USAID Highlights Regional Cooperation in Training for Environmental Inspectors

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will conduct training sessions for environmental inspectors in southern, central and northern Vietnam in July to support the government's recent decision to strengthen environmental inspection. Class members will include inspectors from MoNRE and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, through its regional Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) program and the Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN), will assist the training of 136 inspectors by facilitating linkages with counterparts from Japan, Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan.

In southern Can Tho, an inspector from the Philippines will join sessions focusing on aquatic product processing, sugar mills, breweries, and food processing plants. In Da Nang, an inspector from Singapore will focus on industrial zones and textile factories. In northern Hai Phong, inspectors from Japan and Taiwan will participate in sessions on cement plants and mining operations.

"This inspector training demonstrates how regional cooperation between countries can address environmental issues in Asia," said Dennis Zvinakis, USAID Vietnam country representative. "USAID is pleased to support AECEN in facilitating the sharing of best practices on environmental compliance and enforcement."

MoNRE will compile the materials from the three training courses into a national procedural manual, which will be published in 2008. The first training session will begin July 3.

FURTHER READING

• Promoting Regional Cooperation in the Mekong Basin (884 KB PDF)

More Press Releases