Earthday 2016: Clean water, strong economy

“Responding Earth Day” program was conducted in the morning of 23.04.2016 at Hanoi’s Botanical Gardens. The program was organized by the VEA, Research Center for Environment and Community (CECR), Coalition for Clean Water, Hanoi’s Lake Club with the message “Clean water, strong economy”. Co-organizers of this event also include businesses: Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam, Lock & Lock Co., Vietnam, Vietnam New Quantum Company.
With meaningful activities such as cycling for Hanoi lakes, cleaning lakes and cleaning Hanoi’s Botanical Garden, trading trash for trees and environmentally friendly products, organizing games to raise awareness of environmental protection …, the program has attracted the participation of nearly 1,000 members who come from fine-enterprises, mass organizations, scientific and technical organizations, youth, students from universities in Hanoi.
On the occasion of Earth Day 2016, Mr. Hoang Van Thuc – Deputy General Director of Environment – Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said: “The involvement of communities in the protection, environmental monitoring in general and the protection of water resources in particular is very crutial. This has been institutionalized in the Law on Environmental Protection. As Earth Day event will contribute to raise awareness and promote community initiatives, this event is very significant and should be replicated. ”
As a unit that annually organize Earth Day response event, to raise awareness of the community in the protection of water resources in Vietnam, especially Hanoi lake, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Ly, CECR director said: “We hope the Earth Day event will raise awareness of people about the importance of clean water as an asset for the economic development of our country. It is important to get rid of water pollution and gradually improve water’s quality for our children to swim without worrying about contamination, eat fish without poisoning, and for other aquatic species  grow naturally. To do that, it requires the companionship of all parties such as businesses, communities, media and a fierce leadership of the national government “.
In response to this year’s Earth Day, CECR, the Union Water and Lake Hanoi Club also launched a competition to design art works with the theme of: speak for Vietnam Water. Attended this event and shared about this contest, Truong Manh Tien – Hanoi Lake Club’s chairman said “The competition has many high-quality writings, rich in humanity, authenticity and creativity. The literature touches readers’ hearts by the rustic, sincere wording, emotions of the authors while watching serious water pollution situations, hearing the cry rending grief of Vietnamese lakes and rivers today. Many articles are presented very nice, written by hand carefully. The works belonging to video and painting genre are diverse, colorful with many different creative expressions, but all sent the message of environmental protection in general and water in particular. “
In response to this year’s Earth Day, many localities in Hanoi also organized practical activities such as clean up the environment, collect garbage and waste, tackle urgent environmental problems, backlog in residential areas, offices, units, schools, production facilities, sales, widened flow, dredging canals, ponds, drainage systems.
April 22 is recognized by United Nations as Earth Day, to encourage the participation of international nations in environmental protection of the Earth. Every year on this day, hundreds of millions of people from 192 countries have organized activities for environmental protection activities, such as cleaning, garbage collection, tree planting, and recreational activities to raise awareness and promote community involvement in environmental protection.