Un climate change

Underground water exhausted, high costs predicted for future Besides intense subsidence and increase in tidal amplitude and saline intrusion, Minderhoud said that ground water is being extracted excessively for local production. This could result in depletion of aquifers, while the recharge for water stocking is very little due to impermeable layers in the subsoil. As a consequence of extraction, the water from salty aquifers intrudes into the freshwater reserves. With current subsidence, for each cubic metre of fresh ground water that is extracted from the aquifers, another 12 cubic metres of fresh water will get too salty for consumption. Therefore, if there is no good control, the fresh groundwater reserve in the Mekong Delta region will last for only 100 years. Besides, the subsidence level will be more serious, the Dutch researcher said. According to the expert, if the ground water extraction continues to grow 2 percent each year, the Mekong Delta will sink under the sea … [Read more...] about Sinking predicted for Mekong Delta region

“It is time for the Government to immediately do the following three things: drastically restructure rice production towards chain-based production and develop large growing areas that produce the same rice variety, minimise the use of insecticides to cut costs and produce more nice, delicious and safe rice and shift the industry’s focus from quantity to quality and from being supply-driven to market-driven.” … [Read more...] about It’s a no-grainer: Time for Vietnam to create a rice brand

Particularly, popular social networks focused on the second summit between the two leaders of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States hosted in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi as well as the country was elected as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2020-2021 term with a record high number of 192 votes out of the 193 member countries. Vietnam is expected to enter the coming new year with new achievements and great responsibility as undertaking ASEAN Chairmanship and non-permanent member of UN Security Council for the period of 2020-2021. * New context and missions In 2020, Vietnam will take over the ASEAN Chairmanship and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the context of complicated and unpredicted changes in the region and the world. In the world, the increases of contacts, strategic competitiveness among powerful countries and harsh forces mobilization have been impacting to … [Read more...] about Confident Vietnam in 2020: FM spokeswoman

A new gap has opened, such as in tertiary education and digital literacy-oppor­tunities once considered luxuries that are now considered critical to compete and belong, particularly in a knowledge economy, as Industry 4.0 accelerates. Allow me to quote Achim Siemer, UNDP administrator: "We also need to avoid a new great divergence in our societies driven by AI and digital technologies. There is his­torical precedent for technological revolutions to carve deep, per­sistent inequalities, as took place in the industrial revolution. How we adopt and use new technology is in our hands, and it can be guid­ed to be a force for good." … [Read more...] about Closing inequality gaps to secure long-lasting progress

Among ASEAN countries, Singapore has maintained in the second stable position since 2016; Malaysia has increased 12 levels over the past two years; Thailand increased by six places in 2019; the Philippines increased 29 places, etc, and Vietnam ranked the fifth after Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei. The above results show that the business environment reform in Vietnam tends to slow down; therefore, it is required to continue to actively improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness to successfully achieve the objectives and tasks of the annual socio-economic development plan of 2020 according to a resolution of the National Assembly.    By Tran Luu, Phan Thao, Bao Van - Translated by Huyen Huong … [Read more...] about Vietnam has huge development opportunities