Vietnam

Vietnam is introducing a waste-water system to reduce pollution in its largest city. Ho Chi Minh City has proposed zoning plan for waste-water discharge areas covering 97 rivers, streams and waterways.

Vietnam is turning to wind power again for its island possessions. PetroVietnam Power Renewable Energy is investing USD17 million for three turbines with the combined capacity of 6-MW. When operational, the new wind farm should supply 25.4 million kWh each year.

Vietnam's General Forestry Department has reported that the country lost over 3,000 hectares (ha) of its forest cover in 2012. A conference was told that 27,671 violations of forest protection laws were discovered last year, including 5,724 cases of deforestation, 13,550 cases involving illegal transportation of forestry products, 905 wood processing violations and 928 cases of wildlife hunting and trading.

China leads the world in investing in the protection of its watershed, according to a new study by US-based NGO Forest Trends. The report, State of Watershed Payments 2012, is described as an effort to globally track the size, scope, and direc­tion of investments in watershed services as well as the ecological infrastructure from which they flow. The study was dominated by looking at China and the US which had 61 and 67 programs of the 205 tracked, respectively. China accounted for 91 percent of the 2011 investment, supported by government money.

The US International Trade Commission (USITC) ruled on Friday that its domestic industry was materially injured or threatened by imported wind towers from China and Vietnam, clearing the way for Washington to impose punitive duties on these products.