How many people can the earth support

1. We, the Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), met on 31 July 2019 at the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Bangkok. We underlined the need to further strengthen cooperation and advance our partnership to ensure sustainability in all dimensions for ASEAN amidst the rapid changes in Southeast Asia and beyond.   ASEAN COMMUNITY-BUILDING 2. We reaffirmed our commitment to the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the ASEAN Leaders’ Vision Statement on Partnership for Sustainability. We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN centrality and unity in our community-building efforts, engagement with external partners and regional architecture. We commended the ongoing work of all ASEAN Sectoral Bodies and Organs for progress in the implementation of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) … [Read more...] about Joint Communique of 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Volunteers collect rubbish from Trúc Bạch Lake, Hà Nội. — Photo hanoimoi.com.vn HÀ NỘI — A week-long series of activities to raise awareness about climate change is set to kick off on Friday across Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and Hội An. The European Union Climate Diplomacy Week 2019, co-organised by the Delegation of European Union (EU) to Việt Nam and the embassies of EU member states, aims to educate young Vietnamese generations about climate change and its impacts on their future. “We want to show our support to the youth and value their efforts in bringing awareness to such a worrying and pressing issue like climate change,” the Delegation of EU in Việt Nam chargée d'Affaires Axelle Nicaise said. “Earth's future depends on our engagement, and so does life as we know it. We have seen last Friday millions of people around the world held a global climate strike, … [Read more...] about Climate change awareness week launched in Việt Nam

  Flooding in Quảng Bình Province. More floodings have been seen in Việt Nam due to the impacts of climate change. — VNA/VNS Photo   Thu Vân HÀ NỘI — We cannot ignore it: Climate Strike, initiated by 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg, has spread across the globe, and its impact has been immense. The strikes, which have gathered millions of people all over the world to call for climate action, demand that governments stop burning fossil fuels and ensure a rapid energy revolution with equity, reparations and climate justice. Professional climate change skeptic Marc Morano from the United States, however, mocked the other day that reason for Climate Strike was appealing to young people was because Greta “sells fear”. He might be true. Climate change impacts should scare our kids, because they will be the ones who bear the consequences in 11 years. Why 11 years? The United Nations … [Read more...] about Climate inaction tantamount to violence

Ha Long Bay (Photo: VNA) Quang Ninh (VNA) – Ha Long city in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh is striving to develop sustainable tourism, especially promoting the world natural heritage site of Ha Long Bay. The city has implemented a number of measures to improve environmental protection such as removing factories causing pollution and maintaining the monitoring of environmental quality in the bay and surrounding areas. It also strengthens the inspection of environmental protection of organisations and individuals providing tourism services in Ha Long Bay. The city is speeding up the construction of daily sewage treatment facilities in coastal areas. It is also carrying out a 154 million USD project using official development assistance (ODA) loans to improve the environment. The city asked organisations and individuals running tourism services in Ha Long Bay to not use disposable plastic products from September 1, 2019. Local authorities have encouraged people to … [Read more...] about Ha Long city develops sustainable tourism

Hanoi (VNA) – The Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, UNICEF and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) held in Hanoi on October 12 a ceremony in response to the International Day for Disaster Reduction to review impacts of natural disasters and climate change in recent years, thus defining orientations for future coordination activities. Addressing the event, MARD Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that the International Day for Disaster Reduction (October 13) aims to call for countries’ attention to fostering global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction. This year's theme is based on Target (d) of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030: 'Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption services, among them health and education facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030', … [Read more...] about Vietnam responds to Int’l Day for Disaster Reduction