A report on the environmental situation of Vietnam over a certain period of time was presented during a launching ceremony for the National State of Environment in ${bigcity_Hanoi:"Hanoi"} on June 10, 2010. The report was based on a five-year period environmental management and protection in Vietnam from 2005 – 2010. According to the minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Koi Nguyen, the report touched on four crucial issues: assessment of the socio-economic situation; its impact on the environment; adverse impacts of environmental pollution on the community’s health; and economic development. Proposals to accomplish environmental protection and sustainable development plans by 2020 were also included in the report.

One important guest at the ceremony was Danish Ambassador to Vietnam John Nielsen, who stressed his hope that Vietnam would achieve and maintain sustainable development through these proposals. It should be noted that Denmark contributed significantly in building a legal framework in environmental
protection in Vietnam.

Based on official data from the report, Vietnam has kept a sustainable annual economic growth of 7.2% and that the country maintained stability in the social welfare sector. However, the massive destruction of the environment plus the unexpected, alarming climate change during the past several years has weighed heavily on the overall environmental condition of Vietnam.

To alleviate this problem, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has mapped out several specific solutions to address this increasingly alarming environmental issue that is plaguing not only Vietnam, but globally. According to the environmental agency, the National Assembly, government, ministries, sectors and localities, hand-in-hand, should: amend and supplement the Law on Environment Protection; increase spending on environment protection to 2%; and consolidate the state management in environment protection from the central to grassroots levels.

Annual state budget for environment protection in Vietnam is only 1%.