Over the last three years, religious establishments have carried out some 1,000 projects in environmental protection and climate change combat, heard a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on May 16.
The projects were established under the coordination programme to promote the role of religions in protecting the environment and responding to climate change.
All 63 cities and provinces signed programmes and plans on coordination between the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), the natural resources and environment sector, and religious organisations in this regard.
The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) has popularised the Party’s guidelines and the State’s laws and policies on environmental protection and climate change response at Buddhist schools and courses.
Catholic organisation Caritas Vietnam has also worked to raise public awareness of the matter.
Ngô Sách Thực, Vice President of the VFF Central Committee and head of the steering board for the coordination programme, said the VFF will step up coordination with competent agencies and religious organisations in communications work.
The VFF at all levels will also join hands with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) in compiling and delivering relevant documents to religious figures.
Deputy Minister of MoNRE Võ Tuấn Nhân said the ministry will enhance partnerships in organising conferences and training courses in an effort to improve awareness amongst religious people about environmental protection and climate change combat.
Knut Christiansen, Director of the Nordic Assistance to Vietnam/Norwegian Church Aid (NAV/NCA), said that over the years the NAV/NCA has helped Vietnam carry out many projects to improve its capacity in climate change response.
The organisation will further its coordination with competent Vietnamese agencies to effectively implement solutions to protect the environment and ease pollution, he pledged.
Source: en.vietnamplus.vn
