Social News 2/8 Japan to provide patrol ships to Vietnam The Japanese Government has decided to provide Vietnam with six used patrol boats as part of a non-refundable aid package, and hopes these vessels will be upgraded for security patrols at sea. Japanese government sources said on July 31 Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida who arrived in Vietnam the same day for an official visit is expected to announce the delivery of the vessels during talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi on August 1. Two of the vessels are fisheries surveillance boats and the remainder are fishing boats. They are 600-800 ton class vessels. The sources also said Japan will also supply lifeboats and other equipment to Vietnam. The non-refundable aid package is worth JPY500 million. Japanese encephalitis kills 10 children in Son La Japanese encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease that preys on young and malnourished children, has claimed ten lives out of to 84 reported cases in Son La province since the beginning of this year. Lau Say Chu, Director of the Son La provincial Department of Health, said the onset of the disease shows initial symptoms of high fever, headache, feeling sick, vomiting, seizures, conscious disorder and coma. The disease is dangerous because of its high fatality rate. However, children who manage to survive are often left without the ability to communicate because of brain damage and spend their lives staring listlessly, unable to recognize friends they played with just weeks before. Doctors at the provincial general hospital said most fatalities are due to parents’ failure to take their child to hospital when they first came down with a high fever and parents failing to get their child vaccinated. The provincial health sector has issued a warning to parents that all children under five years of age should be vaccinated to guard against the deadly and debilitating disease. When children have a high fever of unknown causes, they should immediately be taken to hospital, it also cautioned. Meanwhile, the local health sector reported 3,000 cases of flu, nearly 1,200 cases of diarrhea, 71 cases of measles, and 12 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease in July. The province has directed relevant agencies to disseminate information about preventive measures against summer diseases to protect local people’s health, especially for ethnic minority people in remote areas. Businesses team up to protect wildlife In a bid to protect wild animals, private businesses are teaming up with Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV), a non-governmental organization, to promote the conservation of nature and the environment. Business giants like Vingroup, PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil), Big C supermarket chain, Intimex supermarket chain, Canon Vietnam, Unilever Vietnam and HiPT Group have all raised their voices to help save wild animals, ENV reported. In early July, Global Telecommunications Corporation (Gtel Corp), FPT Group, DHL Vietnam, An Binh Bank, Kaspersky Vietnam, and Acecook Vietnam joined ENV to protect wild animals through practical activities. In addition to saying no to using products made from wild animals, Vingroup and Big C assisted ENV in organising exhibitions to raise public awareness of preserving special and rare endangered species. Exhibitions held at Vincom Mega Mall Royal City, Big C Thang Long, Big C Long Bien and Big C Danang in June and July also attracted thousands of participants, improving their awareness of wildlife conservation. PV Oil recently disseminated information on not using wild animal products to more than 3,500 of its staff and their families across the country. It also actively participated in protecting wild animals through practical activities, such as publicizing a hotline (1800 1522) to report violators. On July, 11 Intimex supermarkets in Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang and Vinh set up notice-boards encouraging their customers not to use products made from wild animals and inform violations to the same hotline. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Hyundai and gyms centres NShape Fitness, Club M Health and Fitness A also distributed an important message in their showrooms and business establishments on rhino protection. Cao Bang poor get free treatment from US doctors A group of US doctors from Good Samaritan Medical Ministry (GSMM) has offered free check-ups and treatment to poor people in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang. During their 10-day stay, they examined and treated nearly 4,000 locals in seven districts and Cao Bang city, with a focus on dental, optic, obstetric and cardiovascular diseases. The programme has a budget of VND11 billion (US$517,000), which was collected by Vietnamese-born US doctors. The group presented equipment, transferred the technology and helped improve expertise for local doctors. The Good Samaritan Medical Ministry is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation which has held yearly summer missions in Vietnam since 2000. Japan funds Tokyo Vietnam Medical University Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a wholly foreign invested project to build Tokyo Vietnam Medical University in the northern province of Hung Yen. Under the project, Japan’s leading Waseda Health Sciences Education Corporation and a number of Japanese organisations and individuals will fund construction of the not-for-profit university. The 30-hectare campus will be built in two years at an estimated cost of VND421 billion (roughly US$19 million). Four years after its operation, the university is expected to have 80 local and foreign lecturers and enrol 1,200 students. Tokyo Vietnam Medical University will focus on four-year undergraduate majors of nursing, functional rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and orthotics & prosthetics, as well as three-year college training of nursing and medical tests. In addition to training, the university will also conduct scientific research based on medical technology application, and provide educational support services. Second child dies of acute diarrhoea in HCM City HCM City doctors confirmed on July 31 that another child patient has died of acute diarrhoea in the city, bringing the number of disease-related fatalities to two within just 10 days. The 29-month-old girl living in Binh Chanh district was admitted to the Children’s Hospital 1 on July 25 with such symptoms as stomach ache, vomiting, fever and diarrhoea. She was diagnosed with gastrointestinal sepsis. At the same time, she was suffering from congenital heart disease and kidney failure. Despite intensive care, her health deteriorated and the family asked the hospital to bring her home. The child patient passed away at home on July 27. Epidemiological examinations show that her young brother also caught the disease but recovered from an illness after taking in similar medicines. This is the second fatality of acute diarrhoea in Binh Chanh district. The first case is a 10-month-old boy. The municipal health sector warned local people to fully observe personal hygiene regulations, including washing hands with soap frequently and ensuring food hygiene, in order to prevent the disease. Australian-funded vision project benefits southerners The Department of Health of the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau on July 30 launched the second phase of an eye care project funded by the Australian Government. Building on the results of the first phase from 2011 to 2013, the extended project will be implemented via the Brien Holden Vision Institute, in Tan Thanh and Chau Duc districts in one year. The Australian institute will assist eye health communication activities of the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Eye Hospital and help improve the capacity of medical staff. It will also aid Tan Thanh and Chau Duc in setting up two optical clinics, providing US$62,340 to procure equipment. During the first phase, the project was carried out in Xuyen Moc and Dat Do district, under which more than 20 ophthalmologists and technicians and over 300 local medical staff received intensive training. The project also provided eye check-ups for some 40,000 students at 56 secondary schools and presented 4,000 pairs of spectacles for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Three optical clinics were also established in the districts and have offered services to more than 15,000 people. Panasonic donates washing machines to needy children Panasonic Vietnam Co. Ltd., on July 30 presented over 1,000 washing machines worth VND5 billion (US$235,000) to social welfare centres for children and boarding schools for ethnic children nationwide. The gift was handed over to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam Farmers’ Association, which will then transfer the machines to nearly 400 social welfare centres and 103 boarding schools for ethnic children across the country. Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen appreciated of the company’s charitable programme, saying that the gifts will help improve the living conditions of disadvantaged people, especially children. During nearly a decade operating in Vietnam, the Japan-based corporation has actively engaged in community-oriented activities in the country, particularly in education and environment. Charity Run to connect students around globe Over 600 Vietnamese university students from around the globe will participate in a run for charity at Hanoi’s National My Dinh stadium on August 17, to raise much needed funds to help needy children. The run themed "Connecting VietYouth 2014" is the result of a joint effort by the Vietnamese Student Association in the UK (SVUK) in collaboration with the Global Shapers Community and the Academy of Journalism and Communication. SVUK President Pham Ngoc Thu Thuy said that the run is expected to provide an exchange between Vietnamese students and expat youths, giving them a good change to join hands to help poor children in mountainous areas of the nation. The Global Shapers Community (GSP) organized by the World Economic Forum is designed to develop the social community by enhancing the role of capable young leaders. Tran Quang Hung (Vietnam) who has ever invited to participate in the WEF is also a GSP co-founder. HCM City hosts Vietnam Global Education Dialogue Nearly 200 delegates from universities around the globe are gathering at the Vietnam Education Dialogue 2014: Higher Education Reforms (VED 2014) in HCM City from July 31 to August 1. The two-day conference provides a good chance for Government leaders, scholars, and university and business representatives around the world to present and debate initiatives about higher education reforms in Vietnam. At the conference, Rena Bitter – US Consul General – said she is honoured to preside over the conference and believes that converging of intellectuals will serve as a catalyst for higher education reform in the country. Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga said Vietnam is on the right track to carry out education reform. Participants debated a number of issues, such as higher education governance, accountability, finance, quality and digitalisation in tertiary education reform. They also talked about lecturers, scientific research, private universities and foreign-invested universities.  The conference also covered dissertations presented by US information and culture counsellor to Hanoi Terry White, representatives from the Government and VEDG. Women face discrimination at work Female workers in Viet Nam still find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to wage payment, working environment and training and promotion opportunities, even though the country is one of Southeast Asia's best in terms of fostering gender equality, according to an assessment by the United Nations Development Programme. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, director of the Centre for Female Workers and Gender Studies, said at a workshop on Tuesday that the proportion of women participating in the labour force remained low, despite the fact that economic woes in recent years motivated more women to find jobs outside the home. In 2012, 72.8 per cent of women participated in the labour force, compared to 81.3 per cent of men. Moreover, traditions and gender stereotypes – such as the commonly held belief by employers that men were more productive— hindered women's access to varied career choices and opportunities to raise their knowledge and skills. In 2012, the average monthly salary of female workers was VND3.2 million (over US$150), while men received more than VND3.8 million ($180), said Thuy. In most economic sectors, the average monthly wage of female workers was lower than that of men. The greatest wage gap was found in the FDI sector, where female workers earned only half what male employees were paid. In the private sector, these roles were reversed: women working for private companies earned slightly more than their male counterparts. Mai Duc Thien, deputy director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs's Legal Department, said the proportion of women holding leadership positions in the Government system was about 30 per cent. Yet in enterprises, women held only about 6.3 per cent of leadership positions. This proportion is considered high in Southeast Asia, but is much lower than many countries such as the US, where it is 17 per cent, according to Intelligent Financial Research and Consulting. Some enterprises still hold back from recruiting young women without children and ask female workers to delay their plans to have children, Thien added. Vahidha Nizam, a representative from the Indian Trade Union, said at a workshop held in Ha Noi last week that to achieve gender equality, female workers needed to be equipped with the skills to negotiate for the appropriate salary and fight for work safety. Thuy of the Centre for Female Workers and Gender Studies recommended that women be encouraged to pursue higher education, which would make it easier for them to obtain a higher salary. Nguyen Thanh Hoa, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that Viet Nam had approved to follow 21 out of 189 international conventions about gender equality in minimum income. He said that grasping the core of these conventions and identifying the challenges to implementing them was essential, especially as Viet Nam prepared to develop the Law on Minimum Wage. Whirlwind damages houses in Hau Giang A whirlwind damaged and blew away roofs of 34 houses in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang's Vi Thanh City after sweeping through the area in five minutes yesterday. Local authorities mobilised more than 100 officers and soldiers to the scene to help locals repair their houses and provide each affected household with financial aid worth VND3 to 6 million ($142-285). Voluntary pension scheme needed Voluntary pension insurance should be implemented as soon as possible because the delay would make life of retirees more difficult, a labour ministry official has said. Speaking at a conference on voluntary pension insurance on Wednesday, Truong Giang, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs' Social Insurance Department, said Viet Nam was now in the period of a golden population structure as the working age accounted for more than 58 per cent. The country has managed to set up 48 fund management companies and nine banks in charge of supervising the implementation of the insurance. "This is the best time to implement the model, and as quickly as possible to assure lives of workers after retirement," he said. Chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vu Tien Loc said this type of insurance would be a solution to reduce the burden of social funds, increase social security and long-term benefits for businesses and workers. It would create conditions for people to participate and get a stable source of income after retirement. It would also contribute to the stability of the current pension fund, he said. In the 2007 to 2012 period, after six adjustments, the average pension had increased by 26.8 per cent annually. Meanwhile, the growth rate of the social security fund only increased 10.1 per cent annually. This caused pressure on the current social insurance fund and the State budget. It was forecast to increase rapidly in the future. In fact, there were a number of businesses implementing the model of insurance for their employees, he said. However, due to a shortage of adequate legal framework, these businesses had applied them in different ways. He said, authorised agencies should work together to complete the legal framework and disseminate them to increase the awareness of businesses and employees about the benefits of the insurance. According to Loc, the regulation saying that each enterprise was allowed to pay VND1 million ($47) for each workerr was reasonable as most were small-and-medium sized enterprises. This would assure benefits to labourers in these enterprises. Pension insurance is a voluntary form of savings to fund retirement, usually supported by employers and encouraged by the government through tax benefits. Railway e-tickets available this November The Vietnam Railway Corporation (VRC) will sell tickets online from this November under a deal recently signed with FTP-FIS-TeleHouse joint venture. Started on July 31, the 197 billion VND (9.3 million USD) project will help install and perfect the online-selling systems by November 2015, making the service available on VRC website, vending machines at train stations or agents nationwide, said VRC Deputy General Director Doi Sy Hung. Domestic or international payment cards will be accepted for transactions. Currently, railway transport accounts for only 0.5 percent of the total passenger transport market and 1 percent of total freight transport. The sector plans to raise the rates to 13 percent of passenger transport and 14 percent of freight transport by 2020. Tree planting programme takes root in Dien Bien province The northwestern province of Dien Bien has become the 11th destination of a programme to plant one million trees for Vietnam with a ceremony held in Thanh Nua commune on July 31. Following the launching ceremony, 40,000 trees were planted at the Doc Lap (Independence) Cemetery in the commune and other localities in the province. The “One million trees for Vietnam ”programme was started in 2012 by the Environment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk). In the last two years, nearly 100,000 trees were planted in 10 provinces and cities under the programme. An additional 120,000 – 150,000 are expected to take root this year under the programme. Dak Nong province works to repair dilapidated bridges The Central Highlands province of Dak Nong will spend 3.6 billion VND (over 171,400 USD) on repairing makeshift and suspension bridges to ensure safety for locals in the approaching flood season. The provincial Department of Transport said funding for the work will be sourced from the road maintenance fund. Dak Nong currently has 143 makeshift bridges and 17 suspension bridges. Most of them are located in rural areas and have been degraded due to a lack of maintenance. In previous flood seasons, dozens of bridges were washed away, hindering the travelling of local residents and threatening their lives and properties. Deputy Director of the department Nguyen Nhan Ban said the province now can only afford repair work since it costs hundreds of millions of VND to build a new bridge. Soc Trang Buddhists join hands in charity Buddhist dignitaries, monks and followers in the southern province of Soc Trang have been engaging in numerous charity activities to help disadvantaged people materially and spiritually. Over the past years, local Buddhists have contributed both money and labour to build houses for low-income people, Agent Orange/Dioxin victims, and those who rendered services to the nation during wartime. They have also helped in constructing bridges and roads to facilitate the travelling of residents in rural areas. The Buddhist community frequently organized such activities as giving free medical examinations and gifts to the needy or scholarships to poor students. Many pagodas held free learning classes for disadvantaged children. Monk Thich Thien Sanh from the Executive Board of the provincial Buddhist Sangha said the board raised more than 200 billion VND (over 9.5 million USD) for charity over the last five years. Notably, local Buddhists have coordinated with the Soc Trang Radio – Television Station to organise a monthly TV broadcast called “Compassion Bridge” to raise fund for the poor. The programme has so far collected more than 7 billion VND (over 333,300 USD), which was used to pay for medical treatment to some 800 people. There are 183 pagodas in Soc Trang at present with nearly 2,000 Buddhist dignitaries and monks. Seminar discusses micro-finance activities in rural development The role that micro-finance plays in sustainable rural development was the highlight of a seminar held in the central province of Quang Binh from July 28-30. Jointly held by the Sustainable Rural Development for the Poor Project (SRDP) and the Quang Binh Development Support Fund, the event attracted the participation of nearly 100 delegates from SRDP beneficiary localities, namely Quang Binh, Ben Tre, Tuyen Quang and Dak Nong. Participants were introduced to micro-finance activities and their development in Vietnam, as well as relevant legal frameworks, together with process of setting up micro-finance institutions and making business strategies and plans for them. They also shared micro-finance development plans in their localities and made a fact-finding tour to Quang Xuan commune in Quang Trach district. The SRDP will be carried out in 40 communes in six districts of Quang Binh from 2014 to 2018, following a credit agreement between the Vietnamese Government and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) signed in Italy last year. Its target is to sustainably improve the income and reduce the vulnerability of rural poor households. The project will invest in climate-smart, socially equitable and profitable rural development models, focusing on market-led development planning, rural financial services and market and value chain investment. Target groups for the projects include poor rural households with land and labour resources, unskilled and unemployed rural people, landless people, ethnic minority people who lack income and skill, and small and medium-sized rural trade enterprises and value-chain entrepreneurs.- Panasonic donates washing machines to needy children Panasonic Vietnam Co. Ltd., on July 30 presented over 1,000 washing machines worth 5 billion VND (235,000 USD) to social welfare centres for children and boarding schools for ethnic children nationwide. The gift was handed over to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam Farmers’ Association, which will then transfer the machines to nearly 400 social welfare centres and 103 boarding schools for ethnic children nationwide. Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen spoke highly of the company’s charitable programme, saying that the gifts will help increase the living conditions of disadvantaged people, especially children. During nearly a decade operating in Vietnam, the Japan-based corporation has actively engaged in community-oriented activities in the country, particularly in education and environment. Specific policies essential to spur Central Highland growth More mechanisms and policies designed specifically for the Central Highlands are needed in order to spur socio-economic development in this region and 29 mountainous district bordering the five Central Highland provinces, heard a conference in Lam Dong province on July 30. Addressing the conference, Politburo member and head of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands General Tran Dai Quang said the new policies and mechanisms should focus on helping target localities make full use of their abundant land resource for developing agriculture in an intensive and diverse manner. He suggested giving priority to industrial trees such as coffee and cattle husbandry, adding that agriculture development should be combined with processing industry and exports. Besides the Central Highlands, mountainous districts bordering the region also received substantial State investment over the past year under the Prime Minister’s instruction in his dispatch No.588 issued in 2009, the committee reported at the conference. During three years from 2009-2011, about 366 billion VND (22.1 million USD) was poured into 83 socio-economic development projects in those districts. General Quang suggested investing more in transport and irrigation works as well as electricity transmission network in these districts in the 2014-2020 period. He asked relevant ministries and local authorities to devise preferential policies to allow people from disadvantaged backgrounds and ethnic minority groups to pursue higher education and join training courses in agro-forestry, education, health and culture. Covering over 54,400 km squares, the Central Highlands groups provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum, with a population of over 5.4 million people, 25.7 percent of them ethnic minorities. Vietnam pockets two bronzes at MS Office finals Vietnamese students brought home two bronze medals at the final round of the 2014 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) held in California, the US, from July 27-30. Tran Minh Tien from the Ho Chi Minh City Banking University won the only bronze in the category of MS Excel while another bronze in the MS PowerPoint 2010 category went to Tran Phuc Duy, a 10th grader at the Dinh Thien Ly High School in HCM City. The MOSWC 2014 drew the participation of 110 teams from countries and territories around the globe. 2014 is the fifth consecutive year that Vietnamese students have competed at the event. Last year, Vietnam won a MS Word 2010 bronze and was among top four countries in the category of MS PowerPoint 2010.- Agricultural sector urged to push satellite technology application Vietnam should further promote the application of remote sensing technology in agricultural production, so as to hasten the restructuring of the sector, a Vietnamese official has said. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh made the suggestion during a workshop held in Hanoi on July 30, which focused on benefits reaped through using the technology in rice farming and plans to expand it to other fields in the future. The sector will firstly apply the technology in forest protection, agricultural land planning and use, he said. According to the Deputy Minister, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has conducted a project on “Remote sensing-based Information and Insurance for Crops in Emerging economies (“RIICE”) in Asia, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, aiming to reduce the vulnerability of rice smallholder farmers in the countries. The involved countries make use of the remote sensing technology to map and observe rice growth. In the same way, the risks involved in agricultural lending by banks to rice smallholders can be reduced through insurance that protects the farmers’ loans against defaulting due to yield losses and thus trigger more investments in agricultural production. In Vietnam, RIICE has been carried out in the northern province of Nam Dinh and the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, allowing users to collect information on weather, rice growing process and output, which serve as a useful foundation for agricultural managers to give appropriate production directions. Apart from the rice production management, the technology has also been used in other fields such as agricultural and forest land management, forest fire warning, landslide and alluvium supervision and disaster management.- Australian-funded vision project continues to benefit southerners The Department of Health of the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau on July 30 launched the second phase of an eye care project funded by the Australian Government. Building on the results of the first phase from 2011 to 2013, the extended project will be implemented via the Brien Holden Vision Institute, in Tan Thanh and Chau Duc districts during one year. The Australian institute will assist eye health communication activities of the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Eye Hospital and help improve the capacity of medical staff. It will also aid Tan Thanh and Chau Duc in setting up two optical clinics, providing 62,340 USD to procure equipment. During the first phase, the project was carried out in Xuyen Moc and Dat Do district, under which more than 20 ophthalmologists and technicians and over 300 local medical staff received intensive training. The project also provided eye check-ups for some 40,000 students at 56 secondary schools and presented 4,000 pairs of spectacles for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Three optical clinics were also established in the districts and have offered services to more than 15,000 people. Ha Giang starts pilot model against HIV/AIDS discrimination A pilot model to raise awareness of the fight against HIV/AIDS and discrimination in ethnic minority-inhabited areas was launched in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang on July 31. The move came as the number of those living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is growing, especially in ethnic minority regions. Ha Giang has so far recorded some 1,700 HIV cases, with 800 developed into the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and over 300 AIDS-related deaths. The model, running between now and late 2015 in Sa Phin commune, Dong Van district, is to curb the rate of HIV infections to below 0.3 percent by 2020, towards the goal of three zeros in new HIV cases, AIDS deaths and discrimination. It will engage local authorities, trade unions and community members, who will be equipped with knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves against the deadly virus. The project is also underway in the Mekong delta province of An Giang on an experimental basis, said Director of the Central Health Communication & Education Centre Dang Quoc Viet.- Programme to improve health care for elderly A programme for the health of the elderly across the country will be launched in Hanoi on August 3. The two-month programme will be jointly held by the Central Committees of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF) and the Vietnam Young Physicians Association, and the Nhat Nhat Pharmacy Co., Ltd. It will provide free check-ups, medicine and gifts for older and retired people in all the 63 provinces and cities, especially those with difficulties. Free eye operations and examinations to quickly find out cardiovascular and geriatric diseases will be conducted together with campaigns to raise public awareness of health care for the elderly, and those to call for viscera and cornea donation. About 3,000 young doctors and 5,000 volunteers are expected to participate in the event, which is expected to benefit about 33,000 people. As part of the practical activities affirming the vanguard role of youths, particularly young doctors, in caring the elderly, the event is also to respond to the 2014 Volunteer Youth Year, and mark the 23 rd anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons and the 58 years of VYF’s traditional day. A ceremony to review the programme will take place in Ho Chi Minh City on October 1.- Poor fishermen receive free health check-ups About 800 poor fishermen in the central province of Quang Ngai on July 30 were provided with free check-ups and medicine. The charity event was organised by the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC), its Quang Ngai chapter and the Hanoi Beer Commercial Joint Stock Company, in response to the programme “joining hands for national sea and islands”. On this occasion, medicine and first-aid kits were also presented to 100 offshore fishermen in Ly Son island district so that they can deal with injuries from accidents at sea. Meanwhile, six fishermen captured by China in early July were given financial assistance worth 25 million VND (1,175 USD) in total. Deputy head of the VRC-Quang Ngai chapter Le Thi Anh Thu said she hopes that this kind of activity will be carried out in other districts. APEC workshop boosts solar energy supply chain The role of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in boosting the supply chain of solar energy is the main focus of a workshop held in Hanoi from July 31 to August 1. Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu stressed the need to effectively exploit and take full advantage of renewable energies such as solar energy, wind power and biomass. These can help reduce the exhaustion of non-renewable resources, ensure supply for the operation of the economy and industrial development, as well as boost economic growth of APEC member economies, he said. Ronald Steenblikx, a representative from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), said APEC leading officials and ministers from its member economies have paid much attention to the sustainable development of energies, particularly renewable ones. In 2012, APEC leaders set a target of a 45 percent improvement in efficiency by 2035. However, a report on APEC energy outlook by the Asia-Pacific Energy Research Centre and APEC Energy Working Group showed APEC’s energy efficiency surge over the last three decade. Primary energy consumption is expected to grow by 53 percent by 2035. Without reductions in energy intensity, APEC energy demand will grow at the same rate as the region’s GDP, which is projected to jump about 225 percent by that year, said the report. To deal with energy challenges, Dr. Phyllis Genther Yoshida, head of the working group, suggested APEC economies work closely to raise public awareness of climate change and ways to use energy effectively, as well as to speed up research on low carbon emission technologies and green house gas emission reduction. Dien Bien shares experience in building REDD+ action plan The northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien on July 30 held a workshop to share its experience in building the provincial REDD+ action plan (PRAP) on reducing greenhouse gas emission. Dien Bien is the first province in the country to have completed and launched a PRAP with assistance from the Japanese Government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The provincial People’s Committee approved the plan, designed for the 2013-2020 period, on May 26 this year. REDD+ aims to reduce emissions by efforts to curb deforestation and forest degradation while promoting sustainable management of forest, conservation and enhancement of carbon stocks. Vietnam ’s mountainous provinces are being helped to build their own REDD+ action plans by JICA via the project for Sustainable Forest Management in the Northwest Watershed Area (SUSFORM-NOW). Also at the function, Dien Bien launched a provincial forest monitoring system, which is an important part of its PRAP. Under the plan, the locality aims to achieve 40,641 tonnes in annual net increase in carbon stock, raise forest coverage to 45 percent by 2015 while zoning off 6,555ha of forests in Muong Phang and Muong Muon communes for REED+ implementation. The goals set for the next period from 2016-202 are 376,650 tonnes, 50 percent and 264,000ha, respectively. The REDD+ action plan is built amid downgrading ecosystem and biodiversity in Vietnam . In 2012, the Government issued the National REDD+ Action Plan with the aim of bettering forest management and climate change resilience. Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND