Experts propose This solution to reduce pollution in water bodies and protect the environment. It was discussed at the "Promoting Sustainable Solutions for Collecting Waste in Rivers, Canals, and Streams" workshop organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on September 20th in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to UNDP, plastic pollution is an urgent issue that seriously threatens the environment and human health, especially in urban and coastal communities.
Updated statistics from UNDP show that Viet Nam generates approximately 3 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, with about 2.5% leaking into waterways. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, nearly 2,000 tons of plastic waste are discarded daily.
Patrick Haverman, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Viet Nam, emphasized the importance of promoting innovation and developing technology to collect waterway waste.
Ho Kien Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Pollution Control at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment stressed that strict management measures and cooperation from all stakeholders are crucial to address the increasing amount of plastic waste.
Sharing her experience in collecting waste from the Can Tho River and lessons from international projects, Charlotte de Jong, Regional Development Manager for Asia at The Ocean Cleanup, noted that advanced technology and international cooperation are essential in effectively tackling plastic waste in rivers, especially in countries with significant plastic waste generation.
At the workshop, experts shared lessons from deploying the Interceptor 003 waste collection system in the Can Tho River. According to them, although the system has helped reduce plastic pollution in the river, its collection efficiency has yet to reach its design capacity due to complex hydrological conditions and the lack of economic and technical standards.
Therefore, the government must quickly improve the legal framework to maintain and expand sustainable waste collection solutions in other localities, such as rivers, canals, and streams. Additionally, it is necessary to strengthen public-private partnerships with support from international organizations to accelerate the green transition and achieve the goal of reducing marine plastic waste by 75% by 2030.