Some projects must have environmental impact assessments

Decree 18/2015/ND-CP clearly stipulates that subjects subject to environmental impact assessment include: projects falling under the investment policy decision-making authority of the National Assembly, and under the investment decision-making authority of the Government and the Prime Minister; Projects using land of national parks, nature reserves, world heritage areas, biosphere reserves; Technical infrastructure construction projects in industrial parks, high-tech parks, industrial clusters, export processing zones, commercial zones, craft villages and other concentrated production and business zones; Projects to build medical examination and treatment facilities and other medical facilities with a scale of 50 beds or more; cemetery and cremation facility construction projects; nuclear reactor construction project; solid mineral exploitation and processing projects using chemicals ctoxic or industrial explosives; Non-ferrous metal processing and refining projects...

Owners of the above projects are responsible for self-implementing or hiring a consulting organization to conduct environmental impact assessment according to the provisions of Article 19Environmental Protection Law; Be responsible before the law for the results of environmental impact assessment and the information and data used in the environmental impact assessment report.

During the process of carrying out environmental impact assessment, the project owner must consult with the People's Committee of the commune, ward and town where the project is implemented, organizations and communities directly affected by the project; Research and receive objective opinions and reasonable recommendations from consulted stakeholders to minimize the project's adverse impacts on the natural environment, biodiversity and community health.

Environmental assessment must have a university degree

The Decree also clearly stipulates that officials performing environmental impact assessments must have a university degree or higher and must have a certificate in environmental impact assessment consulting in the right field. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment manages training and certification of environmental impact assessment consultants.

Environmental impact assessment is considered an important management tool to contribute to preventing pollution and environmental degradation. Because through environmental impact assessment, investors have increased their responsibility in choosing project types and production technologies, in preventing and minimizing negative impacts on the environment caused by project activities, contributing to social stability, limiting conflicts due to environmental pollution, and reducing negative impacts on public health.