Resolution No. 27/NQ-CP On urgent measures in state management of natural resources and environment

RESOLUTION

On urgent solutions in state management of natural resources and the environment

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To strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of state management of natural resources and the environment, to intensify cadastral surveying and map-making, striving to complete the issuance of certificates of land use rights for all types of land nationwide by 2010; clearly identify paddy fields for strict protection to ensure national food security; promptly prevent and handle facilities causing environmental pollution; strictly control water resource exploitation and utilization activities and wastewater discharge into water sources; study forecasts and proactively develop effective measures to respond to climate change; reduce the volume of extraction of certain natural resources and minerals and limit the export of raw materials; improve mechanisms and policies to fully exploit potential and increase revenue from the natural resources and environment sector for the state budget; develop marine economy in conjunction with protecting marine resources and environment and safeguarding sovereignty over Vietnam's maritime zones and islands, the Government resolves:

I. SOLUTIONS AND TASKS

A. LAND, SURVEYING AND MAPS SECTOR

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall be responsible for:

a) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors and localities to implement the Project to create state-owned land funds serving public interest goals, social policies, land market regulation, and resettlement support after approval by competent authorities;

b) Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to provide specific guidance on land clearance for investment construction projects and road safety corridors according to the provisions of the law.

2. Provincial People's Committees shall focus on directing the acceleration of cadastral surveying and map-making linked to the establishment of land records; cadastral surveying and map-making must be carried out according to the progress and requirements of land registration; ensuring the basic completion of land registration and issuance of land use right certificates by 2010; clearly identifying paddy fields for strict protection; conducting boundary marking and assigning management responsibilities for areas requiring strict protection of specialized rice-growing land.

B. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION SECTOR

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall be responsible for:

a) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial People's Committees to strengthen inspection and supervision of compliance with environmental protection laws by operating facilities, particularly focusing on facilities located in urban areas, densely populated areas, industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech parks, economic zones, and major river basins; direct and resolve prominent and pressing environmental issues, hotspots;

b) Strengthen direction, inspection, and supervision of thorough pollution treatment at serious environmental pollution sources according to Decision No. 64/2003/QD-TTg dated April 22, 2003 of the Prime Minister; urgently implement measures to address existing problems and improve the effectiveness of the Plan for Thorough Treatment of Serious Environmental Pollution Sources; resolutely suspend operations of facilities that fail to meet deadlines and continue causing pollution;

c) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial People's Committees to strengthen inspection of proper and efficient use of environmental protection funds; enhance cooperation between specialized environmental protection inspection agencies and environmental police forces in preventing, detecting, and handling violations of environmental protection laws.

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall cooperate with the Ministry of Finance and provincial People's Committees to compile statistics, plan, and allocate funds for the disposal and destruction of expired pesticides, pesticides of unknown origin, and pesticides not included in the permitted list; guide the construction of storage facilities for expired pesticides, ending the emergence of pesticide storage facilities causing serious environmental pollution; guide the rational use of fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of diseased livestock and poultry; guide the planning of centralized production areas in craft villages to reduce pollution while preserving the cultural beauty of these villages; review, amend, and supplement appropriate management mechanisms and policies to prevent illegal importation and sale of pesticides not permitted in Vietnam.

3. The Ministry of Health shall direct the work of source classification, collection, and treatment of medical waste at healthcare facilities nationwide according to the law.

4. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall direct, guide, and inspect the implementation of environmental protection laws at industrial and commercial facilities; carry out relocation and treatment of serious environmental pollution sources; implement environmental protection requirements during the development of industry and sector plans within their jurisdiction; direct the development of the environmental industry, guide the implementation of cleaner production, application of clean and environmentally friendly technologies for industrial facilities, transform industrial production models towards sustainability, aiming for a green industry.

5. The Ministry of Public Security shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, relevant ministries, and sectors to study and propose increased authority for environmental police forces; quickly reorganize organizational structure, staffing, and training, ensuring funding to enhance the capacity of environmental police forces.

6. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to amend and supplement regulations on managing environmental public expenditure to support and manage such funds more effectively for environmental protection work; it must ensure consistency with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Planning and Investment before submitting annual public expenditure plans for environmental affairs of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and centrally-administered provinces and cities to the Government.

7. Provincial People's Committees shall direct the allocation of sufficient staff for environmental management at district and commune levels; direct the inspection of regular budget allocation for environmental public expenditure; organize inspection, audit, and review work according to regulations on project review, confirmation of implementation of decisions approving environmental impact assessment reports within their jurisdiction; intensify inspection, audit, and handling of violations of environmental protection laws, and thoroughly address serious pollution sources within their administrative areas.

C. FIELD OF METEOROLOGY, HYDROLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to be responsible for:

a) Strengthening state management agencies for meteorology, hydrology, and climate change; intensifying state management over meteorology and hydrology to improve disaster forecasting and warning quality;

b) Accelerating modernization of forecasting technology and observation networks for tropical depression, typhoon, flood forecasting to enhance disaster forecasting and warning quality;

c) Enhancing construction and implementation of clean development projects;

d) Preparing well for the drafting of the Law on Meteorology and Hydrology to be submitted to the National Assembly by the Government; taking the lead and coordinating with ministries, sectors, and provincial people's committees to promptly implement the National Target Program on Climate Change Response;

đ) Intensifying information dissemination and propaganda to raise public awareness about climate change risks and adaptation measures; enhancing Vietnam’s role in international activities related to climate change response.

2. Ministries, sectors, and provincial people's committees within their respective responsibilities shall direct and organize effective disaster prevention and control work, propaganda to raise public awareness about climate change response; actively and proactively implement the National Target Program on Climate Change Response.

D. FIELD OF WATER RESOURCES

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall be responsible for:

a) Review, build, and perfect the system of policies and laws on water resources towards economic and financial management of the water sector, accelerating the development of water services;

b) Urge and coordinate with provincial people's committees to strengthen supervision over water extraction, use, and wastewater discharge causing water pollution; ensuring that by 2011, basic completion of licensing for water extraction and use projects for hydropower, agricultural production, and urban water supply which require licensing; strictly handle cases of serious wastewater discharge causing water pollution;

c) Identify the list of seriously polluted and depleted water sources affecting people's lives and socio-economic development, propose solutions to restore them and submit to the Prime Minister in 2009;

d) Urgently build and perfect the national water resource inventory plan, the plan for exploitation, utilization, and protection of water resources in river basins, socio-economic regions, and key economic zones, and submit to the Prime Minister;

đ) Strengthen international cooperation in the field of water resources; take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the Agreement on Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin; establish mechanisms for border water management, exploitation, and use; develop a cooperation plan with China regarding sharing water resources in the Red River Basin, and submit for approval by the Prime Minister as soon as possible.

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall be responsible for reviewing water demand, adjusting production structures, crops, and livestock breeds suitable to water resource trends and potential, especially during periods of water scarcity in frequently water-scarce areas.

3. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to direct the handling of industrial facilities under its management causing water pollution and degradation; proactively research and apply advanced technologies to treat industrial wastewater and waste, reduce water pollution and environmental damage.

4. The Ministry of Construction shall be responsible for taking the lead and coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to direct and review water supply and drainage planning for major cities, towns, and concentrated residential areas; guide and inspect the construction of urban water supply, drainage, and wastewater treatment infrastructure.

5. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and relevant ministries and sectors to review and recommend amendments to regulations on water resource taxes; study and propose regulations on fees for water exploitation and use, and water resource protection fees.

6. Provincial People's Committees shall be responsible for:

a) Investigate, statistically analyze, and strictly supervise wastewater discharge sources causing water pollution; intensify inspection, audit, and thorough handling of water pollution sources; compile lists of polluted, degraded, and depleted water sources and propose solutions for restoration; large cities shall control domestic and industrial wastewater discharge into surface waters, construct centralized wastewater treatment systems for residential areas to reduce load and improve the quality of rivers, canals, and streams within their administrative areas.

b) Organize the investigation, inventory, and assessment of water resources, the current status of water exploitation and utilization at the local level; intensify planning for water resources, initially setting quality targets for water, delineating areas with depleted and polluted water sources, and regions where groundwater levels have dropped excessively; rectify situations of drilling, exploiting, and using water resources without permits, causing pollution and depletion of water sources.

D. FIELD OF GEOLOGY AND MINERALS

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance to strengthen investment measures to assess, investigate, and discover deep mineral resources; geological investigations regarding mineral resources need to be expanded into the sea in the coming period.

2. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall be responsible for:

a) Taking the lead and coordinating with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Construction to review projects on the planning of exploration, exploitation, and processing of minerals; guide the development of a roadmap to reduce the volume of exploitation and limit the export of raw materials for important minerals such as coal, oil, natural gas, and metals, reporting to the Prime Minister in the third quarter of 2009;

b) Taking the lead and coordinating with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Construction, and provincial People's Committees to inspect and evaluate the implementation of approved plans for exploration, exploitation, processing, and utilization of minerals, proposing adjustments to report to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 2010.

3. The Ministry of Finance shall continue to review policies and laws related to taxes, fees, and charges concerning activities of exploration, exploitation, processing, and utilization of mineral resources, identifying shortcomings and proposing solutions to address them; in the fourth quarter of 2009, report to the Prime Minister on amending the export tax policy for minerals to encourage domestic production, business, and processing of minerals, increasing state budget revenue.

E. FIELD OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARINE AND ISLAND ECONOMY

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall be responsible for:

a) Review the division of tasks for basic investigations between ministries, sectors, and coastal localities; guide and organize the implementation of comprehensive marine zoning plans as a basis for organizing the exploitation, utilization, and protection of marine and island resources, promoting economic and social development in Vietnam; enhance the management capacity and responsibility of local authorities in managing coastal areas;

b) Improve mechanisms for managing and utilizing data from basic investigations and resource-environment management; quickly establish a database on Vietnam's marine resources and environment, ensuring systematic, synchronized, modern, and highly reliable information to serve the formulation of guidelines and policies for developing the marine economy "moving out to the sea and mastering maritime zones";

c) Strengthen training of human resources and technical facilities to support basic investigations and management of marine resources and environment;

d) Accelerate the progress of drafting the Law on Protection of Marine Resources and Environment for submission to the Government for comments;

đ) Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant ministries and sectors to organize surveys, map creation, and documentation to serve negotiations, planning, and demarcation of maritime boundaries;

2. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and coastal provinces to define management boundaries of the sea, submitting to the Government in 2010.

II. IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall monitor and inspect the implementation of this Resolution, promptly reporting difficulties and obstacles to the Prime Minister; regularly report to the Government on the results of implementation every six months.

2. This Resolution shall take effect from the date of signature.

3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees are responsible for implementing this Resolution./.