Norway helps Vietnam advance oil spill strategies

At an international conference held in Hanoi on September 19, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Stale Torstein Risa announced that Norway will share advanced technology for environmental monitoring and responding to oil spills with Viet Nam.


He also said Norway will offer advanced training to help Vietnam cope with oil spills and other environmental pollution.


The conference by the Vietnam Sea and Islands General Department together with the Norwegian Embassy was held to devise plans responding to oil spills at sea, mapping an oil spill sensitivity system and evaluating the risks of oil spill pollution in oceanic areas within Vietnam’s jurisdiction.


The event also aimed to boost cooperation between the two nations while sharing Norway’s environmental management experience towards protecting the ocean environment in Vietnam while using available resources efficiently.


With sea-freight charters accounting for 35 percent of total import-exports, Vietnam’s maritime transport grows on average nearly 20 percent annually.


Its location on the main sea route to China, Japan and Korea, and its proximity to oil exploration, there is urgency for Vietnam to enhance its capacity for coping with such an incident.


General Director of Viet Nam Administration of Sea and Islands Nguyen Van Cu said the country’s environmental monitoring system, which was set up in 1987, was too old to adapt to current demands.


“The existing equipment is undeveloped and the management ability is limited. This is a significant limitation when forecasting and planning coastal economic zones,” said Cu.


Cu said the sea environment monitoring system was expected to reduce illegal exploitation of natural resources in the country’s seas and encourage sustainable marine development.

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