News and Updates

from PanNature and the media

RECOFTC and partners launch regional project aimed at strengthening civil society for improved forest governance in the five Mekong countries

Forty-three participants from the five Mekong countries and international partner countries participated in the project inception workshop. The participants represented the regional and national project partners, including RECOFTC, WWF, East West Management Institute - Open Development Initiative, NEPCon, NGO Forum on Cambodia, Lao Biodiversity Association, Myanmar Environment Rehabilitation-Conservation Network, Raks Thai, and PanNature Viet Nam.

Guidelines on Public Participation in EIA in the Mekong Region

The Guidelines on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Mekong Region have been developed to address the shared concern for increasing meaningful public participation in development planning, in the context of increasing investment projects across the Mekong region. The Guidelines are intended to help stimulate more effective practices in public participation. These Guidelines are also playing an important role in informing the development of national level guidelines on public participation in EIA. This document is intended as a living resource and it is hoped that it will inspire the continued strengthening of EIA policies and practices in each country and across the region, as well as to advance greater regional collaboration and harmonization among Mekong and ASEAN nations.

Chiang Khong Declaration on International Day of Action for Rivers 2017

On 14 March 2017, the International Day of Action for Rivers, we, the Save the Mekong Coalition along with civil society and community partners from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, make this statement to express our gratitude to the Mekong River and the way of life she supports. The Mekong is our mother river, home to unique biodiversity and a lifeline for millions of people throughout the river basin. We recognize the efforts of Mekong communities who are working to protect and preserve the unique ecosystems and resources of the river for future generations.

Statement from Vietnamese Non-governmental organizations to the Mekong River Commission

On the occasion of Mekong River Commission’s (MRC) Regional Stakeholder Forum on the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA) for the Pak Beng hydropower project and MRC Council Study (CS) on February 22-23, 2017 in Luang Prabang, Vietnamese Non-Government Organizations and individuals who are interested in sustainable water resource management in the Mekong region, present the following public statement to MRC:

Workshop: Sustainable Agricultural Investment of Vietnamese Businesses in the Mekong Sub-region

Acknowledging the environmental and social risks of overseas agriculture investment, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, People and Nature Reconciliation and Oxfam in Vietnam have conducted research to rapidly assess the reality of agricultural investment in Laos and Cambodia. It aims to identify the problem and mobilize the Pioneer Enterprise Group to initiate development of Voluntary Guidelines to mitigate environmental and social risks for Vietnamese enterprises investing in the agricultural sector in the Mekong sub-region. This workshop on “Sustainable Agricultural Investment of Vietnamese Businesses in the Mekong Sub-region” is organised based on this research and the draft Voluntary Guidelines for Enterprises. The organisers hope that the workshop would be a forum for enterprises, government agencies, and civil society organisations to exchange experience and solutions to finalize the Voluntary Guidelines and contribute to Vietnam’s overseas investment policy.

Firms to observe laws when investing abroad

A research group of PanNature, VCCI and Oxfam was drafting instructions for Vietnamese businesses to invest in agriculture overseas, which aimed to reduce risks in investing and build the image of Vietnamese investors in particular and the national image in general.

PRCF Vietnam and PanNature Start Collaboration on Forest Governance and Biodiversity Conservation

On February 8th 2017, People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) and People and Nature Reconcilliation (PanNature) signed an agreement to jointly undertaking work on biodiversity conservation and forest governance in Vietnam. The geographical scope of this agreement shall be Vietnam, with particular focus on sites such as Tuyen Quang province and the Central Highlands.

More food demand for Tet, more risks

Speaking at the discussion organised by MEC and the People and Nature Reconciliation ( PanNature), lawyer Tr?n Thu Nam said that there had neither been sanctions nor punishments for State agencies that did not publicise food-relating violations on their websites.

PanNature’s First Governance Board Meeting

PanNature has convened first Governance Board meeting on 15 January 2017 in our field office in Van Ho district, Son La province. Our current Board consists of six members: Dr. Dao Trong Hung - Chairman (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), Mr. Nguyen Trung (former Ambassador of Vietnam to Germany and Thailand, former member of the Prime Minister's Research Committee), Mrs. Pham Kieu Oanh (Director of CSIP), Dr. Le Hoang Lan (Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment), Mr. Tran Manh Chien (founder of Bac Tom Safe and Organic Food Store Chains), and Dr. To Xuan Phuc (Australian National University).

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