On the morning of June 4, the 15th National Assembly conducted the first question-and-answer session at the 7th Session.
Immediately establish a River Basin Management Committee
Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, member of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hai Duong province, asked Minister Dang Quoc Khanh to inform about the solutions and plans of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in "reviving" "dead" rivers due to serious pollution, including the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system.
Responding to questions, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh said that the Bac Hung Hai, Nhue, Day and Cau rivers are heavily polluted. Some rivers are both polluted and have no flow. In recent times, localities and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have been proactive but have not been able to improve much because industrial parks and craft villages discharge waste into these rivers and there are not enough resources to handle them (resources to invest in collection and treatment systems).
Minister Dang Quoc Khanh affirmed that localities need to work together to treat wastewater synchronously. In particular, the fundamental solution is to maintain natural water flow with large water volume and regulate the flow.
Regarding management, the Law on Water Resources (amended) will take effect from July 1. Minister Dang Quoc Khanh said that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will report to the Prime Minister to immediately establish a River Basin Management Committee, defining the responsibilities of provinces, ministries, branches and the Committee to coordinate this issue. In addition, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh suggested that the Government should pay attention to public investment in the period of 2026 - 2030 to handle polluted rivers.
Debate on the current status of sand exploitation
Concerned about coastal erosion, delegate Nguyen Ngoc Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, stated that land reclamation and sand exploitation for construction materials have a major impact on the marine environment, especially the impact of currents leading to the possibility of coastal erosion.
Delegate Nguyen Ngoc Son asked the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to inform about the current situation, orientation and solutions to overcome this situation.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh said that Resolution No. 36 of the Party Central Committee on Vietnam's sustainable marine development strategy for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2045 clearly stated that the exploitation and use of marine resources must ensure the requirements of environmental protection and sustainable development. However, the Minister has not responded to the current situation.
Delegate Nguyen Ngoc Son further requested the Minister to provide additional information related to the impact of sea encroachment activities, especially clarifying the impact of sea sand mining activities on the process of biodiversity conservation and development. Especially when the 2024 Land Law has provisions on this issue, the National Assembly resolution also assigned the Government to issue regulations on sea land activities.
After being discussed by delegate Nguyen Ngoc Son about the current situation, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh said that sea encroachment activities have existed for a long time. Sea encroachment activities for socio-economic development need to be seriously assessed for environmental impacts, protect the ecosystem, not affect the water environment, and preserve biodiversity.
Regarding sand exploitation, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment has conducted research in Soc Trang and assessed that the impact does not affect biodiversity conservation.
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