VCCI discusses business environment improvement for Mekong Delta region

Seminar on improving the investment and business environment towards a green economy and sustainable development in the Mekong Delta region.

On the morning of July 31, in Dong Thap, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) collaborated with the People's Committee of Dong Thap Province to organize a seminar on improving the investment and business environment towards a green economy and sustainable development in the Mekong Delta region.

In his opening speech, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice Chairman of VCCI, noted that Vietnam is one of the five countries most affected by climate change, while environmental pollution is becoming a serious issue impacting human health.

The Mekong Delta region faces major economic, social, and environmental challenges. These include environmental issues, climate change, and cross-border water fluctuations from the upstream Mekong River. Additionally, internal development problems, such as natural resource exploitation, excessive use of agricultural chemicals and aquaculture, environmental pollution, and overexploitation of sand and groundwater, have significantly impacted the ecosystem, as well as the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the Mekong Delta.

A survey conducted by VCCI in 2023 found that 72.4 percent of businesses in the Mekong Delta are negatively impacted by natural disasters and climate change, the highest rate among regions nationwide. However, the Mekong Delta also faces new development opportunities with Government Resolution No.120/NQ-CP of 2017 on sustainable development in the Mekong Delta in response to climate change and the Mekong Delta Regional Planning for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050. This plan adopts an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach and emphasizes a nature-friendly development perspective, proactively adapting to climate change.

Given that Vietnam and the world are facing numerous challenges, integrating economic development with environmental protection has become an urgent necessity. "Vietnam, including the provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region, is no exception to this trend. Therefore, improving the business environment while protecting the environment is a crucial and essential task," Phong emphasized.

The workshop focused on several key topics, including the business environment in the Mekong Delta and the challenges of integrating economic development with environmental protection, developing green and eco-industrial zones to attract potential investors and high-tech projects, and contributing to Vietnam’s sustainable development goals in the coming years.

In addition, the participants shared best practices for improving the business environment towards a green economy and sustainable development in the Mekong Delta, as well as successful experiences from other regions across the country, and the role of businesses in adopting green practices in their production and operations.