Currently 30 percent of the population in the southern province of Soc Trang are Khmer ethnic people, with a majority of them follow Khmer Theravada Buddhism.
Over the past years, religious people in Soc Trang, including Khmer Theravada Buddhist followers have actively participated in the coordination program for the environmental protection and climate change adaptation.
Implementing the coordination program for environmental protection and climate change response by the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the natural resources & environment department in Soc Trang, the association for solidarity of patriotic monks in the province has proactively engaged in the communication work for raising Khmer people’s awareness on environmental issues and called on them to actively respond the World Environment Day and the International Plastic Bag Free Day, etc.
Through religious meetings, Khmer Buddhist monks have reinterpreted Buddhist teachings that encourage environmental-friendly lifestyles and saving of natural resources. Khmer Buddhist dignitaries and lay followers have often worked together for creating green spaces within Khmer pagodas, bringing people and nature closer together.
In addition, the Khmer Theravada pagodas have also encouraged followers to switch the using of chemical products to organic products in farming for protecting human health and practice civilized lifestyles when going to pagodas by no littering and abuse of burning votive papers, as well as replacing plastic bags by bamboo, rattan and banana leaf handcrafts, etc.
Particularly, Soc Trang authorities have built over 100 crematoriums inside Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagodas. These crematoriums helped families in localities to cremate their members who passed away for protecting the environment./.
Nguyên Hải
