The Binh Tuat spring elapsed and the Dinh Hoi spring has turned up a new page. Now is the time for us to look back at our country’s environment and natural resources to find the causes and draw lessons leading to a correct way for development. Despite the development of industries and services, urbanisation and population growth, poverty remains in some rural and mountainous areas, and natural disasters and negative changes in the global climate have increased. These problems have put a great pressure on the environment and natural resources and proving to be a great challenge to environment protection activities. The Government has been determined to protect the environment and natural resources. In 2006, it spent one percent of the total budget expenditure on environmental protection. Commonly known as Viet Nam Agenda 21, the Strategic Orientation for Sustainable Development indicates nineteen priority areas to achieve fast and effective economic development, including 5 economic areas, 5 social areas and 9 natural resources and environment areas. Sustainable environmental development means logical exploitation, saving and effective use of natural resources, effectively preventing, resolving and controlling environmental pollution, protecting the living environment, national parks, bio-diversity preserve areas and improving the environment. Natural resources management and environmental protection are important pillars of sustainable development. Our Party has set the objective that by 2010, forest coverage will be expanded to 42 – 43 percent, and 95 percent of the urban population and 75 percent of the rural population will be supplied with safe water. All newly established production establishments must apply clean technologies or install pollution mitigation and waste treatment equipment; over half of production and business establishments will reach environmental standards; all cities from the 3^rd and higher categories, half of the cities of the 4^th category and all industrial and export processing zones will have wastewater treatment facilities; 90 percent of normal solid waste, 80 percent of hazardous waste and 100 percent of hospital waste will be collected and treated to meet environmental standards. In order to reach that objective, in the coming period we must focus our efforts to realise the following major tasks: First, accelerate information, education and communication activities to strengthen public awareness and responsibility over environmental protection. Second, continue to develop and finalise the institution for natural resources and environment. Third, pay further attention to State governance of environmental protection. Fourth, strongly socialise activities for natural resources and environmental protection. Fifth, expand and make international cooperation on environmental protection more effective. Sixth, accelerate inspection, supervision and monitoring activities and apply necessary sanctions to strictly tackle lawbreakers against natural resources and environmental protection. Seventh, create major changes in investment in natural resources and environmental protection.

Further joint efforts will be made to effectively reach natural resources and environmental protection objectives set by the 10^th National Party Congress to contribute to making our country prosperous and more beautiful.