New research on development issues in Vietnam Volume 9, number 24

Elsa Sardinha. ICSID Review: Foreign Investment Law Journal, 2017, volume 32, number 3.

Abstract: CETA and the EU-Vietnam FTA are the first treaties to specify new rules governing the identity, requisite qualifications and tenure of arbitral members, and provide a more extensive review function through a two-tiered investment tribunal system (ITS). These treaties signal a shift towards a more public and judicialized system, akin to that of many national legal systems and the WTO. The ITS creates a permanent first instance Tribunal and an Appeal Tribunal, featuring a pre-selected roster of tribunal members, competent to review the Tribunal's decisions for errors of law and fact, in addition to Article 52 ICSID Convention grounds--making it a novel 'one-stop-appellate-shop'. This analysis assesses the operation of, and reasons for, key provisions of the EU's model by comparing and contrasting the ITS in CETA and the EU-Vietnam FTA. The discussion draws analogies to, and distinctions between, other treaties and relevant jurisprudence which have influenced the negotiators. Among the most striking features of the new EU-led approach to investor-State arbitration is its removal of disputing party involvement in the selection of the tribunal in favour of a standing tribunal appointed by the treaty Parties (which results in a considerable amount of the disputing investor's autonomy being stripped away), its purported modification of existing arbitral rules in a number of substantial ways, and its short deadlines within which the Tribunal must render final awards.

Education

Global Citizenship Education in Secondary Science: A Survey on ASEAN Educators.

Free full text https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Miranda_Yeoh/project/ETHICAL-AND-PREDATORY-PUBLISHING/attachment/59f1915bb53d2f3ade4a6f68/AS:552972624699396%401508850355748/download/Global%2BCitizenship%2BEducation%2Bin%2BSecondary%2BScience.pdf%3Fcontext%3DProjectUpdatesLog.

Abstract: Science is for all students in all countries; and this is a principle of equity. An explicit aim of science education is to create a high level of scientific literacy so that students have a greater understanding of science content knowledge that is associated with life, the physical world and earth sciences. As 21st century citizens, it is essential to use our scientific literacy and knowledge to address issues like environmental protection and sustainable development of our nation, region and our world. A survey was completed by 60 educators from the ASEAN region  concerning their perceptions of their identity as regional and global citizens, the factors that contribute to such perceptions, the issues for which they would advocate and the roles that science and/ or math education has played to bring about their realizations as regional and global citizens. Several respondents provided suggestions on how Global Citizenship Education (GCE) may be embedded in math and science education. From the survey conducted, the author recommends the use of science education to serve as a platform for GCE in countries where GCE is not in the curriculum, and the extension of our lesson plans to bring awareness of the responsibilities of global citizenship that include caring for our environment, human rights, peace, equality and sustainable development. [Yeoh-2017.pdf].

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Empirical Study on Public High School System in Vietnam: Post Doi Moi.

Free full text https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/download/10208/9655.

Abstract: The system of education in Vietnam is administered by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), and it is a broad system of state-run schools for students from about four years of age to high school age. The educational system comprises of five classes: kindergarten, primary, secondary, upper-optional (additionally alluded to as secondary school), and college level, with broadly managed exit and selection tests between each. The principal motivation behind this study is to analyze the connection between pre-secondary school factors, school condition, school structure, collective duty, scholarly optimism with the scholastic performance of the public high school students in Vietnam. SPSS analysis shows that only two variables can be a significant indicator of academic performance, that are school environment (B= -1.369, t=51.356, p<0.01) and pre-high school factor (B=-.384, t= -13.947, p<0.01) while school structure, collective responsibility, and academic optimism have found to be insignificant indicator of academic performance as compared to the other two variables in a multivariate context although, during the bivariate analysis, academic optimism had been found to be significantly related to academic performance. School environment was also found to have higher ‘B’ value compared to pre-high school factor. Hence, this study suggests that among all the independent variables studied, school environment gave the most effective towards the academic performance of students in the public high school of Vietnam.

Áp dụng thử một số phương pháp xác định đóng góp của khoa học và công nghệ đối với tăng trưởng kinh tế ở Việt Nam (A trial application of some methods to determining the contribution of science and technology for economic growth in Vietnam).

Nguyen Thanh Bang. Journal science and technology policies and management, 2017, volume 6, number 1, pp. 16-23.

Free full text http://cip.vjs.ac.vn/index.php/JSTMP/article/view/184.

Abstract: Trong nhiều thập niên qua, sự tăng trưởng kinh tế được chứng minh bằng sự đóng góp không nhỏ của KH&CN, dựa trên lý thuyết phát triển, phương pháp hạch toán sự tăng trưởng  và  phương  pháp  đánh  giá  kinh  tế  lượng  có  thể  chứng  minh  sự  đóng  góp  của KH&CN. Tuy nhiên, lý thuyết và phương pháp cần có điều kiện cần và đủ mới chứng minh một cách cụ thể, khách quan như dữ liệu, số liệu thống kê đầy đủ và chính xác, đội ngũ chuyên gia có tri thức và kinh nghiệm. Kết quả thử nghiệm trong ngành thủy sản cho thấy, việc thiếu điều kiện sẽ gặp khó khăn nhưng không có nghĩa là không xác định được đóng góp củaKH&CN đối với sự tăng trưởng kinh tế. (Over the past decades, science and technology has been proved to significantly contribute for economic growth based on development theory and the method of growth accounting and econometric evaluation. However, in order to provide detailed and objective findings, these theories and methods require sufficient and necessary conditions such as the level of completion and accuracy of data and statistics sources or how the experts are knowledgeable and experienced. The results of trail applications in the fishery sector had shown that the lack of these conditions will cause difficulties, but it does not mean that the contribution of S&T to economic growth is not able to be determined.).

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Environment

Can dams be designed for sustainability?

N. LeRoy Poff and Julian D. Olden. Science, 2017, volume 358, number 6368, pp. 1252-1253.

Free full text http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/358/6368/1252.full.pdf.

Abstract: Water, food, and energy security are cornerstones of a sustainable and prosperous future. Rivers play a key role in delivering critical ecosystem services that contribute to this security on a global scale. But decisions concerning how rivers are harnessed or otherwise used for the benefit of human societies inevitably create environmental and social conflicts, particularly when new dams threaten valued ecosystem services. Given the proposed proliferation of thousands of new dams in many developing countries (1), can policy-makers and managers be smarter in dam design and operation to reduce these inherent conflicts to generate valuable co-benefits? On page 1270 of this issue, Sabo et al. (2) propose a novel approach to designing flow releases from existing and proposed dams in the Mekong River Basin in order to sustain a highly valued and threatened natural fishery.

How coral reef conservation and marine protected areas impact human well-being: a case study of a marine protected area and fishing communities in Central Vietnam.

Quach Thi Khanh Ngoc. EEPSEA Research Report 2017 No.2017-RR5, 2017.

Free full text http://www.eepsea.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=587:how-coral-reef-conservation-and-marine-protected-areas-impact-human-well-being-a-case-study-of-a-marine-protected-area-and-fishing-communities-in-central-vietnam&Itemid=192.

Abstract: This study evaluates the impacts of coral reef conservation and marine protected areas (MPAs) on the well-being of fishing communities in Central Vietnam. The Cu Lao Cham MPA is chosen as the case study. Coral reef health and four aspects of socioeconomic conditions (i.e., catch rate [also related to food security], access to the resource, employment, and income) are investigated. Data on the four different aspects were gathered from different sources. The results show that there is good evidence for how coral reef conservation can transfer the flow of benefits from the ecosystem to the local people. However, trade-offs also occur as a result of the development of tourism, including the degradation of fish resources and the environment. The managers of the MPA and the community should take into account trade-offs in resource management and should focus on appropriate MPA planning and fisheries management outside the MPA to achieve better outcomes for the local community from coral reef conservation.

The mangrove's contribution to people: Interdisciplinary pilot study of the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve in Viet Nam.

Marie-Christine Cormier-Salem, Nguyen Van Trai, Ariadna Burgos, Jean-Dominique Durand, Yvan Bettarel and others. Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 2017, volume 349, number 6–7, pp. 341-350.

Abstract: The main objective of this pilot study, conducted in June 2015 in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve (Can Gio MBR, Viet Nam), was to develop an interdisciplinary approach to assess some key services provided by reforested mangroves subject to external pressures and varying management policies. We focused on the abundance of viruses, bacteria, endo- and epi- and macrofauna and the diversity of crabs in the mangrove and the exploitation of its resources. The main social finding was that the local inhabitants are aware of the levels of protection of the different zones within the Can Gio MBR and respect them. The core and the buffer zones seem to present a similar ecological status. Genotyping showed a low level of crab diversity although there were many different morphotypes. In the future, we need to understand the stakeholders’ general perception of the biodiversity and environment changes by developing an integrated, multi-scale approach.

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Coastal erosion vulnerability of Kien Giang - the Western Mekong River Delta Coast in Vietnam.

Free full text https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thang_Nguyen31/publication/317584476_Coastal_erosion_vulnerability_of_Kien_Giang_-_the_Western_Mekong_River_Delta_Coast_in_Vietnam/links/5941413d458515c5e4b3ca16/Coastal-erosion-vulnerability-of-Kien-Giang-the-Western-Mekong-River-Delta-Coast-in-Vietnam.pdf.

Abstract: Shoreline movement caused by erosion and deposition is an emerging concern for integrated coastal zone management in the context of climate change, particularly sea-level rise. Rapid assessment techniques are needed to evaluate and warn about such threats. Landsat imagery enables monitoring large sections of shoreline at relatively coarse spatial resolution. Using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System Application (DSAS), an extension to ArcGIS developed by the United States Geological Survey, we compared the change in shoreline locations and their physical stability in Kien Giang over a period of last 40 years. It was also intended to explain the historic shoreline change trends caused by natural and human-induced forces. Coastal vulnerability analysis showed only 2.12% of the Kien Giang coast (equivalent to a length of 4.43 km) eroded quickly, was ranked as very high vulnerability and high vulnerability to settlement landuse and development. The shoreline along the Kien Giang coast is expected to be fairly stable. Results also indicated an average erosion rate of 4.8 m/yr (whereas an average accretion rate of 5.7 m/yr) occurred along the shoreline. The method offers promising applications for conservation and management of vulnerable shoreline habitats.

Environmental Disasters in the Mekong Subregion: Looking Beyond State Boundaries.

Andrea Haefner. in: Crossing Borders: Governing Environmental Disasters in a Global Urban Age in Asia and the Pacific, Springer Singapore, Singapore, 2018, pp. 117-132.

Abstract: Using a political science lens, this chapter draws on original research in the Mekong region with a special focus on environmental disasters and water (in)security using the Xayabouri Dam as a case study. Key findings include that it is important to look beyond the state boundaries, achieving a regional perspective as this is the only way to tackle transboundary challenges and increase resilience to environmental disasters as linkages between the global, regional and national level and between different levels of governance shape how disasters occur and how their impact is distributed.

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Long-term recovery narratives following major disasters in Southeast Asia.

Abstract: Most studies of major disasters focus on the impacts of the event and the short-term responses. Some evaluate the underlying causes of vulnerability, but few follow-up events years later to evaluate the consequences of early framings of the recovery process. The objective of this study was to improve understanding of the influence that recovery narratives have had on how decisions and actions are undertaken to recover from a disaster, and what influence this has had in turn, on long-term resilience. The study drew on comparisons and insights from four case studies in Southeast Asia: (1) local innovations that led to new policies for living with floods in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam following the 2001 Mekong River floods; (2) livelihood and infrastructure responses in Prey Veng, Cambodia, after the 2001 and 2011 Mekong River floods; (3) the role of the Panglima Laot, a traditional fisheries management institution, in the recovery process following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh province, Indonesia; and (4) the challenges faced by small and medium enterprises in a market area following the 2011 floods in Bangkok, Thailand. This study identified alternative narratives on the purpose and means of ‘recovery’ with implications for who ultimately benefits and who remains at risk. The study also found both formal and informal loss and damage systems were involved in recoveries. The findings of this study are important for improving the performance of loss and damage systems, both existing and planned, and, ultimately, supporting more climate resilient development that is inclusive.

Air quality study in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2015–2016 based on a one-year observation of NOx, O3, CO and a one-week observation of VOCs.

Yosuke Sakamoto, Koki Shoji, Manh Trung Bui, Thi Huong Phạm, The Anh Vu and others. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 2018.

Abstract: The number of vehicles, especially motorcycles, which are the dominant source of Hanoi's air pollution, has rapidly increased in recent decades. To investigate air quality in Hanoi, a 1-week observation of VOCs, CO and O3 in September 2015 and a year-long campaign to measure O3, NOx and CO between October 2015 and December 2016 were conducted in the inner city area. Overall mean values of O3, CO and NO2 mixing ratios were 19.3 ± 15.3 ppb, 1.3 ± 0.8 ppm and 21.4 ± 11.8 ppb, respectively. The O3 mixing ratio often exceeded the WHO guideline value of 50 ppb (daily 8-h mean). Although less frequently exceeding the WHO short-term (1-h mean) guideline of 106 ppb, the observed NO2 overall mean value was greater than the WHO guideline value of 21 ppb. A diurnal profile and analysis of the composition of VOCs indicates that atmospheric VOCs in Hanoi mainly originated from motorcycles, which dominate Hanoi's vehicle fleet. The good correlation between measurements of VOCs and CO also indicates motorcycles as the main source of CO. The NOx/CO ratio, which is specific to a given emission source, was largely unchanged throughout the year, indicating that vehicles including motorcycles as well as buses, trucks and cars are the main source of O3 precursors year-round. The estimated VOC/NOx ratio of 12 ± 5 suggests that Hanoi's air quality can be categorized as NOx-limited regime with regards to O3-formation. Therefore, controlling NOx emissions from not only motorcycles and also other vehicles would be highly effective at decreasing Hanoi's O3 levels. Furthermore, the results suggest the relationship between the northeast monsoon and an O3 burst in the winter season.

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Impacts of alternate wetting and drying on greenhouse gas emission from paddy field in Central Vietnam.

Abstract: Vietnam is the world?s fifth largest rice producing country. Since methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), emission from the rice cultivation accounts for 14.6% of the national anthropogenic GHG emission, developing and disseminating mitigation options are the urgent need. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is the irrigation technique, in which a paddy field encompasses several soil-drying phases during the growth period, thereby reducing the CH4 emission. However, field trials of the AWD?s feasibility in Central Vietnam are limited so far. We therefore carried out a 3-year experiment in a farmer?s field both in winter?spring season and summer?autumn season. CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were compared among the three treatments of water management: continuous flooding (CF), AWD, and site-specific AWD (AWDS) that changed the degree of soil drying depending on the growth stage. The total water use including irrigation and rainfall was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by AWD (by 15%) and AWDS (by 14%) compared to CF, but rice grain yield did not differ among the three treatments. The seasonal cumulative CH4 emission was significantly reduced by AWD (26%) and AWDS (26%) compared to CF, whereas the seasonal cumulative N2O emission did not differ among treatments. The resultant global warming potentials (GWPs) of CH4 and N2O under AWD and AWDS were 26% and 29% smaller than that under CF, respectively. The GWP of N2O was only 0.8% of the total GWP of CH4 + N2O. The yield-scaled GWP and water productivity (i.e., the ratio of grain yield to water use) were also improved by AWD and AWDS. No significant differences in the measured items between AWD and AWDS were attributed to similar variation patterns in the surface water level. The results confirm the AWD?s performance as a mitigation option for paddy GHG emission in Central Vietnam.

A comparison of solid waste generation rate between types of hotel in Hoian ancient city, Vietnam.

Song Toan PHAM PHU, Takeshi FUJIWARA and Minh Giang HOANG. The 28th Annual Conference of JSMCWM, 2017.

Free full text https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmcwm/28/0/28_507/_pdf.

Abstract: Recently, tourism has rapidly grown and become a major industry in the world. Hoi An City (HAC), which is a small ancient town in the center of Vietnam welcomes an average of 2,500,000 arrivals per year. Responding to the increase in visitors with the rise of the hotel industry, HAC reached 446 accommodations with 7,795 rooms in 2016. Tourism brings and sustains many positive benefits on employment and economic value to society. However, tourism activities also have negative influences on the environment in which solid waste generation (SWG) from hospitality sectors is one of the most severe impacts. Many previous studies mentioned about SWG from hotels with partial views. Chan and Lam (2001) measured the waste generation from mid-size hotels in Hong Kong and showed that the mid-scale hotels should apply green accounting in the long run to reduce SWG and environmental cost. Another study conducted a survey of 50 hotels in Vietnam by questionnaire to estimate the audits of SWG from 4 scales of hotels [2]. In this work, 24 five-star hotels in Cairo, Egypt have investigated the weight of solid waste by questionnaire survey to identified whether the SWG from these hotels complies with international standard benchmarks. No studies about SWG in small hotels, villas or homestays have been found. In brief, SWG from hotel activities has been reviewed with different partitions. In this study, solid waste generated from all types of hotels in the hospitality industry in HAC is identified, analyzed and compared.

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Spatial variations of arsenic in groundwater from a transect in the Northwestern Hanoi.

Abstract: Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a major health problem and has been a growing concern in the last decade in several regions of the world, especially in South and Southeast Asia, including the Red River delta, Vietnam. Regional groundwater studies have been carried out in the vicinity of Hanoi, on the banks of the Red River and its adjacent floodplains. In this study, the groundwater from a transect in the Northwestern area of Hanoi was examined. The results showed that 28.8% the wells of the B-B’ transect exceed the WHO guideline value for arsenic concentration in drinking water. The arsenic concentrations varied in a wide range from point to point, with the highest concentration found at Van Phuc and the lowest one found at Cam Yen. They also varied accordingly to the depth.

A study on household solid waste characteristics and recycling behavior modeling: A case study in Da Nang city, Vietnam.

TRAN Vu Chi Mai and Yasuhiro MATSUI. The 28th Annual Conference of JSMCWM, 2017.

Free full text https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmcwm/28/0/28_505/_pdf.

Abstract: Da Nang city is the third largest city in Vietnam and is expected to be an Environmental city by 2020[2], where solid waste issues have high priority. The total municipal solid waste (MSW) increased by 40% in 6 years (from 187,202 tons in 2007 to 262,182 tons in 2013[1]). To deal with the increasing solid waste generation, it is necessary to establish MSW management towards 3Rs. In order to provide the scientific information to promote 3Rs, this study focused on the household solid waste (HSW) characteristics and recycling behavior modeling. The authors aimed to: (1). Identify the HSW characteristics and factors affecting HSW generation; (2). Investigate the current status of citizens’ waste separation; (3). Develop the structure model on recycling behavior to clarify the factors affecting recycling behavior.

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