Regarding to environment protection, 11 religious organizations and the city Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee have signed a cooperation agreement on protection environment and climate change adaptation. Implementing this agreement, local religious organizations have set up 31 working models on environment protection in the locality.

According to Senior Venerable Thích Bình Tâm, Vice Chairman of the city Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Executive Committee, Abbot of Phuong Nam Truc Lam Zen monastery, the provincial VBS chapter has encouraged local Buddhists from all 168 worshipping places to take part practical activities such as proper disposal of waste and limitation of votive papers burning in worshipping places, etc for environmental protection.

In particular, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Chapter in the city and the Agriculture and Rural Development Department has also signed a cooperation program on the aquatic environmental protection in the city. Up to now, more than 13 tons of live fish have been released into the nature.

At Phuong Nam Truc Lam Zen monastery, the city VBS’s executive board has built a pilot model for proper disposal and treatment of waste and creation of clean and green places of worshipping and housing. The monastery has also built a garbage incinerator, a smokeless kitchen and installed a bottled water production system.

The executive board of Hoa Hao Buddhism in Thoi Long ward offers free meals to the poor

Traditional clinics of Hung Dinh temple and Hung Bao temple under the Pure-land Buddhist Association in the city have developed a model for planting and production of clean traditional herbs attracting many locals and visitors to come for health examination and treatment.

Hoa Hao Buddhism has built a garbage incinerator, planted trees, and provided fire extinguishers at Hao Hao Temple in Thot Not district.

Catholic communities in the city also proactively joined in programs for environment protection and climate change adaption. According to Deputy Head of the Catholic solidarity committee in the city, Can Tho deanery has launched a model for treatment of rural waste at Truong Long parish and 236 Catholic households in the parish pledged to frequently collect rubbish and wastes, clean streets and plant trees in worshipping places, houses and roads, etc.

In addition, local religious organizations have made practical contributions to the Covid-19 fighting efforts for recent months.

According to Vice Chairman of Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in the city Nguyễn Thúy Hằng, in the first four months of 2020, the committee has received over 5 billion VND from local religions, including cash and necessities for supporting the Covid-19 prevention work.

According to the Head of the representative committee of Hoa Hao Buddhism in the city Lê Văn Thưởng, Hoa Hao Buddhists have contributed over 2 billion VND to the Covid-19 prevention work in the city in the first four months of 2020.

Local Buddhists have also donated 291 fresh water tanks and presented 3,500 gift sets worth over 1.8 billion VND to the disadvantaged people mostly affected by the pandemic, Senior Venerable Thích Bình Tâm reported.

PH (can tho newspaper)