Vietnam Country Environmental Analysis

Developing countries tend to have “the most fragile environments” (Baker 197) which is due to the flow of resources dictated by the core. The core, taking advantage of the developmental level developing countries are on, exploit their lack of laws restraining harm to the environment, setting up factories causing even more environmental damage. Thus when comparing the environmental status of a developed country to a developing country there are major differences. These differences are the interaction of the people with the environment, in terms of needs, and the number of factories profiteering from the use and exploitation of natural resources. When this difference is identified then it is easier to assess not only the source but also to create laws prohibiting this exploitation and constructing programs to reverse environmental damages to specific circumstances, helping developing countries to move forward on the developmental scale instead of backwards. If this is taken into account then why is the source causing environmental damage, the core, not stopped? This is due to the dominant ideology stating that with infinite economic growth, eventually the sustainability of the environment will be achieved. The developing countries reinforces this by inviting and encouraging organizations to base their factories in their country which has immediate results, creating a smoke screen

Collier asserts that the poorest states are in need of rapid economic growth which creates tension between poverty reduction and the perversion of nature. This is most evident in China where their desire to grow economically has come at the price of pollution. While China has grown exponentially economically and have reduced poverty, this growth is not sustainable due to their negligence of the environment. The level of pollution in major cities has hurt the Chinese economy because individuals are refusing to do business there due to health concerns. This effects Chinese businesses and their tourism industry. More times than not, states will choose economic growth, however, in the long run this choice will negatively impact their economy.

Wilson asserts, “No one should look to GNPs and corporate annual reports for a competent projection of the world’s long-term economic future.” In other words, the Gross National Product (GNP) and corporations will not accurately depict the long-term economic future, due to the lack of environmental factors that if implemented would surely fluctuate the projections. Furthermore, the more reliable sources are from research reports from the natural-resource specialists and ecological economists that provide an accurate representation of the financial and environmental future. In addition, the environmental experts factor in the imperil that is posed to the environment while expanding the economy. Thus, the idealistic balance between the environment and economy will not be found in the GNP reports, but in the ecological economist reports that can veritably attest to both sides of the political spectrum. On a national scale, converting to renewable energy is not prioritized, due to the fact the fossil fuel industry has an abundant of sizable investments. So, reasonably an annual national report would be in favor of the large corporations, such as the fossil fuel industry. As a result, the projections for the economic-future with fossil fuel as our main energy source is one-sided and

Environmental change is a logical certainty, and progressively a lived human concern. However, it is not yet what everybody should call social-global problem in one voice. It's not an essential almost we shape our social practices, nor a sufficiently huge social standard to go about as an imperative on our conduct. Around the planet there is developing energy to characterize environmental change as a security issue and thus as a motivation topping issue that merits noteworthy consideration and assets. Calls for movement are developing - yet at the same time outlined activities to address the issue has a cost or weight that will hamper business and go about as a drag on the economy.

As an eco-certifying organization, is not surprising that RFA has an unambiguous, holistic, but thorough idea of sustainability. It must set lofty ideals for corporations and companies to strive towards, in order for said organizations to receive RFA’s eco- certification. RFA’s ideals and assumptions about sustainability seem to be rooted in its notion that “the health of the land is inextricably connected to the well-being of those who depend on it for their livelihoods” (“About Us | Rainforest Alliance,” n.d.). The sustainability of the environment, the vitality of the economy, and the maintenance of a prosperous and satisfied society are valid expansions of RFA’s aforementioned notion, and they most certainly resonate

However, the form of engagement and how the public contributes to the topic is in constant discussion in the literature (Chess and Pursell, 1999; Renn, 2006; Webler and Tuler, 2006). Another problem is that the public consists of many groups with different value structures and preferences, and conciliating all stakeholders’ interests is a tough task. A systematic procedure to reach consensus and preferences is necessary to reach a clear public position. Thus participatory processes are needed that combine technical expertise, rational decision making, public values and preferences (Renn, 2006). Knowing what people think about public participation processes and what they want from them is essential to achieve success in environmental

While industrialization has been strongly associated with greenhouse gas emissions, it is premature, however, to conclude that economic growth is the independent factor responsible to climate change. Neumayer (1998) contended that there is no sound scientific evidence documenting consequences of economic development on the environmental degradation in the long term (p. 4). There is also no linear association between economic growth and environmental deterioration, as maintained by Ferguson et al. (1996, p. 28) that the existing evidence “cannot be used to justify a view that economic growth (…) will automatically be good or bad for the environment” (cited in Neumayer 1998, p. 16).

Overall, I feel that it is mainly large scale economic development projects that are not possible without causing some environmental degradation. Construction is one of the main reasons for this, for any development to take place an area must be used efficiently to maximize space for development. A great example of this is the 3 Gorges Dam in China; this cost over $25 billion to build. Yes, it was financially positive, however a lot of land was taken, which led to huge disruptions in local ecosystems.

In general, this report discusses the successes and failures overall, analyzes sustainable development, institutional gaps, and also a call to action. Both Lomborg and The Brundtland Report agree that “...infant mortality is falling; human life expectancy is increasing; the proportion of the world’s adults who can read and write is climbing; the proportion of children starting school is rising; and global food production increases faster than the population grows.” (Brundtland 93) In conjunction with all the positive actions being taken; there are also environmental trends that threaten to radically alter the planet, that threaten the lives of many species upon it, including the human species. There has also been a growing realization in national government and multilateral institutions that it is impossible to separate economic development issues from environmental issues. Nevertheless, “humanity has the capability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland 95) Furthermore, the goal for sustainable development and the integrated nature of the global environment/development challenges pose problems for institutions. “There is a growing need for effective international cooperation to manage ecological and economic interdependence.” (Brundtland 97) Last but not least, “To achieve the needed changes, we believe that an active follow-up of this report is imperative. It is with this in mind that we call for the UN General Assembly, upon due consideration, to transform this report into a UN Programme on Sustainable Development.” (Brundtland 99) There are many environmental issues occurring to our beautiful planet right now and will

The environmental crisis is the biggest crisis of our time, climate change, scarcity of fresh water, land contamination and bio diversity loss are just a few of the problems caused by the environmental crisis. Macro as well as grass roots organizations have formed to combat the dire effects of the environmental crisis like the United Nations frame work on Environmental Change and The Green Belt Movement in Kenya. The environmental crisis led to initiatives such as “sustainable development” but

East Timor is one of the world’s beautiful and vast tropical wildernesses. A lot of the country’s economic activity lies on the premises of the country’s landscape. The economic outlook of the country is centered on its history and potential for development. There are several emerging industries and future sources of income present in East Timor that are based on the country’s environmental strengths.

The global decline of the environment is readily observable. Today, the quality of air, water and land resources is increasingly compromised because of the pollutants that contaminate the environment. For the sake of industrialization and economic development, some countries are willing to risk their natural resources. Environmental degradation can be seen anywhere. According to some observers, environmental degradation is more rampant in countries with poor economic conditions as compared to more affluent countries (Ambler, n.d.). China and India, for instance, are developing countries yet it is among the biggest contributor to air pollution in terms of carbon dioxide emission ( PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2014). Most often, leaders of developing economies are willing to

Growing public concern regarding environmental issues means that decision makers can no longer assume that the public will continue to tolerate continuing environmental exploitation. Especially if this lead to damage of the environment.

Vietnam is experiencing a rapid and significant structural shift of its economy away from agriculture, forestry and fisheries towards industrialization. This economic growth has brought significant benefits to the people of Vietnam. Income and education have increased, while poverty has substantially declined. However, natural resources have been severely depleted and environmental quality has declined due to the rise in pollution levels. http://icem.com.au/documents/envassessment/wb_cea/WB_CEA.pdf Figure 1 demonstrates that Vietnam is one of the highest ranked countries in the world in terms of pollution index.

This reflects the GOB’s increasing commitment to reorient policies and action in line with the new environmental perspective. In addition a force have been made to adjust the Governments institutional structures in order to direct more attention towards environmental issues. Most recently this restructuring has included the establishment of a department of environment (DOE) with broader mandate for environmental management and which come under the ministry of environment and forest and an environment and safety division within the Governments oil and gas corporation, Petrobangla.