. Sie verdächtigten die dort ansässigen Unternehmen, Gift ins Meer geleitet zu haben, dem nun Fische zum Opfer gefallen seien.
Vung Ang ist ein prestigeträchtiges Wirtschaftsprojekt der vietnamesischen Regierung mit einem Investitionsvolumen von mehr als neun Milliarden Euro.
Trotz der Vorwürfe reagierte das Ministerium für Ressourcen und Umwelt in Hanoi erst spät. Vor wenigen Tagen seien Untersuchungsteams in die Region geschickt worden, um das Massensterben der Fische zu untersuchen, heißt es.
In den sozialen Medien sorgte ein Mitarbeiter des Stahlkochers für Empörung. Chu Xuan Pham, sagte, man könne kein Stahlwerk bauen, ohne dass das Auswirkungen auf das Meeresleben in der Region habe. "Du musst dich entscheiden: Willst du Meeresfrüchte oder willst du Stahl." [Weiterlesen]
Después de los peces, ahora encuentran toneladas de almejas muertas en Vietnam
29.04.2016 (El Liberal) - Luego del hallazgo de miles de peces sin vida, más de 100 toneladas de almejas muertas fueron encontradas en Vietnam, probablemente a causa de un escape tóxico en una zona industrial, informaron medios oficiales ayer.
En las granjas de cultivo del centro del país, montones de almejas prácticamente llegadas a su punto de madurez se han acumulado en los últimos días. El miércoles, las autoridades vietnamitas prohibieron el comercio o el consumo de mariscos de la región, mientras la investigación sigue en curso. [seguir leyendo]
Tonnes of clams die in Vietnam as toxic leak fears mount
28.04.2016 (The Sun Daily) - HANOI: More than 100 tonnes of clams have perished in central Vietnam, state media reported Thursday, as public outrage mounts over a possible toxic leak into the sea near an industrial zone.
Piles of dead molluscs have been found in the same coastal region where dead fish began washing up on beaches earlier this month, sparking alarm and hammering the local fishing economy.
Clam farmers in Ha Tinh province wept over their staggering losses that occurred just ahead of harvest time, state-run Tuoi Tre News reported.
Vietnamese authorities have banned the trade and consumption of the clams while their investigation is ongoing, as concerns grow that toxic chemicals have leaked into the water from nearby industrial plants. [read more]
Des tonnes de palourdes meurent au Vietnam
28.04.2016 (Le Matin) - Les autorités ont interdit le commerce ou la consommation des fruits de mer de la région tant que l'enquête est en cours.
Après des milliers de poissons, plus de 100 tonnes de palourdes mortes ont été découvertes au Vietnam, probablement en raison d’une fuite toxique dans une zone industrielle, ont rapporté les médias officiels jeudi.
Dans les fermes d’élevage du centre du pays, les tas de coquillages quasiment arrivés à maturité se sont accumulés ces derniers jours.
Mercredi, les autorités vietnamiennes ont interdit le commerce ou la consommation des fruits de mer de la région tant que l’enquête est en cours.
Le groupe taïwanais Formosa, qui possède un immense complexe sidérurgique dans la région, est soupçonné d'être à l'origine de cette pollution, après les déclarations d'un responsable de l'usine qui ont choqué le pays.
Ce dernier avait déclaré: «Vous ne pouvez pas tout avoir». Vous «devez choisir entre les poissons, les crevettes ou une aciérie», avait dit Chou Chun Fan, responsable de la communication, dans une vidéo publiée en ligne. Depuis, le groupe s'est excusé pour ses propos. [en savoir plus]
No link between Vietnam fish deaths and steel plant: Environment Ministry
28.04.2016 By Tan Qiuyi (Channel NewsAsia) - HANOI: Vietnamese authorities say they have found no conclusive link between Taiwan’s Formosa steel plant and mass fish deaths along Vietnam’s central coast.
Preliminary findings point to two possible causes - "toxic discharge from human activities" and an algal bloom or red tide, deputy environment minister Vo Tuan Nhan told reporters at a media conference late on Wednesday night (Apr 27).
“Until now, after our investigation and evidence gathering, we have not found any proof to conclude that there is a link between Formosa, other factories, and the mass fish deaths,” he said in Vietnamese.
Reporters had waited six hours for the 10-minute media conference, which took place after an inter-agency meeting at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Hanoi. [read more]
Vietnam solicitó apoyo internacional para enfrentar sequía
27.04.2016 (Correo del Orinoco) - Vietnam solicitó apoyo internacional urgente por 48 millones 500 mil dólares para enfrentar la severa sequía y salinización que sufre el país, agravadas por la prolongación del fenómeno de El Niño, informaron medios locales.
Ante la emergencia, la nación del sureste asiático publicó un plan de respuesta rápida, para cubrir las necesidades de agua potable, saneamiento e higiene alimentaria.
En una conferencia del Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural y las Naciones Unidas (ONU), celebrada este martes, se conoció que el financiamiento del mencionado programa fue garantizado parcialmente, permitiendo al gobierno realizar los esfuerzos de asistencia prioritarios. [seguir leyendo]
Damjan DeNoble: Vietnam's vaccine scandal calls for action
27.04.2016 (Nikkei Asian Review) - After a month of exhaustive coverage of the vaccine scandal in China, the facts of the story have crystallized as have theories about how nearly $90 million worth of expired or improperly stored doses could have reached consumers. But little attention has been paid to Vietnam where a similar scandal is unfolding, albeit on a smaller scale.
In Vietnam, parents have been putting off vaccinations for infants following the deaths of 20 babies over the last four years linked by the media to the 5-in-1 Quinvaaxem vaccine, manufactured in South Korea and distributed in Vietnam by Berna Biotech Korea as part of Vietnam's National Immunization Program.
As in China, a lack of cold chain facilities has been cited as a key reason for spoilage of the Quinvaaxem vaccine.
As in China, Vietnam's vaccine troubles are taking place against a background of systemic healthcare problems. The country's healthcare system is characterized by overburdened hospitals, a lack of public trust in domestically made drugs and a fragmented pharmaceutical supply chain that shields irresponsible suppliers from supervision. [read more]
China’s southern island of Hainan born out of Vietnam millions of years ago: study
26.04.2016 (SCMP) - Animals and plants on China’s southernmost Hainan island originated in Vietnam, hundreds of kilometres away, a research study suggests.
The study’s findings could help solve a mystery that has long baffled scientists: why are the organisms found on the island – 20km off China’s southern coastline – so different from those found in its neighbouring Guangdong province?
A team headed by Zhu Hua, a professor at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in Kunming, Yunnan province, compared Hainan’s flora and fauna with those found across the region.
“The flora of Hainan has the closest similarities to that of Vietnam,” Zhu said.
The findings were published online in the peer-reviewed PLoS ONE journal. [read more]
Report: Almost all Vietnamese cattle and seafood farms use antibiotics
21.04.2016 By RJ Whitehead (FoodNavigator-Asia) - A staggering number - A staggering number of cattle seafood farms across large areas of Vietnam have been found to feed their stock antibiotics, the country’s animal welfare authority has found.
According to Vietnam’s Department of Animal Health, this widespread distribution is largely due to the largely unregulated use of antibiotics there.
From 2015 through the first quarter of 2016, the department conducted a survey on the use of antibiotics in aquaculture farms in the Mekong delta, finding that 83% of the 139 catfish farms surveyed were found to use antibiotics on their stock. [read more]
Des milliers de poissons retrouvés morts sur les plages du Vietnam
21.04.2016 (Sciences et Avenir) - Hanoi (AFP) - Le Vietnam a ouvert une enquête après la découverte ces derniers jours sur les côtes du centre du pays de milliers de poissons morts, ont indiqué jeudi des responsables locaux.
"Nous n'avons jamais vu ça", a déclaré à l'AFP Nhu Van Can, chargé de l'aquaculture au ministère de l'Agriculture.
En quelques jours, des milliers de poissons ont été retrouvés morts dans les fermes d'élevage mais aussi sur les plages du centre du pays par les habitants.
"Si vous allez à seulement trois miles des côtes, vous pouvez voir des poissons morts au fond de l'océan", affirme un pêcheur cité par Tuoi Tre, un journal officiel.
D'après Tran Dinh Du, directeur adjoint de l'agriculture de la province de Quang Binh, cité par le même quotidien, le poisson pourrait avoir été empoisonné par des "substances non identifiées". [en savoir plus]
Vietnam investigates mass fish deaths
21.04.2016 (The Guardian) - Vietnam said on Thursday it was investigating whether pollution is to blame for a spate of mysterious mass fish deaths along the country’s central coast after huge amounts of marine life washed ashore in recent days.
Tonnes of fish, including rare species which live far offshore and in the deep, have been discovered on beaches along the country’s central coastal provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Hue.
The strange situation first came to light when farmed fish in the area began dying in great numbers, he said, with locals later discovering huge numbers of dead fish on beaches. [read more]
Massenfischsterben in Vietnam
21.04.2016 (Der Farang) - Anwohner haben in Zentralvietnam tonnenweise tote Fische an den Stränden entdeckt.
Ursache sei eine Vergiftung, teilten die Behörden am Donnerstag mit. Um welche Substanz es dabei sich handelt, sei noch unklar, ebenso die Quelle. [Weiterlesen]
'Airpocalypse' soon? Hanoi choking in toxic smog
19.04.2016 By Ray Yeh (Channel NewsAsia) - “You hardly see blue sky,” said Thanh Nguyen, a former urban planner who now owns a wedding planning business. “On Facebook, everyday, people post the air pollution index from the American Embassy that shows Hanoi in very bad condition. People are really concerned.”
Last month, on Mar 1 at 9am, the US Embassy in Hanoi recorded an unprecedented Air Quality Index (AQI) of 388, a reading in the “hazardous” level.
“For that much pollution, people should not leave the house,” said Mai Hoang Nam, an employee of the State Bank of Vietnam. “But in Hanoi, people still move around. Even on the motorbike, sometimes they do not wear masks.”
“Almost everyone has a motorcycle, while public transport is limited and not very popular,” Tung said. “The habit of walking is anything but common here. People use motorbikes even for very short distances.” [read more]
Drought Killing Vietnam Rice Crops Compounds Mekong Water Crisis
19.04.2016 By John Boudreau, Diep Pham, Mai Ngoc Chau (Bloomberg) - ... The dry spell in the once-fertile Mekong Delta is devastating food supplies in southern Vietnam and threatening to reduce global exports of rice, seafood and coffee. It is also compounding a Southeast Asia water shortage along a 3,000-mile river that runs from Tibet to Thailand to the South China Sea, as climate change and too many dams erode livelihoods for millions of farmers.
Waters in the Mekong Delta, a network of channels that cut across vast flatlands in southern Vietnam, are at the lowest in almost a century, which may mean shortages for as much as 50 percent of the region this year, according to a United Nations report. That means less for irrigating crops and an increase in salt levels as more seawater seeps into the delta, causing more damage.
The Mekong River countries of Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar produce about 62 million metric tons of rice, or 13 percent of global output, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. The river accounts for as much as 25 percent of the global freshwater catch and provides livelihoods for at least 60 million people, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Vietnam exported about $3 billion of shrimp last year. Almost half of Vietnam’s population of 91 million works in agriculture, which accounts for about 13 percent of the economy. [read more]
Südostasien leidet unter Dürre - China entlässt Stauwasser gegen Trockenheit
17.04.2016 (n-tv) - Allseits überschüttet man sich beim thailändischen "Songkran"-Festival mit Wasser. Dieses Jahr mahnt der Premier zur Sparsamkeit. Thailand und Vietnam erleben die größte Trockenheit seit Jahrzehnten - und daran ist nicht nur das Wetter schuld.
Ein anderer Grund für die Dürre sind die vielen Sperrmauern am Mekong und dessen Nebenarmen. Um die Situation zu entschärfen, entließ China nun Stauwasser an mehreren Dämmen. Der Fluss versorgt sechs Länder mit Wasser, doch China allein kontrolliert das Quellgebiet in Tibet und hat die Möglichkeit, Einfluss auf den weiteren Verlauf zu nehmen. [Weiterlesen]
Delta drought gives glimpse into bleak future for mighty Mekong
17.04.2016 By Ho Binh Minh, Cu Lao Dung, Vietnam (Reuters) - While China has been releasing water from a hydro-electric dam in the upper Mekong River to help relieve drought down river in Southeast Asia, little of it has flowed to Nguyen Van Thach's sugarcane farm in southern Vietnam.
After feeding his six cows with grass uprooted from a village nearby, Thach took a knife and cut a slice of sugarcane from his withered crop. "It's too salty," the 62-year-old farmer said, grimacing as he licked the piece of cane. "Even cows can't eat this."
Thach has quit growing sugarcane and is building houses instead to repay loans after his farm in Soc Trang province in Vietnam's Mekong Delta rice bowl lost 10 million dong ($449).
The sprawling Mekong Delta has been worst hit by salination in a region that provides half of Vietnam's rice and 60 percent of its shrimp and fish. [read more]
Fabrikarbeiter werfen bei Streik in Vietnam faule Eier und Fischpaste
16.04.2016 (Der Farang) - Hanoi (dpa) - Demonstranten haben beim Streik in einer Schuhfabrik im Norden Vietnams mit faulen Eiern und scharfer Fischpaste geworfen.
Der Protest der rund 2.000 Arbeiter in Haiphong eskalierte, als sie nicht mitstreikende Angestellte mit den Lebensmitteln attackierten, wie die Zeitung «Tuoi Tre News» am Freitag berichtete. [Weiterlesen]
El agro vietnamita busca inversiones
15.04.2016 Jorge Castro (Clarín) - Vietnam es el país más beneficiado por el Tratado del Transpacífico (TPP), que vincula en términos de libre comercio a Estados Unidos con 11 países de la región incluyendo a Japón, la tercera economía del mundo.
Vietnam es el segundo exportador mundial de arroz, un grano estratégico para la seguridad alimentaria mundial, después de Tailandia y lidera las variedades de baja calidad energética destinadas a los sectores de menores ingresos.
Los límites a la producción de arroz en Vietnam son ecológicos, debido al efecto altamente destructivo que tiene la práctica de múltiples cosechas anuales, sumada al uso intensivo de pesticidas y fertilizantes.
La población de Vietnam asciende a 88 millones y 70% de ella tiene menos de 30 años; y se ha volcado, al igual que toda Asia, al consumo de proteínas cárnicas [seguir leyendo]
Vietnam drought to cut coffee output in key growing province -official
14.04.2016 (agriculture.com) - HANOI - Drought could cut coffee production in Vietnam's top growing province of Daklak by around a third in 2016/17 to its lowest in a decade, a local government official said on Thursday.
The drought could crimp the Daklak coffee crop by around 30 percent from the 450,000 tonnes predicted previously, said Nguyen Hai Ninh, deputy chairman of the Daklak People's Committee, the provincial government.
So far nearly 33,000 hectares (81,500 acres) of coffee in Daklak have faced water shortages, of which some 4,400 hectares were ruined as of early April, Ninh said. [read more]
Agriculture – Le Vietnam et ses défis en 2016
14.04.2016 (Lepetitjournal) - Malgré les politiques privilégiant l’industrie et l’exode rural, 70 % de la population vietnamienne vit encore dans les campagnes. Ne contribuant qu’à 18 % du PIB, l’agriculture occupe pourtant un rôle indispensable. Elle assure la sécurité alimentaire et contribue à près de 20 % des exportations vietnamiennes, soit 32 Md USD en 2015.
Depuis 2015, le secteur agricole est également fortement touché par les changements climatiques tandis que les scandales liés à l’usage de substances chimiques dans l’élevage font polémique.
En apparence, la productivité est le principal problème du secteur agricole : un paysan crée une valeur annuelle de 489 USD, soit la moitié d’un paysan thaïlandais [en savoir plus]
Rapid Aging Threatens Vietnam’s Growth
13.04.2016 By Michael Tatarski (AEC News Today) - For roughly the last decade Vietnam has found itself in a very economically favourable demographic position. About 25 per cent of Vietnam’s 90 million population is aged between 10 and 24, while the median age is around 29. The result: lots of relatively well-educated young workers available now and for the near future to drive Vietnam’s growth, with foreign companies flocking here to take advantage of a plentiful labour supply.
Vietnam will continue to reap the benefits of this ‘demographic golden age’ for several more years with Vietnam’s growth forecast to continue. However, a demographic time bomb sits on the horizon, and Vietnam is not prepared for the aging it will bring.
Unlike in the past when a high birth rate drove population growth, increasing life expectancy is now the main factor behind this expansion. The current life expectancy is 73, a figure which should reach 80 by 2050 – some eight years before the country is likely to reach ‘high-income country status’, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). [read more]
Vietnam: Streik für kürzere Arbeitszeiten
13.04.2016 (Rote Fahne-News) - Die rund 1.000 Arbeiter der südkoreanischen Elektronik-Firma Bluecom Vina in Hai Phong traten am Montag in einen unbefristeten Streik. Sie fordern kürzere Arbeitszeiten, höhere Löhne und das Recht, eine Gewerkschaft zu bilden. Bisher gibt es in der Firma keine offiziellen Arbeitszeiten. [Weiterlesen]
Vietnam's lowlands to go under with climate change, bank report says
13.04.2016 By Matthew Clayfield (ABC) - When it comes to climate change, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City is one of the world's 10 most vulnerable cities.
As a result, around 70 per cent of its urban area may experience severe flooding in coming decades, according to a recent Asian Development Bank report.
The Mekong Delta to the west of Ho Chi Minh City produces 20 per cent of the country's GDP and is home to 22 per cent of its population.
In 1990, 160 million tonnes of revitalising silt flowed down the Mekong to the sea, allowing the coastline to rebuild itself.
Now only 75 million tonnes make it. [read more]
La mayor sequía en un siglo amenaza la subsistencia de miles de vietnamitas
11.04.2016 (EFE) - La mayor sequía en casi un siglo amenaza la subsistencia y el suministro de agua potable de cientos de miles de personas en el sur de Vietnam, donde muchos de los cultivos se han echado a perder por la escasez de agua dulce.
Al bajar el caudal del río por la sequía y las presas hidroeléctricas construidas en los últimos años en China y Laos, el agua marina ha ido penetrando en el cauce fluvial y ha dejado sin agua dulce para el riego, la higiene y el consumo a cientos de miles de habitantes de la zona.
Además, el calor ha favorecido la propagación de plagas que han terminado de arruinar miles de cultivos.
Según la Universidad de Can Tho, la ciudad más importante de la región, cerca del 50 por ciento de los 2,2 millones de hectáreas arables del delta del Mekong sufren la salinización de las aguas. [seguir leyendo]
High salinity interferes with Vietnam’s shrimp farms
11.04.2016 By Madelyn Kearns (SeafoodSource) - Shrimp farms in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta have been suffering from excessive salinity, with saline intrusion seeping up to 70 kilometers deep inland on rivers in several areas across the region.
According to a report from Vietnamnet and data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MARD) Aquaculture Department, farms breeding brackish water shrimp in the area have had to scale back cultivation by 50 percent to accommodate the high salinity. [read more]
Alimentation & Cancer – Le Vietnam en phase d’avoir le plus de cas de cancers au monde d’ici 2020
11.04.2016 Marielle Capelle (lepetitjournal) - Le Vietnam pourrait être le pays comptabilisant le plus de cas de cancers au monde d’ici 2020… L’alimentation y serait le principal facteur d’expansion de la maladie.
En 2015, c’était 150 000 nouveaux patients qui étaient recensés… En 2020, ce chiffre pourrait atteindre 200 000 par an ! Ce qui ferait du Vietnam le pays où l’on a le plus de risque d’avoir un cancer…
Selon certaines agences, plus de 9 tonnes de Salbutamol auraient été importées au Vietnam entre 2014 et 2015, officiellement pour produire des médicaments mais sur ces 9 tonnes, plus de 6 auraient en fait été utilisées pour augmenter la productivité dans des porcheries… [en savoir plus]
2 cas d'infections au virus Zika signalés au Vietnam
07.04.2016 (Top Santé) - Les deux premiers cas d'infection au virus Zika ont été recensés au Vietnam, a annoncé le ministère de la santé du pays. La première malade est une femme de 64 ans qui souffrait de fièvre, de maux de tête et d'une éruption cutanée sur les jambes et qui a été testée positive au virus par l'Institut Pasteur de Nha Trang.
La seconde est une femme de 33 ans, enceinte de 8 semaines, qui a également été testée positive au virus après trois séries de tests. Pour l'instant aucun autre cas n'a été signalé chez leurs proches ou leurs voisins. [en savoir plus]
Vietnam reporta dos casos de zika y se dice listo para su atención
06.04.2016 (Notimex) - Hanoi – El viceministro vietnamita de Salud, Nguyen Thanh Long, dijo hoy que su país está listo para enfrentar al virus del Zika, con acciones preventivas y de tratamiento de la enfermedad, luego que se confirmaran los dos primeros casos en el país.
El Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, del Ministerio de Salud de Vietnam, confirmó el martes los dos primeros casos de zika en el país, uno en la provincia central de Khanh Hoa y otro en Ciudad Ho Chi Minh, en el sur del país.
Una paciente de 33 años en Ciudad Ho Chi Minh, embarazada de dos meses, registró el 29 de marzo síntomas de erupciones, inflamación de la capa conjuntiva y malestar general y fue hospitalizada el mismo día
La víctima de zika en Khanh Hoa tiene de 64 años e ingresó al hospital el 28 de marzo pasado tras registrar síntomas de fiebre leve, dolor de cabeza, erupciones en los pies y conjuntivitis aguda. [seguir leyendo]
Mekong megadrought erodes food security
06.04.2016 By Christina Larson (Science AAAS) - The worst drought ever recorded in Vietnam is stoking fears of a food security crisis. In a meeting with government officials next week, researchers with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)’s Asia regional office in Hanoi will unveil maps showing how water scarcity and climate change may imperil key crops—rice, cassava, maize, coffee, and cashew nuts—across the country.
"The severity of this year's drought will have a profound impact on Mekong delta agricultural production,” says Brian Eyler, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. [read more]
Zika virus discovered in Vietnam
05.04.2016 (DW) - Vietnamese officials have detected two Zika infected-patients, the first confirmed cases in the South Asian country. Both of the patients are women and the younger one is pregnant, according to the state media.
A 64-year old Vietnamese woman became the first official case of Zika infection in the country, the health ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The second patient, a 33-year old from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), also tested positive in a preliminary probe last week.
According to the media, the younger woman is eight weeks pregnant. [read more]
Erste Zika-Fälle in Vietnam registriert
05.04.2016 (Frankfurter Rundschau) - Das Zika-Virus grassiert seit Monaten in Brasilien und anderen südamerikanischen Ländern. Jetzt hat es Südostasien erreicht, und dort Vietnam.
Eine 64-Jährige aus dem Strandort Nha Trang wurde mit Fieber und Kopfschmerzen ins Krankenhaus aufgenommen und dort positiv auf den Virus getestet, wie das Gesundheitsministerium am Dienstag mitteilte. Die zweite Betroffene war demnach eine 33-Jährige aus der südlichen Großstadt Ho Chi Minh Stadt. Medienberichten zufolge ist sie schwanger. [Weiterlesen]
La Chine critiquée pour son contrôle du Mékong
30.03.2016 (AlterAsia) - La Chine contrôle le niveau d’eau du Mékong depuis plus de deux décennies. Une pratique qui ruine le mode de vie des populations des pays en aval, selon la société civile.
La Chine a relargué l’eau d’un barrage du Yunnan (Chine) affirmant que cette pratique avait pour objectif de réduire la sécheresse pour les pays en aval du Mékong. Mais cette pratique a causé une élévation brutale des niveaux d’eau du fleuve, ce qui a eu un effet conséquent sur les populations locales.
Ormbun Thipsuna, du Conseil Communautaire des sept sous-districts du Mékong, déclare que selon les études écologiques, le Mékong était concerné par au moins 20 zones de pêche sur le territoire thaïlandais. Auparavant, les populations locales délimitaient ces zones et convenaient de ne pas empiéter les unes sur les autres. Mais cela n’est plus possible depuis que la fluctuation des niveaux d’eau a entraîné la destruction de la plupart des zones de pêche. [en savoir plus]
Salzniveaus gefährden Obsterträge von Vietnam
24.03.2016 (Fruchtportal) - Die Erzeuger in einigen Provinzen von Vietnams Mekong-Delta haben Probleme mit einer schweren Versalzung, die ein Anbaugebiet mit lokalen Obstgärten schädigt. Die Provinzen Tieng Giang und Ben Tre werden beide wegen ihrer weiten Plantagen in dem Mekong-Delta als 'Obstkönigreiche' bezeichnet.
Anders als in den Vorjahren hat 2016 Salzwasser die Flüsse und Staubecken nahe dieser lokalen Obstgärten infiltriert, was dazu führt, dass die Erzeuger ihre Pflanzen unwissentlich mit Wasser bewässerten, das einen hohen Salzgehalt enthält. [Weiterlesen]
China and the Mekong Delta: Water Savior or Water Tyrant?
Don’t be fooled by reports about China discharging water to alleviate drought along the Mekong
23.03.2016 By Margaret Zhou (The Diplomat) - The Chinese government has made headlines amidst the disaster for its decision to release water from upstream dams within China’s borders. Chinese ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a news briefing that China “hopes it can be of help in alleviating the drought downstream.”
The water will be released until April 10 from the Jinghong dam, with the stated purpose to benefit Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Chinese ministry and media blame El Niño weather for the massive drought that has damaged 160,000 hectares (approximately 620 square miles) of rice in the Mekong Delta, left 600,000 people facing drinking water shortages, and resulted in losses of over $220 million. Vietnamese officials say El Nino is partly to blame, along with excessive construction of more than 10 hydropower dams on the upper stream of the river. [read more]
Civil society condemns China for controlling Mekong
23.03.2016 By Kornkritch Somjittranukit (Prachatai) - China has controlled the water level in the Mekong for more than two decades and it is ruining local people’s way of life in the downstream countries, says civil society.
China released water from a dam in Yunnan inside China claiming that this policy aims to ease drought among Mekong downstream countries (further detail). However, this caused a sudden increase of water levels in the Mekong and had a large effect on local people downstream.
In response to such policy, The Network of People in Eight Mekong Provinces held a seminar “Mekong River: Whose River is it? Is China Really Saving Us From Drought?” at the Thai Volunteer Service Building, Bangkok. [read more]
Scientists develop climate-smart rice varieties for Vietnam
20.03.2016 (The Standard) - Scientists are developing more resistant varieties of rice to help farmers in Vietnam adapt to climate change, amid the country’s worst drought in 90 years.
The drought, as well as the related flow of saltwater upriver, has destroyed 159 000 hectares of rice paddies and left almost one million people lacking drinking water, according to a new UN report. Another half million hectares are expected to be damaged by mid-year.
In line with its work in other Asian countries, the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute has been breeding high quality “climate-smart rice varieties” that mature quickly, can tolerate salt, and are designed specifically for Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, Reiner Wassmann, the project leader said.
The delta region, one of the worst-hit by the drought, accounted for half the country’s rice production and 90% of its exports last year. [read more]
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta hit by worst drought in years
18.03.2016 (Asian Correspondent) - The southern tip of Mekong Delta in Vietnam in the country’s prime fertile rice-growing region has been hit by the worst drought the country has seen in recent years.
Accompanied by a saline intrusion, the drought is reported to have affected over a million people who face water shortages in the region.
Officials blamed the drought on the El Nino weather phenomenon and excessive construction of hydropower dams on the upper stream of the river, the Associated Press reported. [read more]
Mekong River diverted into Thailand's waterways, worrying drought-stricken neighbours like Vietnam
18.03.2016 Liam Cochrane (ABC) - Thailand has started pumping water from the Mekong River into its own waterways, sparking concern from downstream countries like Vietnam, which is suffering its worst drought in almost a century.
Four temporary pumps have begun sucking 47 million cubic metres of water out of the Mekong River and into the Huai Luang River, in Thailand's Nong Khai province.
The Huai Luang project is relatively small scale, but Thailand's National Water Resources Board has approved a much bigger pumping station for the area that could divert 150 cubic metres every second from the Mekong River.
While Thailand continues to block rivers feeding the Mekong and divert small volumes, Vietnam said it had recorded the lowest levels of the Mekong River since 1926. [read more]
For Pangolins, A Long Hard Road to Freedom
18.03.2016 Laurel Neme (Huffington Post) - Pangolins are scaly anteaters about the size of a house cat. They’re presumed to be the world’s most trafficked mammal, with an estimated 100,000 plucked from the wild every year in Africa and Asia—that’s one pangolin captured every five minutes.
In China and elsewhere in Asia their meat is considered a delicacy, and their scales are cooked or pulverized to treat ills from malaria and boils to excessive nervousness—although there’s no proof of their effectiveness. (Pangolin scales are made up of keratin, the same protein in our hair and fingernails.)
Vietnam hits the trifecta in the illegal pangolin trade. It’s a source country, transit region, and destination all in one. Since 2011 authorities have confiscated roughly 1,450 live or whole pangolins and 8 metric tons of scales, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency, a London-based nonprofit that exposes environmental crimes. [read more]
Salinización: Un enemigo silencioso en el Delta del Mekong
17.03.2016 (Prensa Latina) - Hanoi - Vietnam enfrenta la peor sequía y salinización de su historia, esta última agravada por la primera, que tiene como una de sus causas la intensidad y duración sin precedentes del fenómeno de El Niño.
La región más afectada es la del Delta del río Mekong, que agrupa a 12 provincias y el municipio de Can Tho. Se trata de la zona más meridional, con una extensión de 39 mil kilómetros cuadrados, unos 18 millones de habitantes -el 20 por ciento de la población nacional- y el 17 por ciento del Producto Interno Bruto del país.
Vale recordar que el área abarca un millón 700 mil hectáreas de tierra agrícola y constituye el mayor granero de la nación, al contener el 56 por ciento de la producción de Vietnam, y el 90 por ciento del arroz destinado a la exportación. [seguir leyendo]
Südostasien leidet und leidet
17.03.2016 Christian Mihatsch (Klimaretter) - Das Wetterphänomen El Niño führt zu Dürre in Südostasien. Besonders betroffen ist Vietnam, das die schlimmste Trockenperiode seit 90 Jahren durchmacht. Aber auch in Thailand leidet die Landwirtschaft und das bei Touristen beliebte Songkranfest soll verkürzt werden.
Die Flussdeltas sind die Lebensadern Südostasiens – hier finden sich die größten Städte und die wichtigsten Landwirtschaftsgebiete. Dies gilt sowohl für das Mekongdelta westlich der vietnamesischen Metropole Saigon als auch für das Chao-Phraya-Delta mit Thailands Hauptstadt Bangkok. Die beiden Länder haben aber noch mehr gemeinsam: eine Dürre.
Bei einem Krisentreffen der vietnamesischen Regierung erläuterte Cao Duc Phat, Agrarminister des Landes, das Ausmaß des Problems: Anfang März seien Reisfelder mit einer Fläche von 1.390 Quadratkilometern von Versalzung betroffen gewesen, aber "wenn die Dürre bis Juni anhält, dann werden 5.000 Quadratkilometer nicht rechtzeitig zur Herbstsaison bepflanzt werden können" – also eine Verschlimmerung um das Dreifache. Etwas Entlastung dürfte allerdings eine Maßnahme Chinas bringen: Das Nachbarland im Norden hat zugestimmt, mehr Wasser aus einem Stausee in den Mekong zu leiten. [Weiterlesen]
Reisschale Vietnams leidet unter Dürre
16.03.2016 (Volksstimme) - Bangkok/Hanoi (dpa) - Jeden Tag warten die Mitarbeiter des Chao Phraya Abhaibhubet-Krankenhauses auf Frischwassertransporte von einem Militärstützpunkt. Die Einrichtung in der Provinz Prachinburi in Ostthailand braucht täglich 30000 Liter für ihren Betrieb. „Momentan bekommen wir jeden Tag neun Lieferungen“, sagt Manager Saluay Jintarakiti. Das Krankenhaus gehört zu den vielen Leidtragenden der schlimmsten Dürre seit 20 Jahren. Der Gründe, sagen Wissenschaftler, sei das Klimaphänomen El Niño und die Erderwärmung.
Noch prekärer ist die Lage in Vietnam. Dort war das Land seit 90 Jahren nicht mehr so ausgedörrt. Mehr als 195000 Familien haben laut Uno zu wenig Wasser, um ihren Tagesbedarf zu decken. Im sonst fruchtbaren Mekong-Delta haben nach Angaben der Behörden 139000 Hektar Reisfelder Schaden genommen, weil Meerwasser ins Landesinnere vordringt. Der Salzgehalt ist zu hoch für die empfindlichen Pflanzen. [Weiterlesen]
Dürre in Vietnam: China öffnet Staudamm
15.03.2016 (ORF) - China will mit der Öffnung eines Staudammes seinen Nachbarn Vietnam bei der Bewältigung einer schweren Dürre unterstützen. Wie ein Sprecher des Außenministeriums in Peking heute mitteilte, werde der Jinghong-Damm im Südwesten Chinas in den kommenden Wochen weiter geöffnet, damit über den Mekong-Fluss mehr Wasser in das Nachbarland gelangen kann.
Vietnam leidet unter der schwersten Dürre seit 90 Jahren. Laut Regierungsangaben seien bereits 139.000 Hektar Reisfelder beschädigt worden. Mehr als 195.000 Familien im Land haben laut UNO-Angaben zu wenig Wasser, um ihren Tagesbedarf zu decken. [Weiterlesen]
China to release water from dam to alleviate SE Asia drought
15.03.2016 (Reuters) - China will release water from a dam in its southwestern province of Yunnan to help alleviate a drought in parts of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The water will be released until April 10 from the Jinghong dam, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a daily news briefing.
It will benefit Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, Lu added.
According to Vietnamese media, some 140,000 ha of rice in the Mekong Delta has been damaged by the drought with around 600,000 people facing drinking water shortages. [read more]
EU free trade deal will trap Vietnam in low-wage, low-skill cycle
15.03.2016 By Ruth Kelly (Euractiv) - The EU Ombudsman criticised the Commission this month for failing to provide an audit of how its Free Trade Agreement with Vietnam would affect human rights before signing off the deal. Ruth Kelly, explains how it will trap Vietnam in a low-profit-low-wage cycle.
Negotiations on the deal were concluded in December 2015. The next step is to bring the deal before the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament for ratification.
In a 2013 study, the Commission found that the deal is likely to lead to a major shift in Vietnam’s economy, away from producing machines and motorbikes and towards mass production of cheap clothes and shoes. [read more]
Dürrezeit von Burma bis Vietnam
09.03.2016 von Manfred Rist, Bangkok (NZZ) - Die hohe Nachfrage nach Piloten führt dazu, dass sich keiner für den Job in Sprühflugzeugen interessiert. Diese sollen in der Dürrezeit wie jetzt das kostbare Nass aus den Wolken herauskitzeln.
Die enorme Zunahme des zivilen Luftverkehrs in Asien hat einen bemerkenswerten Nebeneffekt. Thailand fehlen die Regenmacher. Die hohe Nachfrage nach Piloten führt nämlich dazu, dass sich heute kaum noch jemand für den Job in Sprühflugzeugen interessiert, die während der Dürrezeit wie jetzt mit Chemikalien das kostbare Nass aus den Wolken herauskitzeln.
In Vietnam befürchtet man wegen des El-Niño-Effekts eine Jahrhundertdürre. Die Folgen sind gravierend: Bewässerungssysteme liegen brach, Reisbauern verzichteten auf Aussaaten, die Ernten sind entsprechend mager. Der Staub verkrusteter Felder färbt den Horizont braungelb ein, Infektionen nehmen zu, Flüsse trocknen aus, und die Fischpopulation leidet. [Weiterlesen]
Salt Wounds Vietnam's Rice Crop
07.03.2016 (RFA) - Vietnamese rice farmers are facing tough times this year as drought continues to punish the country’s rice bowl bringing salt levels in the Mekong delta to record levels.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is already reporting that more than 200,000 metric tons of rice have been damaged, resulting in a loss of over 1 trillion VND ($44.64 million U.S.) to the region. It’s a number that is likely to grow as the ministry expects salinity in the delta to reach its highest level in a century.
According to the ministry, saltwater intrusion appeared two months earlier than previous years due to serious river water shortages that are caused, at least in part, by dry conditions that began in 2013. If the drought persists until June, it could put some 500,000 hectares of rice crops at risk.
Not only is the drought harming rice farmers, but Hanoi blames the dry weather for a fresh water shortage affecting some 575,000 people throughout the region. [read more]
Vietnam hit by worst drought in 90 years
01.03.2016 (Channel NewsAsia) - HANOI: Vietnam is suffering its worst drought in nearly a century with salinisation hitting farmers especially hard in the crucial southern Mekong delta, experts said Monday (Mar 1).
"The water level of the Mekong River has gone down to its lowest level since 1926, leading to the worst drought and salinisation there," Nguyen Van Tinh, deputy head of the hydraulics department under the Ministry of Agriculture, told AFP.
The low-lying and heavily cultivated Mekong region is home to more than 20 million people and is the country's rice basket. Intensive cultivation and rising sea levels already make it one of the world's most ecologically sensitive regions. [read more]
Vietnam: sécheresse et salinisation record dans le delta du Mékong
01.03.2016 (20minutes) - La sécheresse et la salinisation dans le delta du Mékong ont atteint un niveau record depuis 90 ans au Vietnam, suscitant des inquiétudes pour les millions de riziculteurs de cette région fertile, de plus en plus fragilisée.
«Le delta du Mékong fait face actuellement à la pire sécheresse et intrusion d'eau de mer depuis 1926», confirme Le Anh Tuan, professeur de l'Université de Can Tho, dans le sud du Vietnam.
Hanoï met en avant l'influence du phénomène El Nino sur la sécheresse globale cette année en Asie du sud-est, et les experts pointent du doigt le changement climatique comme une menace.
Mais la culture intensive du riz, dans ce pays qui est un des premiers producteurs mondiaux de riz, joue aussi un rôle important dans la dégradation du sol. [en savoir plus]
Planes millonarios en sur de Vietnam para enfrentar cambio climático
29.02.2016 (panamaOn) - Provincias sureñas vietnamitas se enfrentan a los efectos del cambio climático con planes millonarios que incluyen medidas de adaptación.
En la de Binh Thuan se prevé invertir más de 161 millones 500 mil dólares en la construcción de rompeolas hasta 2020 con vista a evitar los deslizamientos de tierra ocasionados por el segundo fenómeno, el cual afecta de manera severa la producción y vida de la población local.
Hace cuatro años esa provincia desplegó un sistema de diques para proteger los 192 kilómetros de costa del territorio de la penetración del mar, pero los más de 16 mil metros de estacadas aún no son suficientes, de acuerdo con informaciones procedentes del lugar.
Datos oficiales revelan que en el barrio de Tien Duc, comuna de Tien Thanh, en la ciudad de Phan Thiet, el fuerte oleaje ocasionó deslizamientos al avanzar el agua 10 metros tierra adentro, lo cual provocó el derrumbe de 90 viviendas. [seguir leyendo]
Tausende in Schuhfabrik in Vietnam im Streik - Adidas ist Kunde
26.02.2016 (Focus Online) - Aus Protest gegen neue Strafen bei unerlaubtem Fehlen am Arbeitsplatz haben in Vietnam tausende Arbeiter einer Schuhfabrik ihre Arbeit niedergelegt.
„Nur 20 Prozent der mehr als 20 000 Arbeiter sind am Platz“, sagte Gewerkschaftsvertreter Doan Van Day am Freitag. Die taiwanesische Firma Pou Chen bestätigte den Streik in der Fabrik in der Nähe von Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt, dem früheren Saigon, wollte aber keine weiteren Angaben machen. Zu den Pou Chen-Kunden gehören nach Informationen auf der Firmenwebseite Adidas und Nike.
Schuhe sind nach Angaben der Agentur für Handelsförderung das drittwichtigste Exportprodukt, nach Mobiltelefon-Komponenten und Textilien. [Weiterlesen]
DEG vergibt 13 Millionen US-Dollar Kredit nach Vietnam
25.02.2016 (Köln-Nachrichten) - Die zur KfW-Gruppe gehörende Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft wird einen Hersteller von Bauelementen in Vietnam mit einem Kredit finanzieren. Das Kreditvolumen liegt bei 13 Millionen Euro und dient der Modernisierung und Erweiterung der Produktionsstätte.
Wie die DEG-Verantwortlichen am heutigen Donnerstag bekannt gaben, wird das vergebene Darlehen an die European Plastic Window Joint Stock Company (Eurowindow) langfristiger Natur sein [Weiterlesen]
Mekong Delta faces worst drought, saltwater intrusion
19.02.2016 (Prokerala) - Ho Chi Minh City - Parts of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam have been experiencing the most serious drought and saltwater encroachment in the past for nearly 100 years, the media reported on Friday.
The ongoing drought and saltwater intrusion has seriously damaged rice and fruit tree-growing areas, forests, agriculture and animal husbandry, as well as freshwater shortages in many southern cities and provinces, Xinhua news agency reported citing the Tien Phong daily.
The drought and saltwater encroachment have damaged many rice fields, causing losses worth some 1,000 billion Vietnamese dong ($44 million), said Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat. [read more]
Bedrohte Schuppentiere in Vietnam
16.02.2016 Greg Norman (DW) - Sie sind die meistgeschmuggelten Säugetiere der Welt, und trotzdem haben viele Menschen noch nie von ihnen gehört. Doch Tierschützer in Vietnam wollen die Schuppentiere retten.
In den letzten Jahren sind die schuppigen Ameisenfresser zu den meistgeschmuggelten Säugetieren der Welt geworden.
Befeuert durch die Nachfrage nach ihrem Fleisch und ihren Schuppen ist die Zahl der Schuppentiere dramatisch eingebrochen und alle acht Arten gelten der Weltnaturschutzunion IUCN zufolge inzwischen als bedroht. [Weiterlesen]
Ciudades Verdes en Vietnam: Gestión de inundaciones para un desarrollo sostenible
09.02.2016 (iagua) - En una firme apuesta por consolidar su presencia en el mercado del Sudeste Asiático y convertirse en uno de los consultores de referencia del Banco Asiático de Desarrollo (ADB) en el ámbito de la planificación y el control hidráulico, el Grupo INCLAM ha desarrollado durante el 2015 uno de los proyectos más estratégicos de este organismo multilateral: la implementación del Programa de Desarrollo de Ciudades Secundarias (“Ciudades Verdes”) en Vietnam.
Dicho Programa propone un enfoque innovador, flexible, escalable, multisectorial y multi-disciplinar, diseñado expresamente para ciudades emergentes del Sudeste Asiático, consistente en un cambio de paradigma centrado en la integración de la gestión medioambiental en los procesos de planificación urbanística.
Vietnam es uno de los países del Sudeste Asiático más castigados por tormentas tropicales e inundaciones [seguir leyendo]
Delta du Mékong : le triangle des inquiétudes
07.02.2016 (Liberation) - Très touché par le réchauffement climatique et l'urbanisation, le sud du Vietnam cherche des parades pour sauver son riz et ses populations.
Le delta du Mékong est l’une des régions au monde les plus menacées par le réchauffement climatique. D’ici à 2050, la température devrait augmenter de 3 à 5° celsius et l’eau monter d’un mètre à l’horizon 2100, engloutissant une bonne part des 40 000 kilomètres carrés des neuf bras du Mékong selon la Commission du fleuve.
Depuis cinquante ans, la population a doublé dans le delta des neuf dragons et cette pression démographique a accompagné une production agricole intensive qui fait des ravages. [en savoir plus]
Le partenariat transpacifique (TPP) expliqué en 7 points
04.02.2016 (La Tribune) - Le TPP signé jeudi par douze pays, vise à supprimer les barrières au commerce, services et investissements entre membres qui représentent près de 40% de l'économie mondiale.
Le traité transpacifique, conclu jeudi 4 février entre l'Australie, Brunei, le Canada, le Chili, le Japon, la Malaisie, le Mexique, la Nouvelle-Zélande, le Pérou, Singapour, les Etats-Unis et le Vietnam, a pour objectif de doper la croissance économique. Et ce, notamment en supprimant les barrières au commerce, services et investissements entre membres qui représentent près de 40% de l'économie mondiale. En voici quelques points clés. [en savoir plus]
Des États-Unis au Vietnam, une immense zone de libre échange très critiquée
04.02.2016 (France24) - Les 12 pays membres de la future zone de libre échange du Pacifique ont adopté l’accord final d’un traité qui est critiqué de toute part. Les principaux gagnants de ce texte seraient les multinationales.
Ils ont signé les 6 000 pages qui donnent naissance à la plus vaste zone de libre-échange du monde, jeudi 4 février à Auckland, en Nouvelle-Zelande. Les négociateurs des 12 pays concernés par le TPP (Trans Pacific Program) - États-Unis, Canada, Mexique, Chili, Pérou, Japon, Malaisie, Vietnam, Singapour, Brunei, Australie et Nouvelle-Zélande - discutaient depuis 2008 sur une disparition des droits de douanes concernant d’importants volets de leurs économies, afin de doper le commerce. [en savoir plus]
The pros and cons of the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact
04.02.2016 Gabriel Dominguez (DW) - The Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the world's biggest multinational trade deals, has been signed by 12 Pacific Rim nations. Economist Gary Hufbauer spoke to DW about the risks and advantages of the trade pact.
The TPP, one of biggest trade deals in history was signed on Wednesday, February 3, in New Zealand. The TPP involves 12 Pacific Rim nations - Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam - which account for 40 percent of the global economic output and 26 percent of world trade.
The TPP will now undergo a two-year ratification period in which at least six countries must approve the final text for the deal to be implemented. After its successful ratification, the agreement is expected to serve as a model for future trade pacts. Many countries negotiating the TPP such as Australia, Singapore and Canada already have free trade agreements with the US. [read more]
Umstrittene Freihandelsabkommen
04.02.2016 von Martin Lanz, Washington (NZZ) - Dass die transpazifische Partnerschaft (TPP), das im vergangenen Oktober zwischen den USA und elf weiteren Staaten erreichte und am Donnerstag unterzeichnete Freihandelsabkommen, politisch einen schweren Stand haben würde, war zu erwarten.
Das Abkommen ist aber auch unter Ökonomen nicht unumstritten, wie Studien über die makroökonomischen Folgen der Vereinbarung zeigen. TPP reicht weit, seine Effekte aber entfalten sich nach der Inkraftsetzung erst allmählich und über viele Jahre.
TPP reicht weit, seine Effekte aber entfalten sich nach der Inkraftsetzung erst allmählich und über viele Jahre.
Während die USA in absoluten Zahlen grösste Nutzniesserin des Abkommens wäre, würde das Abkommen Japan, Malaysia und Vietnam bedeutende und auch den anderen TPP-Ländern solide Einkommensgewinne bescheren. [Weiterlesen]
"Vietnam und Japan werden am meisten profitieren"
04.02.2016 Gabriel Dominguez/mgr (DW) - Zwölf Pazifik-Anrainerstaaten haben das transpazifische Handelsbündnis TPP unterzeichnet. Warum China nicht dabei ist, erklärt Handelsexperte Gary Hufbauer im DW-Interview.
Noch müssen alle Länder das Paket in den kommenden zwei Jahren ratifizieren. Dann wird das TPP die größte Freihandelszone der Welt sein. Die TPP betrifft 12 Nationen, die am Pazifik liegen: Australien, Brunei, Kanada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexiko, Neuseeland, Peru, Singapur, die USA und Vietnam. Zusammen entsprechen sie 40 Prozent der Wirtschaftsleistungen der Welt. Die zweite Volkswirtschaft China ist nicht am TPP beteiligt.
Das Abkommen zielt darauf ab, tarifäre und nicht-tarifäre Handelshemmnisse zwischen den Unterzeichnerstaaten abzubauen. Außerdem wurden einheitliche Regeln und gemeinsame Standards für den Schutz ausländischer Investitionen und des geistigen Eigentums vereinbart.
Gary Hufbauer ist Experte für internationalen Handel beim Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. Im Gespräch mit der DW sprach er über die Risiken des Abkommens - und wer letztlich am meisten davon profitieren wird. [Weiterlesen]
Key facts about the TPP trade deal
04.02.2016 (The Star Online) - * The founding members of the Pacific Rim group are - Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
* The far-reaching deal is designed to boost their wealth by doing away with barriers to the free flows of goods, services and investment capital.
Because of its massive scope, members hope it will serve as a blueprint for future global rules for trade and doing business, ensuring a level playing field for all firms, protecting labour rights and keeping free Internet access.
* The 12 countries must open state procurement further to foreign competition and not give state-owned enterprises undue preference.
* Requires countries to live up to the labour rights and fairness standards of the International Labor Organisation. [read more]
Zwölf Staaten unterzeichnen transpazifisches Freihandelsabkommen
04.02.2016 (Blick) - Wellington – Das im Oktober vereinbarte Freihandelsabkommen zwischen zwölf Pazifik-Anrainerstaaten ist am Donnerstag im neuseeländischen Auckland feierlich unterzeichnet worden. Vor dem Konferenzgebäude, in dem die Zeremonie stattfand, protestierten Tausende gegen den Vertrag.
Die Unterzeichnung ging aber ohne Unterbruch über die Bühne. Vertreter der zwölf Länder posierten anschliessend unter den Flaggen der Mitgliedsländer für ein Foto. «TPP liberalisiert den Handel. Das ist eindeutig im Interesse unserer Länder und Bürger», sagte Neuseelands Premierminister John Key.
Die zwölf Staaten hatten sich nach jahrelangen Verhandlungen auf die Gründung der Transpazifischen Partnerschaft (TPP) geeinigt. Neben den Wirtschaftsmächten USA und Japan umfasst die Freihandelszone Australien, Brunei, Kanada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexiko, Neuseeland, Peru, Singapur und Vietnam. [Weiterlesen]
TPP lesson on political leadership
03.02.2016 By: Amitendu Palit (The Financial Express) - The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will be signed in New Zealand on February 4, 2016. After all 12 members—Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the US—sign the agreement, it will be ratified by legislatures of each country. The members have decided to give themselves two years for ratification by their respective legislatures.
Ratifying the TPP is not going to be simple for all countries, most notably those where opposition to the controversial agreement remains vocal. US president Barack Obama has managed to obtain the fast-track TPA (Trade Promotion Authority) that empowers the US President to sign trade agreements after a ‘yes/no’ vote from the legislature. The political comfort of the TPA is in avoiding detailed and lengthy debates on the TPP. Most US lawmakers, despite their reservations on certain aspects of the TPP, might take stock of other benefits for the US from the agreement and eventually suggest ‘yes’. The Obama administration has not spared pains to highlight the geo-strategic implication of the TPP. It has been branded an effort to prevent China from writing trade rules in the Asia-Pacific. Apart from greater market access, domestic job creation and revival of ‘Made in USA’, the China factor should help the TPP to go through.
Some other TPP members might find the going tough at home. [read more]
Vietnamese bankers arrested over fraud 'worth millions'
03.02.2016 (asiaone) - Hanoi - Police in Vietnam have arrested three senior former bankers and six securities officials over a fraud worth millions of dollars at a partly state-run bank, government media reported Wednesday.
The arrests are the latest scandal to hit the ailing banking sector, which authorities have vowed to clean up after years of bad debts.
The fraud was alleged to have taken place at MHB Bank, which has since been merged into the larger fully state-run Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, state media said.
Two of those detained were MHB Bank's former chairman and its CEO, People's Police newspaper online said. [read more]
Could Vietnam become the next Silicon Valley?
02.02.2016 By Vivienne Nunis (BBC) - Eddie Thai and Binh Tran are the kind of American entrepreneurs you'd expect to meet in Silicon Valley.
Binh Tran is the co-founder of a successful tech company, Klout, which he sold for $200m (£140m) in 2014. Eddie Thai, the younger of the two, was educated at Harvard and Yale.
But the pair have decided to set up their venture capital firm away from the ultra competitive corner of California that's home to Google, Apple and Facebook.
Instead, 500 Startups is based in Ho Chi Minh City, in southern Vietnam. [read more]
Megadamm bedroht Mekong-Delfine
02.02.2016 (DW) - Es gibt nur noch 80 Flussdelfine im Mekong. In Kambodscha versucht man sie zu schützen, aber es gibt bereits eine neue Bedrohung für diese einzigartigen Tiere: Einen Megadamm im angrenzenden Laos.
Der Mekong ist einer der artenreichsten Flüsse der Welt. Neben den Irawadidelfinen, die der Roten Liste der IUCN zufolge vom Aussterben bedroht sind, beheimatet der Fluss mindestens 1100 Süßwasserarten, unter anderem den Mekong-Riesenwels und den Himantura polylepis, einen Riesen-Süßwasserstachelrochen
Der Mekong ist die Lebensader für 60 Millionen Menschen in Südostasien. Der Fluss fließt von der Tibetischen Hochebene durch Chinas Yunnan Provinz über Myanmar, Laos, Thailand und Kambodscha nach Vietnam. Der Fluss ist auch der Lebensraum des vom Aussterben bedrohten Irawadidelfins. Aber Wasserverschmutzung, sowie das Fischen mit Dynamit und Stellnetzen haben die Delfinpopulationen dort stark dezimiert. Es gibt wahrscheinlich nur noch etwa 80 der Delfine in Mekong. [Weiterlesen]
European External Action Service : L'accord de libre-échange UE-Viêt Nam est dès à présent disponible en ligne
02.02.2016 (Zonebourse) - La Commission européenne publie aujourd'hui le texte de l'accord de libre-échange (ALE) entre l'Union européenne et le Viêt Nam, comme suite à la conclusion du processus de négociation en décembre 2015.
Dans le respect des engagements pris en matière de transparence, la Commission rend le texte des accords commerciaux accessibles au public dès la conclusion des pourparlers. Ainsi, toutes les parties concernées peuvent prendre connaissance de leur contenu bien avant l'ouverture des débats au sein du Conseil de l'Union européenne et du Parlement européen. [en savoir plus]
Gabriel: Verhandlungen zum Freihandelsabkommen mit Vietnam abgeschlossen - Investitionsschutz auf Basis des deutschen Vorschlags setzt sich durch
01.02.2016 (BMWI) - Die EU-Kommission hat heute den Vertragstext zum Freihandelsabkommen mit Vietnam veröffentlicht.
Bundesminister Gabriel: "Ein Freihandelsabkommen mit Vietnam sichert den Zugang unserer Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu diesem wachstumsstarken Markt. Das schafft und sichert Arbeitsplätze in Deutschland und in der EU. Es ist richtig und wichtig, dass sich ab heute jeder im Detail genau anschauen kann, was die EU-Kommission und Vietnam in ihrem Freihandelsabkommen ausgehandelt haben. Erst danach beginnt die Debatte über das Abkommen im Europäischen Rat und im Europäischen Parlament.
Bevor das Abkommen in Kraft treten kann, müssen unter anderem Bundestag und Bundesrat zustimmen. Rechtzeitig zu Beginn der Beratungen wird der Vertragstext auch auf Deutsch vorliegen. [Weiterlesen]
EU veröffentlicht Vertrag zum Freihandelsabkommen mit Vietnam
01.02.2016 (finanzen.net) - FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--Die EU-Kommission hat am Montag den Vertragstext zum Freihandelsabkommen mit Vietnam veröffentlicht. Nun könne sich jeder im Detail genau anschauen, was die EU-Kommission und Vietnam in ihrem Freihandelsabkommen ausgehandelt haben, sagte Wirtschaftsminister Sigmar Gabriel. Danach beginne die Debatte über das Abkommen im Europäischen Rat und im Europäischen Parlament.
Gabriel sagte, das Freihandelsabkommen sichere den "Zugang unserer Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu diesem wachstumsstarken Markt". [Weiterlesen]
Tödlicher Kälteeinbruch - Fast 8000 Tiere sterben in Vietnam
29.01.2016 (n-tv) - Bei einem Kälteeinbruch in Vietnam sind fast 8000 Tiere erfroren. Die Temperaturen fielen in den sechs nördlichen Provinzen teils unter den Gefrierpunkt und damit so tief wie seit 39 Jahren nicht mehr, berichtete der Wetterdienst. Die vietnamesische Argarbehörde meldete, mindestens 7800 Rinder, Ziegen, Schweine und Pferde seien tot auf den Weiden gefunden worden. 11.000 Hektar Reis- und Gemüsefelder wurden beschädigt. Normalerweise sinken die Temperaturen im nördlichen Vietnam um diese Zeit nicht unter zehn Grad. [Weiterlesen]
Retter der bedrohten Arten
23.01.2016 (Tages-Anzeiger) - Um die vom Aussterben bedrohte, unspektakuläre Madagaskar-Ente zu schützen, müsse man im Zoo das Charisma eines Elefanten oder Löwen nutzen, sagt Theo Pagel. Dies helfe den weniger spektakulären Arten
Eigentlich ist die Krokodilschwanzechse auf den ersten Blick nichts Besonderes. Nachts schläft sie im Regenwald auf Ästen im Uferbereich eines Bachs, tagsüber hockt sie meist reglos und gut verborgen im Grünen. Erst wenn Gefahr droht, macht sie auf sich aufmerksam und lässt sich blitzschnell ins Wasser plumpsen. Schliesslich ist sie eine gute Schwimmerin. Doch diese Vorsichtsmassnahme hat ihr offenbar nicht viel gebracht. Denn das rund 45 Zentimeter lange Reptil gehört zu den stark gefährdeten Arten, von denen es nur in China und Vietnam noch einige wenige gibt. «Um die Art zu erhalten, züchten wir sie in unserer Forschungsstation in Vietnam und setzen sie in ihrem natürlichen Lebensraum wieder aus», sagt Zoologe Theo Pagel. Denn sie sei die Letzte ihrer Art. [Weiterlesen]
This Buddhist Monk Is An Unsung Hero In The World's Climate Fight
22.01.2016 Jo Confino (The Huffington Post) - DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - The architect of the historic Paris climate negotiations credits the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh with helping broker the deal.
One of the guiding forces behind the scenes of the Paris climate agreement is an 89-year-old Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk.
Christiana Figueres, who led the climate talks, has credited Thich Nhat Hanh with having played a pivotal role in helping her to develop the strength, wisdom and compassion needed to forge the unprecedented deal backed by 196 countries.
Figueres, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, says the teachings of Thay, as he is known to his hundreds of thousands of followers around the world, “literally fell into my lap” when she was going through a deep personal crisis three years ago.
“This has been a six-year marathon with no rest in between," she said. "I just really needed something to buttress me, and I don't think that I would have had the inner stamina, the depth of optimism, the depth of commitment, the depth of the inspiration if I had not been accompanied by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.” [read more]
Diese fünf asiatischen Länder sind für 60 Prozent des Plastikmülls im Meer verantwortlich
18.01.2015 (Greenpeace) - Mehr als acht Millionen Tonnen Plastik landen jedes Jahr in den Ozeanen. Laut einer Studie stammen 60 Prozent dieser Abfälle aus nur fünf Ländern: China, Indonesien, den Philippinen, Thailand und Vietnam.
Die Studie „Stemming the Tide“ von der Umweltorganisation „Ocean Conservancy“ in Zusammenarbeit mit „McKinsey“ zeigt, dass nicht etwa die westlichen Industrieländer für den größten Teil des Plastikabfalls in den Meeren verantwortlich sind, sondern der Müll hauptsächlich aus Asien stammt.
Die Gründe dafür sehen die Autoren unter anderem in der rasanten Entwicklung dieser Länder: Der wirtschaftliche Aufschwung der Schwellenländer und die steigende Zahl an Plastikmüll, stehen laut der Studie in einem direkten Zusammenhang. [Weiterlesen]
Dollar still attractive despite zero-interest policy
04.01.2016 Atsushi Tomiyama (Nikkei Asian Review) - HANOI -- The Vietnamese currency, the dong, keeps falling, despite the central bank's efforts to prevent the currency's further decline by cutting dollar-deposit interest rates. Despite these efforts, however, more Vietnamese consumers are withdrawing dollars from banks and putting it under the mattress.
On Dec. 18, 2015, two days after the U.S. Federal Reserve lifted its zero interest rates for the first time in nine and a half years, the State Bank of Vietnam, the country's central bank, told financial institutions to cut their dollar-deposit interest rates to zero, effective immediately. The aim was to prevent capital flight resulting from the U.S. rate hike and the dong from declining further.
Dollars are not as commonly used in Vietnam like they are in neighboring Cambodia, but the currency is still popular. Many people in northern Vietnam, among others, tend to convert the dong into dollar or gold and keep it at either banks or home. [read more]
Vietnam changes dollar/dong rate setting frequency
04.01.2016 (Bangkok Post) - HANOI -- Vietnam allowed its currency to ease on Monday as it resumed a more-flexible foreign-exchange policy for interbank US dollar/dong transactions, a move that could trigger a gradual devaluation in the local currency.
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) set the midpoint rate at 21,896 dong to the dollar, down from 21,890 dong it had kept unchanged since Aug 12, when it let the currency ease 1%.
The SBV said it will set the midpoint rate on a daily basis to allow more flexibility. [read more]