Colleagues:
The Technical Working Group on EIA/SEA (under the umbrella of the Aid Effectiveness Forum - AEF) held a meeting on March 9 2012 at MONRE. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Dung of MONRE and by myself. About 35 people attended with a good representation from MONRE, line ministries,and many bilaterals and multilaterals.
Presentations were made on upcoming activities and priorities by MONRE, ADB, World Bank, and by the EU-funded project on incorporating climate change into urban planning through SEAs. All the presentations, in both Vietnamese and English, can be consulted at the TWG's working space web site (sites.google.com/site/vietnameia) where they are availalble in a single zip file.
With major capacity building programs now underway or imminent in Vietnam, particularly from ADB and World Bank, the TWG clearly has an important role to play in enhancing donor cooperation. MONRE presented a comprehensive view of their most important priorities for the next several years (culminating eventually in a rewrite of the EIA/SEA part of the Law of Environmental Protection); this information is a clear signal to donor agencies where they can be of most assistance to the Government and also offers new opportunities for harmonization of policies and approaches to EIA/SEA.
The TWG agreed to meet again within the next three months or so.
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Douglas J. Graham, Co-Chair TWG
Sustainable Development, Hanoi, Vietnam (EASVS)
East Asia and Pacific Region
World Bank