VN academic honoured for mangrove work

(20-11-2008)

HA NOI — Professor Phan Nguyen Hong from the National University of Education here has won the international Cosmos Prize for his contribution to saving mangrove forests.

Hong was selected from 131 candidates from 25 countries to become the first Vietnamese scientist to receive the award - and prize money of US$380,000. The award ceremony was held in the Japanese city of Osaka.

The prize is awarded annually by the Expo 90 Commemorative Foundation to an individual or team who contributes to the interdependence of life and the global environment.

"His 40-year research project plays an important role in protecting bio-diversity and reducing global warming," said Mai Sy Tuan, dean of the National University’s Faculty of Biology.

"It helps humans discover the best way to preserve harmony with nature."

Nguyen Lan Dung, chairman of the General Biology Association, said the prize was an honour for all Vietnamese scientists. "The most significant fact is that Hong’s work has helped revive many mangrove forests destroyed in war time," he added.

The 73-year-old professor is a pioneer in the study of the bio-ecology of tropical wetlands in Viet Nam. He began his research in 1964 to solve the long-term effects of the chemical war on mangroves.

Hong went on to establish Can Gio Province’s Biosphere Reservation Centre.

He also helped local residents replant mangrove forests in eight different provinces and improved their living standards by  using the forest wetlands to raise aquatic products.

He established more than 400 classes in 10 coastal provinces to train fishermen in new ways of raising sea products and planting mangroves.

Hong has published 20 books about preserving the mangrove ecosystem and become a top-ranking expert in Asian wetland systems.

He intends to continue his studies on coastal forest conservation and contribute to marine resource protection and poverty reduction.

"I’ll donate part of my prize money to support scientific research for university teaching staff and students," said Hong.

II.

Climate change threatens VN’s poor

(25-11-2008)

HA NOI — Climate change is threatening to reverse Viet Nam’s achievements in eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, dragging millions of people back under the poverty line, according to a report from non-governmentalorganisation Oxfam.

The report was released ahead of the UN’s climate change negotiations which convene in early December at Poznan, where Oxfam will urge rich countries to lead the way in cutting global emissions by at least 80 per cent, and committing to funding so that developing communities such as Viet Nam can adapt to the devastating effects of climate change.

Oxfam’s country director in Viet Nam, Steve Price-Thomas, said the nation’s outstanding successes in poverty alleviation were under threat.

"Viet Nam has been one of the most successful countries in lifting people away from the clutches of poverty, but unless urgent global action is taken, climate change is set to push them back," said Price-Thomas.

"Rising sea-levels, torrential rain and flooding, land salinisation and drought are already devastating people’s lives. Climate models show that Viet Nam can expect much worse.

"It is essential that rich countries at Poznan lead the way in tackling climate change so that poor countries like Viet Nam can better cope with climate change impacts and continue to prosper in a low-carbon way."

Oxfam’s report focuses on two provinces: Ben Tre in the low-lying Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and Quang Tri in the central coast, which is historically the most vulnerable to flooding in Viet Nam. People in these areas are used to living in extreme weather conditions, but residents surveyed by Oxfam said that weather patterns had changed during the past 20-30 years, making it harder to make a living and even survive.

Farmer Le Thi Nay, 58, who lives in Quang Tri, said that 20 years ago being a farmer seemed a lot easier as the weather was more predictable.

"It wasn’t so hot in the dry season and there was less flooding," said Nay.

"Last year, our first crop of rice was affected by early flooding. We could only harvest 200kg, and it was poor quality so we had to feed it to the pigs. This year, it was very cold and the rice seedlings died."

The Government has set aside US$750 million for maintenance and the building of dikes between 2010 and 2020. — VNS

Couple returns with wrong baby

After giving birth at Dac Lac Polyclinic Hospital, mother Bui Thi Thuy Tien and her husband Nguyen Trong Toan were informed that their baby girl was brain-dead and told to take her home for burial.

But when the couple got home, they discovered that the dead baby was a boy. Immediately, they returned to the hospital to find their daughter alive and well.

According to the hospital's management board, the error occurred when the father was standing next to the boy's crib.

Hoang Ngoc Anh Tuan, a doctor in the pediatric ward, explained that five or six babies were being kept in a special room ususally designated for seriously ill or dying children.

"Whenever we see those kids' family members, we tell them to prepare for their death and go home. Unfortunately Tien's husband was standing beside a dead boy at the time and so we thought he was the father," said Nhan.

The hospital said it regretted the incident and apologised for its negligence. The doctors promised to offer compensation for any material or emotional damage the family suffered.

Teachers lash out on TV gambling

The Singaporean TV series Unbeatables 3, now airing on Viet Nam Television Channel 3 (VTV3) at 6pm, has become a hit with young people. But parents and teachers are up in arms.

Claiming the TV show promotes gambling among youth, teachers say kids at school are becoming addicted to playing card games, even though teachers often confiscate the cards.

"We don't know how to stop this mania," says Doan Hong Nga, principal of the Hop Giang Secondary School in Cao Bang Town.

"Gambling in Viet Nam is illegal. However, VTV has chosen to broadcast a show that has a harmful effect on the youth," says Nong Quoc Dat, a journalist at Cao Bang Newspaper and father of a small boy who is now fascinated with card games

Toothless fish massage is latest rage

Resting in a tank of water and letting fish nibble at your body is the latest fashionable hobby of many Hanoians.

"I've been to many massage services, but these fish massages are the best," says Hoang Van Huynh, a customer at Sakura Spa in Ha Noi, who has become a frequent guest despite the high fees.

Word of mouth about the in-vogue treatment has spread among the city's women. "They book in advance and some even fly from HCM City," says Trung, who works at the spa.

The fish, imported from Turkey, have to be watched over carefully as they will die if the water's temperature falls out of the 25-35 Celsius range.

Two employees work day and night to ensure that the fish survive and that they are fed properly. Besides eating the customers' dead skin cells, the fish also consume crisp pancakes brought from Turkey.

Truong Lam Anh, director of the spa, says a maximum of 1,500 fish take up each square metre of water.

"I brought 3,000 fish to Ha Noi from Turkey. At first, a few hundred died, but now the death rate is only 5-10 per cent each month," says Anh. "If curious customers hold a fish in their hand, it will die. But this kind of fish is toothless, so customers can be sure about their safety." — VNS