Public Participation to

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Public Participation to Enhance Environmental
Quality Ha Nois Public Disclosure Program
Presentation for the 2nd ASEM International Forum
on Public Participation for sustainable
development in ASEM and Great Mekong Subregion
Ha Noi, September 16-17, 2002
Dr. Truong Manh Tien, Vice General Director of
NEA Duong Thi To Hoang Duong Tung The National
Environment Agency, Government of Viet Nam Dr.
Benoit Laplante Consultant
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Outline of Presentation
1) Public access to information
2) What is public disclosure?
3) Design of the public disclosure program in Ha
Noi
4) Results and lessons
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Outline of Presentation
1) Public access to information
2) What is public disclosure?
3) Design of the public disclosure program in Ha
Noi
4) Results and lessons
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In the last 10 years, Vietnam has made
significant progress in terms of environmental
policies and programs
1) Laws and regulations have been adopted 2)
Institutions (e.g. MOSTE, NEA, DoSTE) have been
established. Recently The Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment (MONRE)
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However, there is a growing recognition that
1) The implementation of laws and regulations has
not been strictly followed the order 2)
Institutions have not been fully effectively
operated 3) Active public participation has not
been achieved.
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Public access to Information
1) By and large, the public does not have access
to environmental information - SoE reports
are not made public until 2001 - EIA reports
are not made public fully - Inspection reports
are not made public fully - Ambient quality
data is rarely made public. 2) No formal process
to allow public participation on
environmental issues.
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Possible explanations
1) Information is not reliable enough to be made
public. 2) Information may lead to conflicts
(e.g. between firms and communities). 3)
Fear of public criticism. 4) Absence of a
policy or directive for allowing access to
information - Which information must be
accessible? - Which information should be
accessible? - Which information is not
accessible?
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Public access to information should be improved
in the following way
1) Promulgation of high-level decree on the
publics right-to- know about environmental
information which affects their lives,
health, or livelihoods. 2) Establishment of
procedures for making information public -
which information should be public - how is
the information going to be made public 3)
Testing a program to make EIA report available to
the public and allowing a period for public
review of EIA. 4) Support the piloting of a
public disclosure program. 5) Support for
development of environmental journalism.
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Outline of Presentation
1) Public access to information
2) What is public disclosure?
3) Design of the public disclosure program in Ha
Noi
4) Results and lessons
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A public disclosure program is a program which
consists in monitoring, analysing, rating, and
disclosing the environmental performance of a
polluter.
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Outline of Presentation
1) Public access to information
2) What is public disclosure?
3) Design of the public disclosure program in Ha
Noi
4) Results and lessons
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8 Steps
Step 1 Selection of medium and pollutants
Step 2 Selection of polluters
Step 3 Design of rating strategy
Step 4 Design of disclosure strategy
Step 5 Data collection / Source of data
Step 6 Design of information system
Step 7 Building stakeholder support
Step 8 Institutional responsibilities
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Step 1 Selection of medium and pollutants

• One medium or many?
• For each medium, which parameters? One or many?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  multiple
• medium and parameters?

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Step 2 Selection of polluters

• Should the program focus on a limited number of
  industrial
• sectors?
• Should the program focus on geographical areas?
• What is the basis of selecting individual
  polluters?

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Step 3 Design of rating strategy

• What should be the performance indicators?
• For each indicator, measuring performance
  against what?
• How to aggregate several indicators into one
  rating?
• What should be the frequency of rating?

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Performance indicators
Does the firm comply with standards
(TCVN5945-1995)?
Any complaints from local community?
Any spills or accidents in the last 6 months?
Does it have WTP?
Does the factory meter water consumption?
Does it do SMP and keep good information?
Does the firm collaborate with team of surveyors?
Does it have Environmental certificate or ISO
14000?
Does it use clean production?
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Comply with standards? TCVN 5945-1995
No
Yes
Env Certificate or ISO 14000.?
Complaints?
No
No
Yes
Accident?
Cleaner production ?
No
No
No
WTP?
Yes
Accident?
No
Yes
No
No
Meter water?
WTP?
Yes
Yes
No
No
Self Monitoring
Self Monitoring
Yes
Yes
No
No
Good cooperation?
Meter water?
Yes
Yes
Very good
Very bad
Excellent
Good
Bad
If Very Good 2 years in a row, then becomes
Excellent
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Step 4 Design of disclosure strategy

• What is the best way to code performance?
• How to disclose? Multiple media?
• What to disclose? Should it be only the final
  rating, or all
• the information built into the rating?
• When to disclose?

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Step 5 Data collection / Source of data

• Should self-report be used for rating purposes?
• How many inspections to perform?
• Should self-report have same weight as
  inspections?
• How frequently to inspect?
• Should data collection be sub-contracted to
  independent
• third party?
• How to ensure accuracy of data?

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Step 6 Design of information system

• What should the information system be able to
  do?
• What should the information system include?
• Which questions should the information system be
  able to
• answer?

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Step 7 Building stakeholder support

• Who are the stakeholders?
• Is building coalition necessary?
• Is reaching to industrial sector necessary?
• If yes, how?

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Step 8 Institutional responsibilities

• Who should do what?
• How to ensure credibility of results?
• How to ensure continuity of program?

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CREDIBILITY
Technical credibility
Technical credibility
Institutional credibility
Accurate data Accurate analysis Accurate rating
Leadership Transparency Accountability
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Outline of Presentation
1) Public access to information
2) What is public disclosure?
3) Experiences with public disclosure
4) Design of the public disclosure program in Ha
Noi
5) Results and lessons
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Results

• NEA and Hanoi DOSTE jointly implemented
• 50 enterprises located in Hanoi in the food
  processing and textile and dying industries were
  selected
• BOD, COD, TSS, pH were selected as monitoring
  parameters
• Development of a classification system (by color
  yellow, green, blue, red, black)

Excellent
Very good
Good
Bad
Very bad
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Results

•   Data collection
• Effluent monitoring was conducted between
  9-11/2001 and 3-5/2002 for the 50 selected
  enterprises.
• A questionnaire was designed and then filled by
  the selected enterprises
• The questionnaire was supplemented with
  information from others sources, in particular
  the Environmental management unit and the
  Inspection unit of Hanoi Department of Science,
  Technology and Environment (DOSTE).

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Public disclosure

• Development of website
• A website was developed and linked with the NEA
  website to provide project related information
  such as its goals, objectives, main activities
  and workshop material
• The Green Bamboo software to classify
  enterprises was developed and set up on the
  project website.

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Public disclosure

• Announcement of results
• Midterm public ceremony February 7, 2002 to hand
  over certificates to 5 enterprises with
  satisfactory or good environmental performance.
  The leadership of MoSTE and Hanoi Peoples
  Committee, the World Bank Country Director,
  representatives of the 50 enterprises, the
  Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI),
  other concerned agencies, residential communities
  and the media participated in the ceremony
• Final ceremony took place on June 21, 2002 to
  announce and present the results of all 50
  enterprises, including those with unsatisfactory
  or poor environmental performance
• Disclosure of the results through mass media such
  as radio, newspapers, and television

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Public disclosure

• Communication
• Leaflets about the project, with details of the
  pilot program were printed
• A talk was held on Hanoi television to promote
  the objectives and implementation of the new
  approach. The talk was broadcasted 3 times
• Meeting was held with the communities and
  enterprises at the office of the Peoples
  Committee of Gia-Lam District (11/4/2002) and
  Vinh-Tuy precinct (24/5/2002) to improve mutual
  understanding between the people and enterprises
  located in the area
• In April 2002, talks and seminars were organized
  with representatives of central and Hanoi
  newspapers, radio and televisions to address
  issues pertaining to the appropriate ways to
  provide information to different target groups so
  as to ensure an appropriate balance between
  economic development and environmental
  protection
• Communication on the program and environment
  protection was broadcasted through the communal
  loudspeaker systems of Sai-Dong town, Duong-Xa
  commune Peoples Committee, Ngoc-Ha, Vinh-Tuy,
  and Thanh-Xuan-Trung precinct Peoples Committee
• Numerous workshops were held with participating
  enterprises, VCCI, NEA and media on the new
  approach.

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Results as of 2/2002
Excellent 0
Very good 0
Good 5
Bad 29
Very bad 16
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Results as of 6/2002
Excellent 1
Very good 1
Good 10
Bad 24
Very bad 14
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Results of 2/2002 and 6/2002
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Lessons learned

• Projects objectives must be thoroughly
  explained, in a reasonable and proper manner to
  the enterprises and local people to ensure their
  close collaboration from the beginning.
• Close cooperation with management agencies and
  local authorities must be ensured. Without their
  support and collaboration, the project could not
  be successfully implemented in the localities.
• Using simple form to deliver right envi. messages
  to local people
• Mass media (Television, newspapers radio,
  journals, websites..) are the most effective
  distributors of information for the project.
• More meetings of envi. authorities, plants and
  local people.
• Involving NGOs and professional associations
• Better understanding of the attitude and behavior
  of plants and production factories towards
  environmental protection no one wants his/her
  enterprise to pollute the environment.

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Next steps

• In September October 2002, summarize the main
  lessons, experience and steps of the Public
  Disclosure Program and disseminate the experience
  to other cities/provinces
• Over the period June December 2002, continue
  the monitoring of the 50 participating
  enterprises in Hanoi
• In September 2002, propose to MOSTE and MPI a
  plan for the continuation of the public
  disclosure program
• To request the World Bank to continue its support
  to the program implementation in the provinces
• To approach Funds and financing sources that can
  provide financial support to enterprises
• To maintain regular information provision on the
  website
• To maintain contact with the mass media and local
  people

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Thank you for your attention