Nguyen Thi Lan HuongHealth Environment Management AgencyMinistry of Health of Vietnam

HIA and EIA in Vietnam

The Law on Environment Protection issued in 1993 and the Decree of Vietnam government guiding the implementation of the Law regulated HIA as a part of EIA.

EIA

SIA

HIAPeter Furu, 2007

HIA and EIA in Vietnam

THEORY

However, The Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases issued in 2007 regulates that :

All projects on construction of industrial area, urban area, residential parks, healthcare facilities of infectious diseases can be built only after having the HIA evaluation .

Important legal documents which clearly confirms all projects which have to realize HIA independently.

EIA SIA

HIAPeter Furu, 2007

HIA and EIA in Vietnam

REALITY

However, The Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases issued in 2007 regulates that :

All projects on construction of industrial area, urban area, residential parks, healthcare facilities of infectious diseases can be built only after having the HIA evaluation .

Important legal documents which clearly confirms all projects which have to realize HIA independently.

Not enough in case of Projects such as hydropower plans, irrigation dams, navy ports, … !

HIA and EIA in Vietnam

-Vietnam Health Environment Agency (VIHEMA), a department of Ministry of Health is the focal point for HIA. -With the help of WHO, VIHEMA continued many actions aims to implement and enhance knowlege of HIA (which began from 2005): +2010-2011: Continue to enhance capacity building and raising awareness about HIA, throughout training for provincial level. +2012: Realizing a guideline and developing regulations on HIA +2013-2015: WHO will continue to help our Agency to institutionalize HIA and bring HIA into the National Environmental Health Action Plans (NEHAP)

Building HIA process requires not only efforts, commitments and patience but also an appropriate approach and a long vision.

Ideas to push HIA as a mechanism in ASEAN

- Integrate HIA in the Healthy Public Policy.

- Use experience of Helsingborg, Swiss: Invite two elected in a Technical working groups of a Pilot project of HIA. The influence of the latter has promoted a common understanding the HIA and its implementation. This helped further discussed in other political organizations. Elected officials were able to realize how quickly the HIA could help to improve the process of decision making.

- Forming a ASEAN Committee about HIA to governance, coordination, research, recommendations, and tabling all activities concerns HIA in ASEAN countries.

- On the side of Vietnam and specially VIHEMA, we will cooperate with the Ministry of Environment to integrate HIA in EIA or developing HIA independently. As well as facilitating businesses in procedures to realize international projects .

Thank you for your attention !