The first phase of the Vietnam-Sweden Cooperation Program on Strengthening the Capacity for Land and Environmental Management (SEMLA) in Vietnam which began in 2004 has been finished and the preparation work for the next phase during 2006-2009 has been introduced.
A conference to review the performance of a Swedish-assisted program on increasing land and environmental management capacity was held in Hanoi on June 8.
During the 2006-2009 phase, the program will focus on building the capacity for land and environmental management from the central to the grassroots levels, providing assistance to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) in outlining land usage plans for the 2006-2010 period, said MNRE Vice Minister Dang Hung Vo.
The contents of SEMLA’s capacity strengthening plans will be incorporated into the national strategy on natural resources and the environment during the 2006-2010 period, creating close coordination among the MNRE, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Construction and relevant agencies at the local level in building a sustainable development strategy.
For the 2006-2007 phase, SEMLA will be conducted in Vietnam’s 12 provinces and also Ho Chi Minh City.
