Decision 611/QD-TTg 2024 approve the Master Plan for national environment protection for 2021-2030

DECISION

Approving the Master Plan for national environment protection
for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050

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THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government; and the November 22, 2019 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Organization of the Government and the Law on Organization of Local Administration;

Pursuant to the November 17, 2020 Law on Environment Protection;

Pursuant to the November 24, 2017 Planning Law;

Pursuant to the June 15, 2018 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of Eleven Laws Related to the Planning Law;

Pursuant to the November 20, 2018 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of Thirty Seven Laws related to the Planning Law;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 37/2019/ND-CP of May 7, 2019 detailing a number of articles of the Planning Law;

Pursuant to the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 61/2022/QH15 of June 16, 2022 on continuing to enhance the effect and efficiency of implementing policies and laws on planning and some solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles, accelerate the planning progress and improve the quality of planning for the 2021-2030 period;

Pursuant to the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 81/2023/QH15 of January 9, 2023 on the National Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP of February 5, 2018 on the implementation of the Planning Law;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 119/NQ-CP of September 27, 2021 on tasks and solutions to improve the quality and accelerate the progress of planning for the 2021-2030 period;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 450/QD-TTg of April 13, 2022 approving the Strategy of National Environment Protection to 2030, with a vision to 2050;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 274/QD-TTg of February 18, 2020 approving the task of developing the Master Plan for environment protection for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050;

At the proposal of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in Report No. 44/TTr-BTNMT dated May 3, 2024 regarding the request for approval of the National Environment Protection Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050; Appraisal Report No. 113/BC-HDTDQH dated December 4, 2023.

DECIDES:

Article 1. Approving the Master Plan for national environment protection for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 with the following main contents:

1. Perspective

- The Master Plan for national environment protection must be consistent with the guidelines, policies and regulations of the Party, and the laws of the State, as well as the international commitments on environmental protection of which Vietnam is a participant and signatory; meet the requirements for achieving the goals of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy, the Strategy for National Environment Protection, the National Master Plan, the Spatial Plan for National marine, the Master Plan for National land use, and the Scenarios of Climate change. The Master Plan for environment protection must be linked to the tasks of national defense and security across the entire country.

           - The Master Plan for environment protection provides orientation for environmental protection in national sectoral planning, regional planning, and provincial planning, ensures the principle of consistency, not trading off the environment for economic development, environmental factors must be taken into consideration in every activity of socio-economic development, harmonizing with nature, respecting natural laws, and developing the economy with the mindset of green economy, circular economy, and low-carbon economy to minimize waste generation towards the goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, facilitating an equitable energy transition, and contributing to the successful implementation of the country's socio-economic targets for the 2021-2030 period.

- The Master Plan for national environment protection guarantees the openness and flexibility to integrate and incorporate into other relevant plans, aiming to achieve goals of sustainable development, adaptation to climate change, and early and proactive prevention from environmental issues; promotes means of integrated management and overall approach based on natural ecosystems.

- The Master Plan for environment protection aims to enhance harmonious connectivity in the management and protection of the environment among socio-economic regions, provinces, and centrally-run cities; proactively preventing, controlling, and remediating pollution and improving environmental quality, protecting areas with environmentally sensitive factors; focusing on addressing transboundary, interregional, and interprovincial environment issues; combining with the conservation of natural values and biodiversity, and promoting the efficient, sustainable, and economical use of natural resources.

- Diversify investment resources to implement the Master plan of national environment protection; maximize mobilization of social resources in combination with increased budget expenditure; apply the principle that polluters must pay for the cost of treatment and compensation for environmental damage, and beneficiaries of environmental values must pay; effectively use economic tools combined with raising awareness, sense of responsibility, and actions in environmental protection among party committees, authorities, organizations, businesses, and citizens.

2. Objectives

a) General objectives

Proactively prevent and control pollution and environmental degradation; restore and improve environmental quality; prevent biodiversity loss and enhance biodiversity quality, ensuring the people's right to live in a clean environment based on the rational arrangement and orientation of spatial allocation and zoning of environmental quality management; provide the orientation for the establishment of protected areas, nature and biodiversity reserves; form centralized waste treatment areas at national, regional, and provincial levels; provide the orientation for the construction of a national and provincial environmental monitoring and warning network; promote sustainable socio-economic growth towards the green economy, circular economy, and low-carbon economy, harmonizing with nature and being environmentally friendly, proactively responding to climate change.

      b) Specific objectives

           - For environmental zoning: Provide orientation for unified environmental zoning nationwide based on criteria for environmental sensitivity factors that are vulnerable to pollution impacts, aiming to minimize negative impacts on the normal life and development of humans and organisms.

- For nature conservation and biodiversity: Provide orientation for conserving natural values and biodiversity, and natural heritage to restore and maintain natural ecosystems, and prevent the trend of biodiversity loss based on strengthening, expanding, newly establishing, and effectively managing nature reserves, biodiversity corridors, high biodiversity areas, important natural landscapes, important wetlands, and conservation facilities to preserve, conserve, and develop endemic, endangered, precious, and rare genetic resources, as well as plant and animal breeding stocks.

By 2030, increase the area of nature reserves; protect and restore important natural ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity quality; raise the total area of the reserve system nationwide to approximately 6.7 million hectares.

Specific targets for nature conservation and biodiversity are determined in the Master Plan of National biodiversity conservation for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

- For centralized waste treatment areas: Provide orientation for the comprehensive establishment of a system of centralized waste treatment areas at the national, regional, and provincial levels with appropriate scale, capacity, and treatment technology to meet the requirements of receiving and treating all domestic solid waste, ordinary industrial solid waste, and hazardous waste generated nationwide, minimize the amount of solid waste directly landfilled, implement waste sorting at the source, and promote recycling and waste reuse activities. At the same time, establish favorable mechanisms and policies to promote socialization and attract investment from the private sector and foreign countries in waste treatment activities. Specific targets by 2030:

+ Provide orientation for the establishment of at least 02 national-level centralized waste treatment areas;

+ Provide orientation for the establishment of at least 07 regional-level centralized waste treatment areas in socio-economic regions during the planning period;

+ Provide orientation for the establishment of at least 01 provincial-level centralized waste treatment area in each province and centrally-run city.

- For the environmental monitoring and warning network: Provide orientation for establishing a national and provincial environmental monitoring and warning network that is unified, synchronized, modern and interconnected across the country to proactively monitor the current status and initially build the capacity to forecast changes in environmental quality and provide warnings of environmental pollution; ensure timely information provision for environmental state management. Specifically:

(1) For the national environmental monitoring and warning network: Provide orientation for establishing a national environmental quality monitoring network in interregional, interprovincial, and transboundary areas, focusing on monitoring key areas and areas of significant importance for nature conservation and socio-economic development of the country. The national environmental monitoring and warning network must be synchronized and linked with provincial environmental monitoring systems.

(2) For the provincial environmental monitoring and warning network: Provide orientation for provinces and centrally-run cities to establish local environmental quality monitoring networks, focusing on areas at risk of pollution from socio-economic development activities, areas impacted by multiple sources of pollution, and important areas of landscape, ecology and environment in local management areas, harmonized and closely linked with the national environmental monitoring and warning network to effectively use the monitoring data sources of environmental quality across the country.

c) Vision to 2050:

Vietnam's environment shall have good quality, ensures a clean living environment for the people; effectively conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance; proactively responding to climate change; society will develop harmoniously with nature, and the country will develop sustainably towards green transformation based on the development of a circular economy, green economy, and low-carbon economy, aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050; ensuring environmental security associated with rapid and sustainable socio-economic development goals.

3. Tasks of environmental protection

      a) Minimize environmental impacts from socio-economic development activities

      - Implement unified environmental zoning nationwide to carry out appropriate activities of environmental protection according to the environmental zoning to control, prevent, and minimize the impact of environmental pollution on the normal life and development of humans and organisms.

      - Develop a roadmap for upgrading and renovating waste treatment technology for production, business, and service facilities according to environmental zoning; create a relocation plan for production, business, and service facilities that do not meet the environmental protection requirements of the environmental zoning and safe environmental distance from residential areas.

            - Monitor, track, and proactively prevent and respond to environmental pollution incidents related to air quality, marine water, and transboundary, interregional, and interprovincial river basins.

b) Management of domestic solid waste, industrial solid waste, and hazardous waste

- Investigate, assess, and identify suitable areas to establish centralized waste treatment zones at national, regional and provincial levels. Invest in completing the infrastructure of centralized waste treatment zones at national, regional and provincial levels.

- Invest in collection equipment, build transfer stations of domestic solid waste in urban areas, and expand the collection service network of domestic solid waste in rural areas; encourage households and individuals in rural areas to make the most of food waste to produce organic fertilizer and animal feed.

- Organize the sorting of domestic solid waste at the source, implement measures to reduce waste generation, and enhance the reuse and recycling of waste in accordance with regulations on environmental protection and technical requirements; minimize plastic waste and ocean plastic waste.

            - Develop and implement measures to prevent the import of outdated and obsolete technology, generation of considerable waste and consumption of numerous raw materials and energy.

            - Implement regulations on the Extended Producer Responsibility for recycling, disposing of products, packaging, and waste of producing and importing organizations and individuals (EPR).

- Develop and expand the recycling industry, resource and energy recovery from waste; transform and build eco-industrial zones and recycling industrial zones; encourage investment in and construction of modern recycling facilities; gradually limit small-scale, manual recycling facilities that cause environmental pollution in craft villages.

- Invest in the treatment, remediation, and rehabilitation of unsanitary landfills of domestic solid waste.

            - Diversify waste treatment technologies, encourage the application of advanced, modern, and environmentally friendly treatment technologies; continue to enhance co-processing and treatment combined with energy recovery; limit and follow a roadmap to stop new investment in domestic solid waste treatment areas using direct burial technology.

c) Management, improvement, and enhancement of environmental quality

- Develop and implement plans to manage the surface water quality of rivers and lakes. Proactively control and warn about surface water pollution in international river basins; prevent, control, and remediate pollution, and improve water quality in river basins. Focus on addressing severe environmental pollution in certain river basins.

- Prevent and control pollution and protect groundwater in activities related to groundwater exploration and extraction. Control the impact of socio-economic development activities on groundwater.

- Prevent and control incidents that cause marine and ocean pollution; establish a coordination mechanism among relevant countries to address marine environmental issues.

- Develop and implement plans for air quality management at national and provincial levels, with a particular focus on major urban areas and hotspots of air pollution. Control and prevent air pollution from production, business, and service activities.

- Develop a roadmap and organize the relocation of facilities that do not meet environmental protection requirements of the environmental zoning.

- Continue to strictly control industrial facilities with large emission sources, such as thermal power plants, cement factories, steel mills, and chemical plants, etc.

- Investigate, assess, and classify soil pollution, and develop, implement plans to treat, rehabilitate, and restore polluted land areas, including dioxin-contaminated sites, fuel residues from wartime, and residual plant protection chemicals.

d) Conservation of nature and biodiversity

- Newly establish, consolidate, expand, and effectively manage the system of natural heritage, nature reserves, biodiversity corridors, important natural landscapes, crucial wetlands, and conservation facilities. Develop mechanisms and policies to promote socialization in the establishment, management, and development of nature reserves and conservation areas of voluntary biodiversity.

- Investigate, assess, and identify areas with high biodiversity, important natural landscapes, and crucial wetlands; guide the implementation of effective measures conserving biodiversity in these areas.

- Develop regulations and guidelines for the protection of the environmental heritage, biodiversity compensation, and investing policies for natural heritage and nature reserves.

- Assess and evaluate the value of biodiversity; continue to effectively implement the mechanism for payment for natural ecosystem services; expand the payment for ecosystem services including mangrove forests, wetlands, rocky mountains, caves, and geoparks.

- Establish and implement programs and plans to restore and sustainably use the value of degraded important natural ecosystems. Develop models for biodiversity conservation, green spaces, natural ecosystems, and natural landscapes in urban areas.

- Manage, protect, and restore natural forests; continue to halt the exploitation of timber from natural forests; enhance the capacity for forest fire prevention and control, and reduce the number and area of forest fires. Conserve and restore endangered wildlife species; strengthen conservation of genetic resources; prevent the illegal exploitation of wild animals and plants and illegal deforestation.

- Integrate the requirements of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation into the master plan for the extraction and use of natural resources; strictly control the conversion of forest land, water surfaces, and sea surfaces for other purposes.

- Inventory and complete the national database on biodiversity, ensuring the synchronization with the information system and database of natural resources and environment.

dd) Promote sustainable growth models

- Transition to a growth model based on increasing productivity, scientific and technological progress, innovation, and digital transformation; efficiently use resources, aiming to achieve the dual goals of economic growth while reducing pollution, environmental degradation, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

- Develop industry with the orientation of environmental friendliness; green industrial production sectors, and promote the development of green industries, high-tech industries, and eco-industrial zones.

- Develop ecological agriculture, high-tech agriculture, and organic agriculture; enhance the reuse of agricultural by-products; limit and control the use of inorganic fertilizers, chemicals of plant protection., and antibiotics in crop cultivation, livestock farming, and aquaculture.

- Implement sustainable urbanization, develop urban areas in conjunction with infrastructure development in environmental protection; focus on developing green cities, ecological cities, and smart cities that are adaptable to climate change.

- Intensify the implementation of environmental protection content in the National Target Program on New Rural Development; develop model residential areas and roads; create green, clean, and beautiful landscapes and environments; maintain and enhance rural environmental quality.

- Build and develop circular economy models, green economy models, and low-carbon economy models. Implement the National Action Program on Sustainable Production and Consumption.

4. Orientation for the Master Plan for national environment protection for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050

a) Orientation for environmental zoning:

Environmental zoning is carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 25 of Decree No. 37/2019/ND-CP dated May 7, 2019, detailing the implementation of several articles of the Planning Law, and Articles 22 and 23 of Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP dated January 10, 2022, detailing several articles of the Law on Environmental Protection.

b) Orientation for conservation of nature and biodiversity:

- National parks: Transition, reclassify, and establish a new system of national parks that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on biodiversity, forestry, environmental protection, fisheries, and other relevant laws to effectively conserve natural and biodiversity values on land, coastal areas, and marine areas, maintain forest cover at a minimum of 42-43%, protect the environment, adapt to climate change, and develop ecotourism.

- Nature reserves: Transition and establish a new system of nature reserves that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on biodiversity, forestry, environmental protection, fisheries, and other relevant laws to preserve intact natural ecosystems and endemic or threatened, rare, and endangered species; Preserve unique natural or cultural values for scientific research, environmental education, environmental protection, and rational extraction of natural ecosystem services.

- Conservation areas of species and habitat: Transition and establish new conservation areas of species and habitat that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on biodiversity, forestry, environmental protection, fisheries, and other relevant laws to conserve wildlife species and natural ecosystems that are habitats for endangered, precious and rare species given priority for protection.

- Landscape protection areas: Transition and establish new landscape protection areas that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on biodiversity, forestry, environmental protection, fisheries, and other relevant laws to preserve intact natural landscapes of aesthetic, scientific, cultural, and environmental education value.

- Biodiversity conservation facilities: Transition and establish new biodiversity conservation facilities operating under the laws on biodiversity to preserve and conserve wild genetic resources, crop varieties, livestock breeds, and endangered, rare, and precious species. Upgrade, develop, and certify biodiversity conservation facilities, including botanical gardens, zoos, animal rescue centers, medicinal plant gardens, gene banks, and nature museums.

- Biodiversity corridors: Transition and establish new biodiversity corridors that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on environmental protection, biodiversity, and other relevant laws to enhance the connectivity of natural ecological regions, increase the connectivity of natural ecosystems, and expand the habitats of wildlife species.

- High biodiversity areas: Form high biodiversity areas that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on environmental protection, biodiversity, and other relevant laws to protect important natural ecosystems and the natural habitats of wild animal and plant species.

- Important natural landscapes: Establish important natural landscapes that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on environmental protection, biodiversity, and other relevant laws to protect natural ecosystems and the natural habitats of species, especially endangered and threatened species that are prioritized for protection.

- Important wetlands: Form important wetlands in coastal, island, and inland wetland areas that meet the criteria according to the provisions of laws on environmental protection, biodiversity, and other relevant laws to protect important ecosystems, wild animal and plant resources; protect the environment and maintain natural ecosystem services.

- Effectively manage and sustainably develop the forest system in nature reserves, biodiversity corridors, high biodiversity areas, important natural landscapes, important wetlands, and other areas to enhance the capacity for carbon absorption and storage, aiming for net-zero emissions in Vietnam by 2050 and participation in the carbon market.

c) Orientation for the formation of centralized waste treatment zones at national, regional, and provincial levels:

- Orientation on the scale, type of waste, and service scope of centralized waste treatment zones at the national, regional, and provincial levels includes:

+ National-level centralized waste treatment zones shall be equipped with advanced and modern technology that combines waste treatment with energy recovery and waste recycling, and emitting minimal greenhouse gases and pollutants; the scale and waste treatment capacity shall be large and suitable according to each investment project; capable of handling various types of hazardous waste that are difficult to treat, with a scope of collection, reception, and treatment nationwide for hazardous waste and common industrial solid waste, and within the province (where the national-level treatment zone is located) for domestic solid waste. Collecting, receiving, and treating domestic solid waste from neighboring provinces and centrally-run cities shall be encouraged.

+ Regional-level centralized waste treatment zones shall be equipped with advanced and modern technology that combines waste treatment with energy recovery and waste recycling, and emitting minimal greenhouse gases and pollutants; the scale and waste treatment capacity shall be suitable according to each investment project; capable of handling certain types of hazardous waste that are difficult to treat; with a scope of collection, reception, and treatment of waste as follows:

. Nationwide for hazardous waste and common industrial solid waste intended for recycling;

. Within the socio-economic region or adjacent regions for hazardous waste not intended for recycling, and common industrial solid waste;

. Within the province (where the regional treatment zone is located) for domestic solid waste; encourage to collect, receive, and treat domestic solid waste from neighboring provinces and centrally-run cities.

+ The provincial-level centralized waste treatment area shall have appropriate treatment capacity according to each investment project; with a scope of collection, reception, and treatment of waste as follows:

. Nationwide for hazardous waste and common industrial solid waste intended for recycling;

. Within the province for domestic solid waste generated within the area; encourage to collect, receive, and treat domestic solid waste from neighboring provinces and centrally-run cities.

+ Localities that make plans for national and regional centralized waste treatment zones within their jurisdiction shall proactively mobilize social resources in the form of socialization or public-private partnerships to implement the Master plan.

+ Priority should be given to receiving projects and waste treatment facilities that need to be relocated or converted into national, regional, and provincial centralized waste treatment zones.

- Orientation on the location for national, regional, and provincial centralized waste treatment zones:

+ The selection of the construction site for centralized waste treatment zones must ensure that the construction and operation meet the requirements of environmental protection, minimizing negative impacts on human health and the environment, and not affecting natural conditions and purposes of land use.

+ The construction site for centralized waste treatment zones must align with the master plan of national environment protection, socio-economic regional plans, provincial plans, or other related plans of waste management approved by competent authorities. Priority is given to locations with existing centralized waste treatment zones to minimize new constructions.

+ The construction site for centralized waste treatment zones must ensure convenience for waste collection and transportation, be near areas generating large amounts of waste, ensure enhanced regional connections for large waste sources, and form recycling industrial zones; it must also be convenient for investing in modern technical infrastructure and treatment technologies, reducing needs of land occupation, and minimizing environmental pollution.

+ The construction site for centralized waste treatment zones must ensure an environmentally safe distance as prescribed by law regulations.

+ New centralized waste treatment zones shall not be constructed in areas that are frequently flooded or at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels, karst terrain areas, areas with tectonic fault activities, or areas using surface water from rivers and lakes for the purposes of domestic water supply.

+ For hazardous waste treatment facilities that have been granted an environmental permit or hazardous waste treatment permit according to previous regulations still in effect before the issuance of the master plan of national environment protection, and are located outside the centralized waste treatment zones at national and regional levels as oriented in the master plan of national environment protection, they are allowed to continue operating under the provisions of Clause 3, Article 59 of the Planning Law but must meet the following requirements: (1) be identified in the provincial plan; (2) not increase capacity, expand the area, or expand the service scope compared to the environmental permit or granted permit of hazardous waste treatment, and the approval document of investment policy or investment registration certificate according to the law provisions on investment; (3) meet the requirements of environmental protection according to environmental zoning; (4) meet the requirements of environmental safety distance as prescribed. Hazardous waste treatment facilities are encouraged to relocate into the centralized waste treatment zones at national, regional, and provincial levels that have been planned.

+ For projects of hazardous waste treatment service that have been approved with the appraisal results of the assessment report on environmental impact, and these projects are located outside the centralized waste treatment zones at national and regional levels as oriented in the master plan of national environment protection, they are allowed to continue being implemented according to the provisions of Clause 3, Article 59 of the Planning Law but must meet the following requirements: (1) be identified in the provincial plan; (2) not increase capacity, expand the area, or expand the service scope according to the approval document of investment policy or investment registration certificate according to the law provisions on investment; (3) meet the requirements of environmental protection according to environmental zoning; (4) meet the requirements of environmental safety distance as prescribed. Hazardous waste treatment projects are encouraged to relocate into the centralized waste treatment zones at national, regional, and provincial levels that have been planned.

+ By 2030, strive to relocate centralized waste treatment zones and waste treatment facilities that do not meet the requirements of environmental safety distance, discharge wastewater directly into surface water sources used for domestic water supply, or do not meet the requirements for the application roadmap of national and local technical standards on waste into the centralized waste treatment zones at national, regional, and provincial levels that have been planned.

- Orientation on technology for centralized waste treatment zones at national, regional, and provincial levels:

+ For the treatment technology of hazardous waste and common industrial solid waste: Encourage the application of advanced and modern recycling technologies to recover resource value from waste, waste treatment technologies combined with energy recovery and the best available techniques to minimize and control secondary waste generation, minimizing the amount of waste directly landfilled.

+ For the treatment technology of domestic solid waste: Diversify treatment technologies to minimize the amount of waste directly landfilled. Encourage the application of advanced and modern recycling and waste treatment technologies, combined with energy recovery and the best available techniques, and the utilization of food waste (leftover food, fruits, vegetables, etc.) for livestock and poultry feed and organic fertilizer production.

+ Continue to enhance the co-processing of hazardous waste, common industrial solid waste, and domestic solid waste; encourage cooperation and linkage in treating organic domestic solid waste for livestock and poultry feed and organic fertilizer production.

- For provincial-level centralized waste treatment zones, the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities are assigned to identify and incorporate these zones into the provincial master plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, for submission to the Prime Minister for approval and implementation.

d) Orientation for the environmental monitoring and warning network at national and provincial level:

- Regarding the environmental monitoring and warning network at national level: the environmental monitoring network at national level must ensure implementation for environmental components as prescribed by the Law on Environmental Protection, including surface water, surrounding air, soil, biodiversity, and several other components.

+ Surface water environmental monitoring network:

. Orientation for the location of surface water environmental monitoring on the main streams and lakes of interprovincial and international rivers within large river basins, as specified in the list of interprovincial and international water sources, and on rivers that receive wastewater from major urban areas, areas with concentrated wastewater sources, and monitoring points at provincial boundaries.

. Orientation for periodic monitoring parameters according to the national technical standards on surface water quality; ensuring a minimum monitoring frequency of 10 times per year.

+ Air environmental monitoring network:

. Orientation for background environmental monitoring locations (automatic monitoring) placed in areas with minimal impact from emission sources, representing socio-economic development regions.

. Orientation for impact environmental monitoring locations (periodic or automatic monitoring) placed in areas affected by multiple sources (urban, traffic, construction, industrial, residential, etc.); areas with interregional, interprovincial, and cross-border impacts.

. Orientation for acid rain monitoring locations integrated with meteorological and hydrological monitoring stations.

. Orientation for automatic and continuous monitoring parameters: At a minimum, for parameters SO₂, NO₂, CO, O₃, PM_2,5 dust, PM₁₀ dust.

. Orientation for periodic monitoring parameters according to the national technical standards on air quality; ensuring a minimum monitoring frequency of 8 times per year.

+ Soil quality monitoring network: The monitoring program of national soil quality is established and designed in details according to the programs to investigate and evaluate soil environmental quality as prescribed by the Law on Environmental Protection.

+ Orientation for other monitoring networks of environmental quality: Establish networks of monitoring points for other environmental components (groundwater, seawater, acid rain, etc.) to ensure the provision of complete information and data for environmental protection activities.

- Regarding the environmental monitoring and warning network at provincial level: the environmental monitoring network at provincial level needs to be established with a close link to the environmental monitoring network at national level, focusing on monitoring key environmental components, including surface water, surrounding air, soil, and several other environmental components.

+ For the environmental monitoring and warning network of river water:

. Orientation for monitoring Point locations on international rivers, interprovincial rivers flowing through the area, and intraprovincial rivers. Specifically, establishing points at the headwaters of intraprovincial rivers; areas receiving inflow into the territory; main confluence areas; areas affected by multiple waste sources (industrial, agricultural, urban, craft villages, mineral extraction, urban, tourism); aquaculture areas; water extraction areas for domestic and irrigation purposes; ponds and lakes (including irrigation reservoirs for domestic water supply, production, and other service activities), and lagoons in the area with crucial socio-economic, landscape and environmental significance.

. Orientation for periodic monitoring parameters according to national or local technical standards on surface water quality.

. Orientation for monitoring frequency: at least 6 times per year.

+ For the environmental monitoring and warning network of groundwater:

. Orientation for monitoring Point locations in areas affected by industrial and agricultural activities; areas impacted by landfills and centralized waste treatment zones; mineral extraction areas; areas affected by residual hazardous chemicals and radioactive substances (from agricultural chemical storage sites or remnants of war); areas storing raw materials, fuels, and chemicals; densely populated areas; areas with concentrated groundwater extraction activities; and areas impacted by cemeteries.

. Orientation for monitoring parameters according to national or local technical standards on groundwater quality.

. Orientation for monitoring frequency: at least once every three months (four times per year).

+ For the environmental monitoring and warning network of seawater:

. Orientation for monitoring Point locations in coastal areas; areas affected by industrial wastewater, urban wastewater, tourist areas, fish ports; water recreation areas; coastal aquaculture areas; coastal and marine nature reserves, coastal Ramsar sites, important coastal wetlands; and marine transportation routes.

. Orientation for monitoring parameters according to national or local technical standards on seawater quality.

. Orientation for monitoring frequency: at least once every two months (six times per year).

+ For the air environmental monitoring and warning network:

. Orientation for background environmental monitoring Point locations in areas minimally impacted by emission sources; impact environmental monitoring Point locations in areas affected by industrial, urban, traffic, construction, landfill, centralized waste treatment zone emissions, residential areas, craft villages, areas adjacent to administrative boundaries with other provinces, centrally-run cities, and border areas with other countries.

. Orientation for periodic monitoring parameters according to national or local technical standards on air quality.

. Orientation for monitoring frequency: at least six times per year (once every two months).

+ For the soil environmental monitoring network:

. Orientation for monitoring Point locations: (i) in areas with particularly serious soil pollution as identified by detailed local investigations and reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment annually, which have not been included in the Plan for treatment, rehabilitation, and restoration of particularly serious soil pollution areas issued by the Prime Minister; (ii) in areas with particularly serious soil pollution after treatment, included in the Plan for treatment, rehabilitation, and restoration of particularly serious soil pollution areas issued by the Prime Minister; (iii) in areas at risk of soil pollution.

. Orientation for monitoring parameters according to national or local technical standards on soil quality.

- The number of monitoring locations, monitoring parameters, and monitoring frequency for the national environmental monitoring and warning network is detailed in the Master Plan for National Environmental Monitoring for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

- Pursuant to the orientations for environmental monitoring in this Master Plan, the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall develop and implement the environmental monitoring network at provincial level.

5. Solutions for organization and monitoring of Master Plan implementation

a) Strengthening propaganda and raising community awareness

- Disseminate and raise awareness among all levels and sectors about strengthening resource management and environmental protection. Gradually change the perception and mindset of all levels and sectors regarding the role of environmental protection in socio-economic development.

- Disseminate and promote the contents of the Master Plan for national environment protection to political and social organizations, residential communities, enterprises, and production, business, and service establishments.

- Integrate environmental protection criteria into the annual performance evaluation of leaders. Continue to organize the evaluation and ranking of localities' environmental protection results annually.

- Incorporate the contents of the environmental protection plan into specialized environmental training programs within the higher education system.

- Promote compliance with the laws and the good fulfillment of social responsibilities regarding the environment by businesses, including the responsibility for recycling products and packaging and handling waste by organizations and individuals involved in production and importation. Raise awareness and understanding of the circular economy, green economy, and low-carbon economy; encourage businesses to meet voluntary environmental standards and commitments. Conduct annual evaluations and rankings of sustainable development businesses.

- Continue to strengthen environmental communication through mass media, ensuring the regularity, practicality, and effectiveness; enhance and leverage the strengths of new communication technologies, social networks, online forums, etc. Form and develop a green lifestyle, compliance with law regulations on environmental protection, and build a culture of environmental protection.

- Promote and advocate for the reduction of ocean plastic waste; limit the use of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic packaging.

b) Perfecting Mechanisms, Policies, and Law Systems of Environmental Protection

- Review, amend, and supplement administrative sanctions to increase the level of fines.

- Develop and issue regulations and technical standards for wastewater and exhaust emissions that meet the protection requirements of environmental zones.

- Review, develop, and issue regulations on environmental protection for areas with environmentally sensitive factors, such as natural heritage sites, nature reserves, biodiversity corridors, high biodiversity areas, important natural landscapes, important wetlands, and ranked historical-cultural relics according to law regulations, as well as surface water sources used for domestic water supply.

- Develop economic and technical standards for pollution treatment, restoration, and environmental rehabilitation of landfills; create technical guidelines for improving polluted landfills.

- Develop mechanisms and policies to develop environmental services and economic tools applied in environmental protection.

- Review, amend, and perfect mechanisms and preferential policies to support environmentally friendly production, business, and service activities; promote the adoption of a circular economy.

c) Perfecting organizational structures and promoting administrative procedure reform in environmental protection

- Continue to consolidate the organizational structure of the environmental management system from central to local levels to ensure unity, professionalism, effective, and efficient operation.

- Promote decentralization and delegation of authority, and increase the responsibilities of local governments regarding environmental protection; at the same time, enhance the capacity of provincial, district, and commune-level governments; strengthen the linkage and coordination among socio-economic regions and localities in environmental protection work.

- Promote the reform and simplification of administrative procedures related to the environment to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, while minimizing legal risks and compliance costs for citizens and businesses. Shift the management approach towards reducing "pre-checks" and increasing "post-checks," enhancing the proactivity and accountability of businesses in environmental protection.

d) Strengthening the Implementation of Policies and Laws on Environmental Protection

- Enhance inspections and examinations of production and business establishments that pose a high risk of environmental pollution; apply a mechanism for sudden inspections when signs of violations are detected. Promote effective coordination between state environmental management agencies, inspection agencies, and the public security forces with functions and tasks in preventing and combating environmental crimes.

- Increase the provision, disclosure, and transparency of information in environmental management to the community, while enhancing the accountability of environmental management officials at all levels.

- Strengthen the supervision of environmental protection by residential communities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, organizations, individuals, and media agencies; develop and apply digital platforms, social networks, hotlines, etc., to enhance environmental monitoring.

- Develop and implement mechanisms for resolving complaints, denunciations, and disputes related to the environment, and mechanisms for determining the responsibilities of environmental damage compensation.

- Enhance environmental governance capacity in enterprises, industrial zones, industrial clusters, and craft villages.

dd) Strengthening Financial Investment

- Review, amend, and perfect mechanisms and policies for mobilizing investment from non-budgetary sources for environmental protection, and regulations on bidding for public environmental services. Implement public-private partnership (PPP) models in activities related to the collection, transportation, and treatment of domestic solid waste and wastewater.

- Mobilize investment from domestic and international socialization, reasonably allocate the state budget, enhance the efficiency of using resources for environmental protection; prioritize enhancing management capacity and addressing key and urgent environmental issues. Gradually increase the state budget allocation in each period, in compliance with the requirements and tasks of environmental protection and budget capabilities; review and consider restructuring budget expenditure tasks for environmental protection towards focusing on key areas and improving use efficiency.

- For the investment in building national and regional centralized waste treatment zones, prioritize allocating central and local budgets to complete the external infrastructure system, creating favorable conditions to attract businesses to invest in waste treatment within the zones.

- Perfect and issue preferential financial mechanisms and policies to promote the development of a robust environmental industry and services sector to address and resolve environmental issues. Focus on developing the capacity to provide environmental services, especially recycling, waste treatment, and pollution control.

- Actively and proactively propose environmental protection projects to attract investment resources from financial funds, international organizations, and countries worldwide.

e) Applying science and technology, creative innovation, digital transformation; developing technical infrastructure, monitoring network, and environmental database

- Encourage the application of clean technologies, and the efficient and economical use of raw materials, fuels, and energy.

- Promote creative innovation and digital transformation; improve and transform technology, applying the best available techniques (BAT) and high technology in industries and fields to protect the environment, conserve nature, and preserve biodiversity.

- Apply scientific and technological achievements, the fourth industrial revolution, digital transformation, information technology, remote sensing technology, and modern technologies in the management, monitoring, observation, and warning of the environment; promote the provision of online public services for administrative procedures related to the environment.

- Promote the application of solid waste treatment technologies, prioritizing advanced, modern, and environmentally friendly technologies that recover energy, reuse, recycle, and handle solid and hazardous waste comprehensively and effectively without causing environmental pollution, and reduce the amount of solid waste treated by direct landfilling.

- Develop and apply modern and synchronized technology in environmental monitoring and warning, especially in areas with concentrated pollution sources and environmentally sensitive areas.

- Apply modern technology to build a unified, synchronized, updated, and shared environmental database that is interconnected across all levels and sectors; ensure timely provision of environmental information. Promote digital transformation and the digitization of databases and environmental information.

- Continue to promote research and application of science and technology in environmental protection; invest in facilities and human resources for environmental research and training institutions.

- Promote and develop the environmental industry in Vietnam to reach the worthy capability to effectively address environmental issues during the process of industrialization, modernization, and deep international integration.

g) International Cooperation in Environmental Protection

- Proactively participate in negotiating and shaping international commitments on environmental issues, climate change, biodiversity, and plastic waste; organize the implementation of international treaties and commitments, to which Vietnam is a member, in the field of environmental protection; promote the implementation of cooperation agreements, technical support, capacity building, technology transfer, and international projects on environmental protection.

- Enhance and advocate for cooperation with bilateral and multilateral partners, international financial institutions, and international organizations to gain resource support (finance, technique, technology, capacity building) to implement COP26, sustainable development goals, and green transformation.

6. Organization of Master Plan implementation

a) The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall:

- Organize the announcement of the Master Plan for national environment protection for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, after being approved by the Prime Minister.

- Direct and urge localities to implement the contents of the Master Plan, establish and organize the implementation of projects under the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

- Review and compile proposals to adjust and supplement centralized waste treatment zones at national and regional levels that meet the oriented criteria for forming centralized waste treatment zones as mentioned in Point c, Clause 4, Article 1 of this Decision, to report to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

- Organize the evaluation of the master plan implementation, compile reports, and propose the Prime Minister to consider and decide on plan adjustments.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and localities to determine the locations of centralized waste treatment zones at national and regional levels.

b) The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall:

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to update regional centralized waste treatment zones into the regional planning.

- Review and compile submissions for competent authorities to consider and allocate medium-term and annual public investment plans for programs and projects approved by competent authorities to implement the master plan in accordance with the law regulations on public investment.

c) The Ministry of Finance shall compile proposals from ministries and central agencies and balance the state budget, submitting to competent authorities for arranging regular expenditure funding from the central budget to implement the tasks of the Master Plan.

d) The Ministry of Science and Technology shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to implement solutions to enhance research and application of science and technology for environmental protection according to the orientation and contents of the Master Plan; implement measures to prevent the importation of outdated technologies generating a lot of waste and consume a lot of raw materials and energy.

dd) The Ministry of Public Security shall direct and organize activities to prevent and combat crimes and violations of law regulations on environmental protection, nature conservation, and biodiversity.

e) Other ministries and sectors shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to allocate resources, propose, develop, and implement policies and solutions for environmental protection according to their assigned functions and tasks to implement the contents of the Master Plan.

g) The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall direct and organize the implementation of the following tasks:

- Develop and update plans for environmental zoning; conserve nature and biodiversity within their managed areas; prepare plans regarding the location, scale, type of waste, proposed technology, and the scope of waste reception for centralized waste treatment areas at national and regional levels; orient the environmental monitoring and warning network at national and provincial levels as directed in the Master Plan for national environment protection into the provincial plans and organize their implementation.

- Implement the contents of the Master Plan within their managed areas, develop and organize the implementation of projects under the local authority’s responsibility; evaluate the implementation of the master plan within the area and report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for synthesis; allocate medium-term and annual public investment funds to implement the Master Plan according to law regulations.

- Issue decisions on determining the location and boundaries of strictly protected areas and emission restriction areas within their managed areas as identified in the provincial plan.

- Allocate land for centralized waste treatment areas at national, regional, and provincial levels; carry out land allocation for the construction and operation of centralized waste treatment areas within the locality; allocate funds or proactively seek and mobilize economic sectors to participate in the investment, construction, and operation of systems for the collection, storage, transfer, transportation, and treatment of waste; and systems of works, measures, and public equipment serving waste management within the locality.

- Review the centralized waste treatment areas within the locality:

+ Centralized waste treatment areas that need upgrading and renovation: Centralized waste treatment areas must meet the criteria of centralized waste treatment areas at national, regional, and provincial levels; conform to the plans approved by competent authorities before the Master Plan for national environment protection is approved, but do not meet one of the following requirements: (i) Do not have appropriate treatment technology; (ii) Do not meet environmental protection requirements.

+ Centralized waste treatment areas must have a roadmap for cessation of operation and implementation of environmental restoration when not conforming to the orientation regarding the scale, type, and service scope of centralized waste treatment areas at national, regional, and provincial levels and falling into one of the following cases: (i) Closed and no longer capable of receiving waste; (ii) Do not conform to the plans approved by competent authorities or the approved Master Plan of National Environment Protection; (iii) Do not ensure a safe environmental distance; (iv) Located in areas frequently flooded or at risk of flooding due to sea level rise.

- Review and establish a provincial environmental monitoring and warning network that is unified and synchronized with the national environmental monitoring and warning network; implement the environmental monitoring program within the managed area.

- Review and update data on the current status and orientation of environmental zoning; establish protected areas, nature reserves, and biodiversity zones; create centralized waste treatment areas; and integrate the environmental monitoring and warning network into the environmental information system as prescribed.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing for promulgation.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, other Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of Government-attached agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, and Heads of relevant agencies shall implement this Decision.

Appendix I

GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRALIZED WASTE TREATMENT AREAS
AT NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL

(Attached to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 611/QD-TTg of July 08, 2024)

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