UN to help Vietnam with industrial waste reduction

The steel refinement industry is one of four sectors chosen for a UN waste management project in Vietnam.

A United Nations organization has pledged to help Vietnam develop waste treatment techniques and reduce industrial pollution, the global body announced at a two-day conference this week.

The project, supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), will be carried out over a two-year period in four industries: waste management, steel, cement and paper, news website VnExpress reported Sunday.

UNIDO will provide US$800,000 to develop human resources and infrastructure facilities for reducing the discharge of organic waste that doesn't decompose easily.

Experts at the Hanoi conference said that the high speed of urbanization and industrialization in Vietnam has changed the environmental conditions in both urban and rural areas for the worse.

According to statistics, Vietnam has built an average of one new urban area every month for the past ten years.

The country has more than 200 industrial zones, but only 105 have built waste treatment plants.

(Source: Thanhniennews)