Ba Ria - Vung Tau: Effectively leveraging international resources for environmental protection

Benefiting from numerous preferential policies from international environmental protection projects, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province has effectively leveraged and maximized these critical resources.

Cooperation with Sakai Ccty (Japan) to build a “carbon-free city”

A highlight of Ba Ria - Vung Tau’s international cooperation in environmental protection is the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen and promote cooperation in the ecological field, aiming to build a “Carbon-Free City, Circular Economy, and Develop Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) Projects,” between the provincial People’s Committee and Sakai City (Japan).

The event took place at the end of 2023 during the COP28 Conference in Dubai (United Arab Emirates - UAE).

In implementing the MoU, during 2024–2025, Sakai City and Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province have actively coordinated to build a mutually beneficial cooperation relationship in the environmental sector, aiming toward a “Carbon-Free City,” “Circular Economy” and potential development of JCM projects, in compliance with the laws and regulations of each country and the international treaties to which they are parties.

Sakai City has been selected by the Japanese Government as a “leading decarbonization area” with a project focused on local energy production and consumption. Sharing this experience, Sakai’s Environmental Policy Division stated that by reducing energy use and emissions, Ba Ria-Vung Tau could save costs, increase efficiency, and reduce waste. The division emphasized that the carbon-neutral solutions already implemented in Sakai can be entirely applicable in Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Sakai City committed to supporting the province in solid waste management, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.

Cooperation with multiple partners on water resource protection

Regarding water resource protection, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province has received support from international organizations to implement two projects: “Enhancing Capacity for Water Environmental Management in Vietnam,” funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and “Pollution Management in Industrial Zones of the Dong Nai and Nhue-Day River Basins (VIPM)” funded by the World Bank

Under the JICA project, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment selected Ba Ria-Vung Tau to participate in two components: strengthening capacity for environmental monitoring and analysis, water environment inspection, and capacity building for environmental awareness activities.

After five years of implementation, the project has delivered many positive results. In the monitoring and analysis component, provincial environmental technicians and engineers participated in training sessions guided by JICA experts on sampling methods and analysis techniques to accurately reflect pollution levels and the concentration of hazardous substances in wastewater, river water, and seawater.

The project also provided Ba Ria-Vung Tau with several pieces of equipment for environmental monitoring and management, such as gas chromatographs (GC) and atomic absorption spectrometers (AAS).

In the pollution source inventory component, JICA experts supported the province in investigating, mapping, and documenting pollution sources across hundreds of facilities in sectors such as seafood processing, rubber, tourism, oil and gas, hazardous waste treatment, and various industries located in industrial parks and clusters.

The project also supplied the province with ArcGIS geographic information system software and organized training sessions for staff from specialized agencies.

Under the VIPM project, Ba Ria - Vung Tau participated in three components: Strengthening institutional and technical capacity in industrial pollution control; Pilot re-lending to construct wastewater treatment systems for industrial parks in participating provinces; Technical assistance and project management.

Thanks to this project’s support, the province was provided with three automatic monitoring stations along the Thi Vai River, specialized monitoring vehicles, handheld equipment, and rapid on-site measurement tools.

According to Mr. Pham Quoc Dang, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, in recent years, environmental protection has always been identified as a key task and has received appropriate investment. The province has effectively combined resources, techniques, technologies, and experience from international partners. As a result, Ba Ria-Vung Tau has consistently ranked among the top five provinces nationwide in implementing the National Environmental Protection Criteria.

Bui Tho