Forum helps boost cooperation for Mekong Delta’s sustainable development
The annual Forum on Cooperation and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta (Mekong Delta Forum) was held in both in-person and online forms on November 4, under the theme “Promoting local initiatives - Strengthening multilateral cooperation”.
Hanoi (VNA) - The annual Forum on Cooperation and SustainableDevelopment in the Mekong Delta (Mekong Delta Forum) was held in both in-personand online forms on November 4, under the theme “Promoting local initiatives -Strengthening multilateral cooperation”.
The forum was jointly held by the Vietnam Union of Scienceand Technology Associations (VUSTA), the European Union Delegation to Vietnamand the Green Innovation Development Centre (GreenID) in Hanoi, and connectedto Ho Chi Minh City and 13 Mekong Delta localities.
Speakers at the forum are leading domestic and foreignscientists and experts working in the fields related to sustainable developmentof the region.
The forum included three sessions, with the first focusingon planning orientations, the second introducing selected energy initiativesand proposals on climate change adaptation, and the final being a roundtable seekingmeasures to intensify multilateral cooperation and calling for initiative forthe 2022 forum.
Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the European UnionDelegation to Vietnam, said that the Mekong Delta region is facing enormouschallenges such as land subsidence, coastal erosion, sea level rise, salineintrusion, loss of mangroves, and problems related to water, riverbed sand andgroundwater quality management. The region’s economy and people's livelihoodshave also been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. This requires a strongcollective action by all stakeholders for more sustainable recovery, he added.
Professor, Dr. Marco Abbiati, Scientific Attaché, Counsellor of the ItalianEmbassy in Vietnam, said that policies, including those on regional planningand economic promotion models, need to be suitable and close to the reality.
The proposed solutions must be comprehensive and friendly to the nature, withlong-term sustainability and long-term resources of localities taken intoaccount, he stated./.
The Mekong Delta region faces the risk of water shortages, drought and saline intrusion due to low water sources from the upper Mekong River and human exploitation of land and forests in the upstream, experts have warned.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced up to 7,941 enterprises in the Mekong Delta to suspend their operations or register for dissolution in the first nine months of this year.
Photographer Huynh Phuc Hau grew up in Chau Doc city, An Giang province. He has taken many photos of the Mekong Delta province in the flooding seasons. The following photo collection was conducted in many years, introducing the public to the vast fields in Chau Doc city and Tinh Bien district in An Giang province.
A workshop took place both virtually and in-person in Hanoi on October 21 to launch the Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation project, which was announced during US Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Vietnam in August.
The Employment Service Centre of Can Tho in coordination with Mekong Delta provinces, Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong province held a virtual job fair on October 29 to support enterprises in restoring operations and help workers who returned to their hometowns in the Mekong Delta to escape the COVID-19 outbreak with employment opportunities.
Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
Vietnam ranked among the top four countries and territories at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), reaffirming its strong position in international academic competitions.
All 20 crew members aboard the Vietnamese oil tanker GT Unity were successfully rescued from a fire in the vessel’s engine room, thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged ship Androusa and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams.
Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on the issuance date, introduces amendments that integrate the procedure for reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers into the process of submitting applications for work permits.
With a tight 13-month deadline, the move is under a strategic and urgent policy to bridge educational gaps, train the local workforce, and shore up territorial sovereignty in some of the country’s most remote areas.
The parade and personnel send-off ceremony will officially take place on August 10 at the area surrounding the Statue of King Ly Thai To and Dinh Tien Hoang street of Hoan Kiem ward, with the participation of nearly 3,000 officers, soldiers, and local residents.
According to national technical regulations, AIS installation is mandatory for boats carrying more than 50 passengers. However, operators of smaller vessels (under 50 seats) in Ha Long Bay have voluntarily committed to completing installation by the deadline to enhance operational safety.
The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
Specifically, the ships will carry out patrols from 7am to 6pm daily along the main tourist routes in Ha Long Bay, with one ship permanently stationed at Ti Top island. From 6pm to 7am the following day, the mobile vessels return to Tuan Chau island to maintain a 24/7 on-call duty shift, ensuring constant readiness.
The Ministry of Construction (MoC) plans to open to traffic 208km of expressways of six key projects by August 19, bringing the country’s total expressway network to 2,476km.
As of July 1, a two-tier local government model started in 34 provinces and cities, streamlining administration but creating a surplus of public properties. If not promptly addressed, these assets could become a financial burden.
Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
Illustrative image (Photo: tuyengiao.vn) 
