Seminar on Solutions to Promote Sustainable Development in Southwestern Vietnam in the New Development Context

11/21/2020 3:09:48 PM

The seminar was held on July 24, 2020 at VIE as part of the state-level research project led by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, former President of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, under the framework of the Southwest Research Program.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Tuan, VIE Director, and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan co-chaired the workshop.

The workshop scenery.

There were two sessions in the agenda. After Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Tuan’s welcome speech and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan’s opening remark, the workshop entered Session 1 with two presentations.

1. “Improving competitiveness of the Southwest Region in the new development context” by Mr. Nguyen Hoang Ha, Vietnam Development Strategies Institute, Ministry of Planning and Investment.

2. “Development of fisheries in the Southwest Region: Issues and solutions” by Dr. Cao Le Quyen, Vietnam Institute of Fisheries Economics and Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Ha presented at the workshop.

The audience contributed comments after the two presentations.

From the viewpoints of Dr. Lê Xuân Sang, VIE Deputy Director, the Southwest (aka. the Mekong delta) faced difficulties in development due to its faraway distance from economic corridors and centers. Advancing further the region required critical attention to the issues of value chains and intra-regional and inter-industry linkages, for which policy initiatives should be carefully designed.

Session 2 comprised of two presentations:

1. “Environmental protection in the Mekong delta in a new context” by Dr. Nguyen Sy Linh, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

2. “Solutions to agricultural development in the Southwest” by Ms. Doan Minh Thu, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The two speakers also received constructive comments and helpful recommendations from the workshop participants.

Prof. Nguyen Quang Thuan agreed that adjustments of the regional context assessment were necessary due to recent changes and revised objectives for the Southwest development. Similarly, the East Sea and Cambodia relevant issues required a more comprehensive analysis for proposing of suitable scenarios. Sustainability should include also the national defense and security, not just economic, environmental and social aspects. Besides, it is important as well to have market projections to assess the new context.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Tuan delivered his remarks to conclude the workshop and expressed thanks to the participants for their attendance and comments that contributed to the success of the workshop.