Action for a blue ocean

Present at the event were UNESCO Chief Representative in Vietnam Michael Croft, Vice Chairman of the Hoi An city People's Committee Nguyen Minh Ly, members of 8 excellent teams in the contest “Youth and Innovation for Ocean” Initiative (launched by UNESCO on August 8, 2020), more than 300 young and local people.

According to Vice Chairman Ly, before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hoi An city welcomed nearly 5 million visitors each year.

The amount of waste in the whole city was about 100 tons/day. On Cham Islands, where there are less than 2,500 residents, the amount of waste was up to 5 tons/day.

So, it is necessary for us to join hands and implement the socialization in waste management,  environmental protection of sea and islands.  

Van Thanh Khoa (a student from Da Nang University), who took part in collecting waste in the Bay Mau nipa palm forest, said he was very happy to join hands with people to make the environment here cleaner and friendlier.

After being recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2009, Cham Islands was the first locality in Vietnam to launch the “Say no to plastic bags” campaign.

However, the management of waste, especially plastic waste, is still a great pressure on Hoi An city.

So, UNESCO and Cham Islands- Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve with the support of Coca-Cola Foundation have been looking for solutions to plastic waste problems there.