Issue No.08/2012 (16-30 April, 2012)

ENERGY
Vietnam’s first wind farm goes on line
19 Apr, 2012
VietNamNet Bridge – A wind farm went into operation on April 18 in the central province of Binh Thuan’s Tuy Phong District, the first of its kind in Vietnam.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised the efforts of the province and the Vietnam Renewable Energies Joint Stock Company for caring out the work.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/science-technology/21363/vietnam-s-first...

Largest solar power station built in Vietnam
24 Apr, 2012
Intel Products Vietnam heralded a grand opening of the largest solar power station in Vietnam at the Saigon High-Tech Park on April 23.
After nearly five months of construction and a cost of approximately US$1.1 million, the new solar power station is expected to supply about 30 per cent of Intel’s total electricity consumption in a year for the next 20 consecutive years.
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Science_Technology/2012/4/100865/

Wind power hub planned for City
26 Apr, 2012
VietNamNet Bridge – A proposal to make the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve in HCM City the biggest wind power hub in the south is being drafted for submission to the People's Committee by the Cong Ly Company.
Costing VND10 trillion (US$500 million), the wind-power plant will supply more than 200MW of electricity to the city.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/science-technology/21648/wind-power-hub-...

Vietnam begins to produce fuel by recycling plastic waste
29 Apr, 2012
A worker gathers oil produced by recycling plastic bags April 20 at Vietnam’s first such plant in Da Nang Vietnam’s first factory to recycle solid waste into fuel and bricks has begun operations in Da Nang.
The factory, built by the Vietnam Environment JSC, produced the first batch last Friday, generating oil from plastic bags and environment-friendly coal and bricks from other kinds of garbage, news website VietNamNet reported Monday.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/04/vietnam-begins-to-produce-fuel-by-r...

TRANSPORT
Hanoi plans to double traffic fines
26 Apr, 2012

LookAtVietnam – The Hanoi People’s Committee has asked the Ministry of Justice’s permission to double fines on traffic violations in the city’s inlying area and seize vehicles of illegal racers.
According to the city authorities, after raising traffic fines on some kinds of violation, on a trial basis, from May 20, 2010, to March 15, 2012, the local traffic police agency punished over 1.13 million cases, collecting nearly VND290 billion (over $14.5 million) of fines.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/04/hanoi-plans-to-double-traffic-fines...

Four ministries release report on vehicle fires
27 Apr, 2012
LookAtVietnam – Relevant agencies have researched more than 400 vehicle fires in Vietnam and concluded that these incidents were caused by different reasons, including short circuit, traffic accident, getting fires from other sources, etc, not by under-qualified gasoline.
The report, compiled by the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Transport, was released on April 26.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/04/four-ministries-release-report-on-v...

Hanoi to ban parking on more roads
27 Apr, 2012
LookAtVietnam – Hanoi’s Vice Chair Nguyen Van Khoi on April 26 asked districts to propose more streets free from parking, besides the current 267 streets of this kind.
Mr. Khoi said that the model of streets free from parking, which is applied for 262 streets in the city, had proven to be effective. Without parking vehicles, these roads have become clearer and this policy is warmly supported by the people
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/04/hanoi-to-ban-parking-on-more-roads....

Transport Ministry bans use of ‘unsafe” modified trucks
30 Apr, 2012
LookAtVietnam – Four types of modified trucks are to be refused from being granted their certificates for operation because of overloading highways, damaging roads and other safety risks.
These new regulations have been lined out in a new document issued by the Ministry of Transport because of the safety risks they pose and the damage they do to the nation’s roads and highways. The document took effect in the middle of last month.
http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2012/04/transport-ministry-bans-use-of-unsa...

CLIMATE CHANGE
Green Climate Fund to be set up in VN
16 Apr, 2012
VietNamNet Bridge – A national Green Climate Fund will soon be set up to facilitate future financial flow from the global Green Climate Fund into Viet Nam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to work with relevant finance and planning ministries to establish the fund after reviewing the United Nations COP 17 climate summit held in Durban last December.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/environment/21222/green-climate-fund-to-...

HCM City getting increasingly warmer
16 Apr, 2012
VietNamNet Bridge – The average temperature in HCM City has been increasing rapidly and steadily in the last three decades, while the gap between the temperature of the city and neighboring areas has widened.
HCM City dwellers all say that they can clearly feel it is getting hotter and muggier. Experts have blamed this on the rapid and uncontrolled urbanization process, which has put the city under the influence of the urban heat island effect.
Hot in daytime and at night
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/environment/21187/hcm-city-getting-incre...

Climate policy needs local voice
20 Apr, 2012
VietNamNet Bridge – Communities, despite playing a vital role in climate change adaptation, did not have their own voice in major dialogues, prompting a change in the way we should communicate about climate change.
Margareta Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, pointed out that although communities were often the first to be affected by natural disasters, very often they were only heard through intermediaries.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/environment/21416/climate-policy-needs-l...

Climate change poses serious threat to Vietnam's economy
24 Apr, 2012
According to estimates, climate change has caused a 2% loss in GDP because of property damage, and the threat of much higher losses looms as the earth warms.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced their estimates on April 19, at the 6th International conference on community-based adaptation to climate change (CBA - 6), in Hanoi.
http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=59&ID=116391&C...