At the seminar (Source: //baotainguyenmoitruong.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – As environmental disputes, especially between citizens and businesses,are increasing, it is important to ensure better environmental justice as wellas people’s access to information and participation in decision-making inenvironmental matters that affect them. This was the corepremise of the thematic discussion entitled “Environmental disputes, socialchanges and distributive justice: Case studies, comparative analysis, andpolicy implications for Vietnam” which was held in Hanoi on January 25. According to the 2016Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index(PAPI), environmental concerns ranked as the second most urgent matter thatcitizens expected the State to address after poverty and hunger. The 2016 PAPI surveyalso shows that 77 percent of the respondents suggested that the State shouldgive priority to environmental protection rather than economic growth at allcosts. The United NationsDevelopment Programmme (UNDP) in Vietnam and the National Economics University(NEU) co-organised this event to present and discuss the findings of theirlatest thematic research, which provides insights into the causes and effectsof past and on-going environmental disputes. Utilisingenvironmental justice and social construction frameworks, the research haspresented policy options for Vietnam to consider in its efforts to promote ahealthier environment for all. UNDP Country Directorin Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen highlighted the need to better understand the dynamics of environmental disputes in Vietnam, the socio-economicand political implications to safeguard environmental rights, as well as accessto justice for those who are victims.
She said the casestudies analysed in the research and experience from other countries show thatthree factors are important in order to ensure environmental rights: consultingwith communities before governments take actions that will affect theenvironment; ensuring individuals have access to information and toparticipating in decision-making in environmental matters that affect them; andproviding access to courts or any mediation mechanisms to settle environmentaldisputes.
According to Professor Tran Tho Dat, Presidentof the National Economics University, most policy and research initiatives inVietnam have focused on the levels of pollution, leaving environmentalinjustice under-studied. A one-sided focus on the harm caused by pollution canunderestimate the sense of injustice that animates and amplifies environmentaldisputes.
“Environmental disputes are not justeconomic-technical issues but social ones,” Tho said, adding that research andinternational experience show that administrative management system, on itsown, cannot effectively control environmeꦐntalꩵ pollution and solve disputes.
