Nation strives to overcome AO consequences

The on-going project to detoxify Da Nang airport, a hotspot of dioxin contamination, with the US Government’s funding is expected to be completed by 2016, while 100,000 cu. m. of contaminated land at Bien Hoa Airport were treated in 2007.

Phu Cat, Da Nang and Bien Hoa airports were once used by US troops in missions to spray the defoliant on Vietnam during the war.

The information was unveiled by the Office of the National Steering Committee on recovering consequences of AO/dioxin in Viet Nam (Office 33) in a workshop held in Ha Noi on April 22.

The workshop aimed to update the media with information about efforts to overcome AO/dioxin consequences in Viet Nam.

Head of Office 33 Le Ke Son said that the issue on AO/dioxin consequences in Viet Nam has received much attention both in and outside the country in the past 40 years.

The severe consequences of dioxin left on the environment and people’s health have also engaged in the spheres of politics, international law, human rights and humanity.

A commission was established in October 1980 to investigate into consequences of herbicide/dioxin in Viet Nam, then Office 33 was set up in March 1999 to monitor and organise activities to overcome the consequences of these toxins.

In June 2012, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved the National Action Plan on Recovering AO/dioxin consequences to 2015, with a vision to 2020.

Addressing the workshop, Deputy Director of UNDP in Viet Nam, Bakhodir Burkhanov stated that sufficient and prompt communications on defoliant contamination and exposure as well as efforts to tackle AO/dioxin problems will help improve the public awareness of taking preventive measures.

Such sufficient information helps the Government and development partners coordinate to recover the consequences, said Mr. Burkhanov.

By Ngoc Van