SHIP FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN AND JAPANESE YOUTH

PROGRAM 46TH
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DG 5 REPORT ON ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

I.GROUP MEMBER
1. Phan Khánh Liên
2. Đỗ Thị Thu Hà
3. Nguyễn Đức Bảo
4. Lê Thành Lợi

II. VENUE RESEARCH

1. General information:
Institution to visit: HCM University of Science.
Department in charge: Faculty of Environment; Center of Environment Technology
and Sustainable Development.
Address: 227 Nguyen Van Cu, Ward 4, District 5

2. Brief history and background

- 1942: Division of Indochina College of Science;

- 1956: Faculty of Science, the University of Saigon;
- 1977: After the country unified, the Faculty of Science was merged with the Faculty of
Letters to create the Ho Chi Minh City University;
- 1996: the Faculty of Science became the University of Natural Sciences, one of the five
affiliated universities of the Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City;
- 2007: the university was renamed as the University of Science.
- The University of Science is the public university which plays a particularly important
role in education and scientific research in Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh
City.

3. Achievements
Since school year of 2016-2017, The Chemistry training program of the University of
Science has been recognized to fulfill the AUN-QA international standard established by
the ASEAN university network
Regarding student’s achievements, there are various remarkable accomplishments in
academic competitions, national and international Olympic competitions on various
subjects. On international level, students of the school have attained 5 second prizes in
the field of information technology and media. On national level, there are 11 first prize,
11 second prize, 9 third prize and 1 consolation prize at the national Olympic
competitions for students in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, etc.
Some students were awarded the title of Representative Female Engineering Students.
Students of the University of Science have been interns of prestigious multinational
technological corporations such as Google, Facebook; there was a student debating
60.000 dedicates to be chosen as the only Vietnamese representative participating in
Google Brain, a program the recruitment of which is limited to only 30 people all over
the world each year.
In the Post-harvest Processing Technology competition held in April 2019, student Bui
Thi Khanh Linh was granted the first prize for her research in “Extracts of chitosan from
shrimp crusts and crab shells with polyphenols from green tea - an alternative for
chemicals used to preserve agriculture products”. In accordance with the research result,
the extracts can preserve agriculture products for more than 10 days. The research is
highly evaluated in the because most of Vietnamese agriculture products have decayed
after being harvest and preserving chemicals is harmful to consumer’s health.
4. Vision and mission:
4.1 Vision
VNU-HCM University of Science’s vision by 2020 is to become a strong research and
education centre of Viet Nam, a major institution for training, research, science and
technology transfer of VNU-HCM, and a centre of excellence comparable to other
prestigious universities in the region and worldwide.
4.2 Mission
Mission: As a key institution of VNU-HCM, the University of Science is responsible for
undegraduate and post-graduate education, research, and technology transfer in the fields
of natural sciences. The University offers services and products of excellence, meeting
the increasing demand of the nation’s socio-economic development and international
development trends, and integrating into the region’s and global advanced higher
education.

5. Highlights
5.1 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The University of Science is the flagship in the field of AI. AI Laboratory (AILAB) was
established in 2008, has been recognized as the first AI laboratory in Vietnam. The
researching fields encompass advanced machine methodology, Vietnamese oral language
management, human-machine communication, robotics and IoT, education and health
technology, etc. Some of the outstanding research results are Vietnamese Synthetical
Voice System (VoS), automatic telephone vocal answering system (VIS), which has
been commercialized and transferred, etc. The most recent product of AILAB Vnu Tutor
– the free website allowing students to look for tutor part-time jobs.
5.2 Academic exchange agreements
University of Science has signed about 100 (from 2003–2013) academic exchange
agreements with institutions in the world for both inter-university and inter-faculty
exchanges. Extensive exchanges of students, researchers and joint research projects are
being conducted with these partner institutions. On September 20, 2019 the
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between National Tsing Hua
University and the University of Science was held. The MOU promotes cooperation in
the field of training programs, scholarships, cultural exchange programs and Thesis and
Dissertation Guide.
5.3 Cooperation with Vingroup Corporation
On August 8, 2018, The University of Science signed a cooperation agreement with
Vingroup Corporation. According to the agreement, Vingroup and the university
cooperated in the following 4 areas:
● Sponsorship in science-technology research projects;
● Experience exchange between professors, researchers, students;
● Teaching and sharing knowledge;
● Vingroup commits to provide jobs for approximately 100.00 graduated IT students in
the next 10 years.

6. Study program
University of Science is a public university, under the control of Vietnamese Ministry of
Education and Training.
The university is entrusted with providing education at undergraduate levels and
postgraduate levels and undertaking scientific research as well as technological transfer.
Until now, the university has more than 13,000 enrolled students including:
52 undergraduate programs
32 graduate programs
29 PhD programs
2 joint bachelor programs:
The two joint bachelor programs include:
* Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences with a major in IT Service Science
collaborated with Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
* Bachelor of Science inManagement collaborated with a major in International Business
collaborated with Keuka College, USA.
In 2006, University of Science was one of the first education organizations in Vietnam to
apply remote education through taking online courses for Bachelor degree in Information
Technology.
7. Key majors
The university provides several education professionals: Biology, Chemistry, Electronic
& Communications, Environment, Geology, Information Technology, Math & Computer
Science, Materials Science, Oceanography, Physics.
III. TOPIC RESEARCH: Youth contribution to sustainable development.

1. What is “sustainability”?

Sustainability and sustainable development focuses on balancing that fine line between
competing needs - our need to move forward technologically and economically, and the
needs to protect the environments in which we and others live. Sustainability is not just
about the environment, it is also about our health as a society in ensuring that no people
or areas of life suffer as a result of environmental legislation, and it's also about
examining the longer term effects of the actions humanity takes and asking questions
about how it may be improved.

1.2 The three pillars of sustainability

In 2005, the World Summit on Social Development identified three core areas that
contribute to the philosophy and social science of sustainable development. These
“pillars” in many national standards and certification schemes, form the backbone of
tackling the core areas that the world now faces. The Brundtland Commission described
it as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs".

Environmental Sustainability

Environmental protection is the primary concern of the future of humanity.

When ecological integrity is maintained, all of earth’s environmental systems are kept in
balance while natural resources within them are consumed by humans at a rate where
they are able to replenish themselves.

Environmental protection defines how we should study and protect ecosystems, air
quality, integrity and sustainability of our resources and focusing on the elements that
place stress on the environment . It also concerns how technology will drive our greener
future; the EPA recognized that developing technology and biotechnology is key to this
sustainability, and protecting the environment of the future from potential damage that
technological advances could potentially bring.

Economic Sustainability

This is the issue that proves the most problematic as most people disagree on political
ideology what is and is not economically sound, and how it will affect businesses and by
extension, jobs and employability.

It is also about providing incentives for businesses and other organisations to adhere to
sustainability guidelines beyond their normal legislative requirements. Also, to
 encourage and foster incentives for the average person to do their bit where and when
they can; one person can rarely achieve much, but taken as a group, effects in some areas
are cumulative. The supply and demand market is consumerist in nature and modern life
requires a lot of resources every single day; for the sake of the environment, getting what
we consume under control is the paramount issue.

Economic development is about giving people what they want without compromising
quality of life, especially in the developing world, and reducing the financial burden and
“red tape” of doing the right thing.

Social Sustainability
Most importantly is awareness of and legislation protection of the health of people from
pollution and other harmful activities of business and other organisations.
Universal human rights and basic necessities are attainable by all people, who have
access to enough resources in order to keep their families and communities healthy and
secure. Healthy communities have leaders who ensure personal, labour and cultural
rights are respected and all people are protected from discrimination.

It is also about maintaining access to basic resources without compromising the quality
of life. The biggest topic for many people right now is sustainable housing and how we
can better build the homes we live in from sustainable material. The final element is
education - encouraging people to participate in environmental sustainability and
teaching them about the effects of environmental protection as well as warning of the
dangers if we cannot achieve our goals.

2. Current major problems posed to the environment including climate change,

biological diversity depletion,... in ASEAN and Japan (each 11 individual country)

KEY ENVIRONMENT ISSUES AND CAUSES IN ASEAN1

Country Shared issues Cause
Brunei Seasonal smoke and Transboundary pollution
haze, from
solid wastes land and forest fires
Cambodia Soil erosion, Unmanaged waste and
sedimentation, water Effluent
pollution, deforestation, discharge into Tonle Sap
loss of biodiversity, and lake;
threats to natural destruction of mangrove
fisheries. wetlands through
extensive
industrial and
1
Lino N. Baron, “Environmental issues in the South East Asian region: an overview of the implementation
prospects of renewable energy”,
http://qlkh.hcmussh.edu.vn/Resources/Docs/SubDomain/qlkh/9.Environmental%20Issues%20in%20the%20So
uth%20East%20Asian%20Region.pdf
 aquacultural
development.
Indonesia Deforestation; loss of Deficiencies in urban
biodiversity; water infrastructure –
pollution; air pollution in unmanaged
urban areas; national and industrial wastes and
transboundary seasonal municipal
smoke and haze; land effluents and waste;
degradation; pollution of vehicular
Malacca straits. congestion and
emissions;
extensive land clearance
and
forest fires for pulp
wood and
oil palm production;
extensive
and unmanaged mining
activities; national and
transboundary industrial
pollution; tourist
developments
in coastal regions beyond
carrying capacity
Laos Deforestation; loss of Land clearance; shifting
biodiversity; soil cultivation; inadequate
erosion; limited access to water supply and
potable sanitation
water; water-borne infrastructure
diseases

Malaysia Urban air pollution; Vehicular congestion

water and
pollution; deforestation; emission; deficiencies in
loss of biodiversity; loss urban
of mangrove habitats; infrastructure industrial
national and and
transboundary municipal effluents;
smoke/haze extensive
land clearance and forest
fires
for pulp wood and oil
palm
production; unmanaged
coastal
regions beyond existing
carrying capacity.
Myanmar Deforestation; loss of Land clearance;
biodiversity; urban air excessive
pollution; soil erosion; mineral extraction;
 water contamination and vehicular
water-borne diseases congestion and emission;
deficiencies in urban
infrastructure –
unmanaged
industrial and municipal
effluents.
Thailand Deforestation; loss of Sporadic development
biodiversity; land and
degradation and soil destruction of
erosion; shortage of watersheds;
water unmanaged aquaculture;
resources in dry season tourist
and flooding in rainy growth exceeding
season conflict of water growth in
uses; coastal degradation carrying capacity;
and loss of mangrove deficiencies
habitat; urban air in urban and rural
pollution; pollution from infrastructure; freshwater
solid waste; hazardous resources polluted by
material and hazardous domestic/industrial
waste wastes and sewage
runoff.
Vietnam Deforestation and soil Land clearance for
degradation; loss of industry;
biodiversity; loss of extensive aquaculture
mangrove habitat; water and
pollution and threats to overfishing; growing
marine life; groundwater urbanization and
contamination; limited infrastructure
potable water supply; deficiencies; inadequate
natural disasters (e.g. water
floods) supply and sanitation
(particularly in Hanoi
and Ho
Chi Minh City)
Japan Air pollution, threat to Fukushima nuclear
marine life, natural disaster, improper waste
disasters management, heavy
industrialization

2.1 Atmosphere: air and climate

● Air pollution levels are increasing in the region with the energy sector being
responsible for the largest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; it is predicted that energy-
related CO2 emission levels could rise in the ASEAN region by 61% from 2014 to 2025.
● As major sources of greenhouse gases, cities across the ASEAN region need to
urgently seek low-carbon economies, infrastructure and transport.
● Transboundary haze pollution resulting from land and forest fires in the ASEAN
region is a persistent challenge and impacts most of ASEAN Member States (AMS). Up
to 90% of transboundary smoke haze in ASEAN is linked to peat fires related to
expansion of large scale commercial plantations.

On a regional level, ASEAN Member States (AMS) experience some of the highest
levels of urban air pollution, as records show that annual mean levels often exceed 5-10
times the WHO limits and more than two-thirds of cities in the region have seen levels
rise by up to 5% between 2008 and 2013.

Indonesia forest fire in September 2019 has made a huge impact on air quality over
south-east Asia in recent weeks, nearly 10 million children at risk due to air pollution

● Drivers: Poorly managed urbanization and economic activities 🡪 A combination of

poor vehicle regulations and maintenance, variable fuel quality and standards, inadequate
public transport systems, and limited vehicle inspections have resulted in increasing
emissions, particularly of GHGs and particulate matter (PM) from buses, cars, trucks and
motorcycles (UNEP 2016).

Land
● Between 1990 and 2012, most ASEAN Member States (AMS) experienced a decline in
forest cover mainly due to the expansion of rubber and oil palm commercial plantations
into forest areas.
● Peat and mangrove forests are the most vulnerable forest types and are disappearing
at a faster rate than other forest types. This is of signifcant concern for climate change
mitigation due to the high carbon sequestration capacity of these forest types.
● There is an increase in soil degradation caused by deforestation and agricultural
expansion. Land erosion and soil fertility loss from forest conversion as urgent concerns
that need to be addressed in policy

1.1 Forest
Only 34% of peat in the region remain intact and 20% have been converted to
commercial plantations. The most common practice for peatland conversion to
plantations is through draining and burning (APFP-SEAPeat 2012). ASEAN records
estimate that 13 million ha of peat have been impacted over the last 30 years with 5 to 7
million cleared and drained for palm oil, pulpwood, rice and other crops. Regarding
mangrove forests, they are cleared at rates three to five times higher than other forest
types. Within AMS, severe mangrove forest loss has already occurred. In Thailand for
example, 90% of mangroves had already been lost by 2007.
1.2 Agricultural land

Forests all over the ASEAN region have been converted from forest to commercial
agriculture. Between 2000-2012, an estimated 30-80% of the deforestation in Cambodia,
Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam was due to forest conversion to commercial
agriculture. The majority of this conversion was illegal, constituting an estimated 43-
90% of the total forest conversation.
In Indonesia, land clearing for oil palm trees has led to permanent deforestation. In
Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar, the conversation of forests to cash crop plantations
is a major driver of deforestation (Stibig and Stolle 2007).
1.3 Soils

In 1997, 53% of Thailand’s total land area was affected by soil fertility loss, of which
50% was classified as having a strong impact on productivity (Limtong 2012). In
Cambodia, 42% of soils suffered fertility loss, however only 2% had strong impact on
productivity. In Viet Nam, 12% of soils suffered fertility loss and 4% had strong impact
on productivity (Van Lynden and Oldman 1997) (Figure 28). A more recent figure from
Thailand in 2012 found 31 million ha or 60% of land was classified as having low levels
of organic matter with declining fertility (Limtong 2012).

● Drivers: population growth, urbanization, global demand for food, and globalization
that increase the consumption of food, fuel and fibre products

Biota and Ecosystem

Biota and ecosystems of all types are under threat in the region from various pressures,
substantially impacting people’s livelihoods, food security, and well-being in the region.
3.1 Biodiversity
Biodiversity in the ASEAN region is among the most threatened in the world. The region
lies almost completely within four biodiversity hotspots (areas with high levels of
endemism that are also threatened): Indo-Burma, the Philippines, Sundaland, and
Wallacea (Myers et al. 2000). Compared to the tropical regions of Meso-America, South
America, and sub-Saharan Africa, the ASEAN region has the highest proportion of
known plant, reptile, bird and mammal species that are threatened (critically endangered,
endangered, and vulnerable)
3.2 Ecosystem
Regarding forest ecosystem, the biodiversity in Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar are
especially vulnerable to the illegal wildlife trade that have resulted in steep population
declines and the local extinction of species such as the tiger, Asian elephant, pangolins,
and freshwater turtles (ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity 2010). Many freshwater fish
species in the region are threatened by overfishing. Some species have faced population
declines of over 80% over the past two decades. These include critically endangered
migratory megafish such as the endemic Mekong Giant Catfish (Pangasianodon gigas,
the world’s largest freshwater fish), the Giant Barb (Catlocarpio siamensis), and the Dog-
eating Catfsh (Pangasius sanitwongsei) (Allen et al. 2012; CEPF 2011; Hogan et al.
2004).
Regarding urban ecosystem, green spaces within cities tend to have more biodiversity. A
study of 111 cities in the ASEAN region found that green coverage in urban areas ranges
from 17% to 79% (Richards et al. 2017). A comparison of ASEAN capital cities found
that in 2010, Singapore had the highest urban green space area per capita (19 square
metres), and Kuala Lumpur, the second highest (12 square metres). Among all similarly
sized urban regions in the world, the mega-urban regions of Bangkok, Manila, Ho Chi
Minh and Jakarta rank among the lowest in terms of amount of green and public spaces
(Douglass et al. 2008).
Drivers: Growth in population and consumption, rapid economic growth, increased
intra- and inter-regional trade and investment
Fresh Water

Contaminated water sources and considerably reduced quality of freshwater lead to

increased exposure to human health and environmental risks. Climate change adds a
level of uncertainty to water availability and leads to increasing frequency and intensity
of extreme flood and drought events in the region. It also causes alteration of river flow
regimes, loss of wetlands and floodplains, and salinity intrusion in river deltas due to sea
level rise.

There is a declining trend for the availability of water resources per capita per year. In
2012, more than 90% of the population of Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Thailand,
Malaysia and Viet Nam had access to safe drinking water. However, only 41% of the
population of Indonesia had access to safe drinking water, which is the smallest
proportion among AMS. About half of the population of Cambodia and 42% of the
population of Indonesia still lack access to improved sanitation facilities. Viet Nam has
made significant progress in improving sanitation with an 18% increase in coverage in
2012 compared to 2006 (from 59% to 77%).

In recent weeks people living in Hanoi have faced the issue of contaminated water source
since lubricant was poured into the watershed.

Drivers: The key drivers of change in the freshwater resources in the ASEAN region are
population growth and urbanization, increased demand for food and energy, rapid
industrial growth, and the impacts of climate change.

Coasts and Oceans

● The rich ocean resources of Southeast Asia are overfished and degraded. Key
ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass meadows are under threat from
over exploitation and climate change.
● Coastal development is increasingly affecting the health of the seas; marine debris
pollution is a serious issue alongside climate change and overfishing.
● Climate change and subsequent sea-level rise will have deep impacts on the
productivity of coasts and oceans in ASEAN, affecting the well-being of coastal
inhabitants while poverty among the rising coastal populations continues to be of
significant concern.
● Ongoing regional innovations in marine protected area management, no-take reserves
and community-based coastal resources management can potentially reverse.
Reefs in the ASEAN region are “the most threatened in the world”, based on a 2011 risk
assessment. Around 95% of the reefs suffer from high to very high categories of local
threats (Burke et al. 2011, p.55). In 2008, an assessment by Wilkinson (2008) noted that
40% of the region’s coral reefs are effectively lost, 20% are in critical conditions, and
25% threatened. Only 15% of the reefs have low threat levels.
Marine litter management is also a major problem in the region and one that will have
serious ramifications on the health of our oceans if nothing is done. The top 20 countries
ranked by size of mismanaged plastic waste include six AMS (Table 46). This shows that
the region is an overwhelming source of global marine litter pollution and the news
coming from Thailand in early 2017 (Barker 2017; Rujivanarom 2017; The Nation 2017)
are proof that it is an obvious and urgent ASEAN concern.
Drivers: Increasing impacts of a changing climate on the coasts of ASEAN,
industrialization, trade and tourism

III. Why sustainable development is important to the environment?

Sustainable development practices help countries grow in ways that adapt to the
challenges posed by climate change, which will in turn help to protect important natural
resources for ours and future generations. Thus, the challenge of sustainable
development is to move forward in such a way that every single one of these people will
be able to enjoy a substantial quality of life without being detrimental to our natural
resources.

However, by the year 2050, it is estimated that our global population will likely reach 9
billion people. No part of the Earth is now untouched by the effect of human activities or
pollution. Ever increasing human population and increment in per capita consumption
has put great constraint on the natural resources.

In addition to this, urbanization, industrialization and modern agricultural practices have

polluted the water resources, air and soil all around the globe. The natural resources are
thus not only being over-exploited but also becoming contaminated with toxic chemicals
making it difficult for the survival of future generations. This explosion in population is
perhaps one of the greatest reasons why sustainable development is so important.

Also, the environmental challenges facing the world are growing in scale and
complexity. These include climate change; an emerging global crisis in water availability
and water pollution; record loss of biodiversity and long-term damage to ecosystems;
pollution of the atmosphere; waste production and disposal; impacts of chemicals use
and toxic substance disposal; damaged aquatic ecosystems; deforestation and land
degradation; and achieving the critical goal of poverty eradication in an increasingly
natural resource-constrained world.

Control Climate Change

Climate change is an issue that can be at least partially remedied through sustainable
development. Sustainable development practices would mandate a lower use of fossil
fuels, which are not sustainable and which produce greenhouse gases. As the population
rises, more people will be requiring more energy and will be putting an even greater
strain on the world climate.

Sustain Biodiversity
Biodiversity suffers through overconsumption and unsustainable development practices.
Beyond the basic ethical quandary presented by this fact, there is the further concern that
these species are a part of a food web that humans rely on.
For example, if unsustainable agricultural practices are used in regard to pesticides, bees
and other pollinators could be negatively impacted. Without bees, at least 19 major food
crops would suffer and nearly 50% of the food in most grocery stores would be non-
existent. Also, unsustainable development pollutes the oceans, which are home to a
significant amount of algae species that humans rely on for a significant amount of the
oxygen they breathe.

For above reasons, environmental sustainability is thus one of the biggest challenge and
most important targets of the present times. It is the major attention area for researchers,
academicians, scholars, governments and non-government organizations involving
individuals, communities, countries, continents and the globe as whole. Environmental
sustainability is the key strategy against the backdrop of the growth of human population
and the rampant exploitation of environment by humans. The underlying concern of
modern society is that while today people are enjoying the comforts of economic
development, the future generations are on the verge of confronting scarce natural
resources and polluted environment and it is our most important responsibility to leave
the planet as a self sustainable system providing equal opportunities of survival not only
to our future generations but also to all other species co-habiting with us.

IV. Measures that have been taken by the government in order to resolve the
problems. Solutions given by the region of ASEAN

ASEAN Leaders took the decision at the 23rd ASEAN Summit in November 2013 to
develop a Post-2015 Vision to realise a politically cohesive, economically integrated,
socially responsible, and a truly people-oriented, people-centred and rules-based
ASEAN. Within ASEAN, there is a growing realisation that sustainable development
should be a central tenet of ASEAN’s community integration efforts. The ASEAN
Community Vision 2025 recognises the complementarity of the UN 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable
Development with ASEAN’s community building efforts to uplift the standards of living
of her peoples.

Within this, ASEAN environmental cooperation focuses on ten priority areas, which
range from promoting environmentally friendly technology and harmonising policies
and databases, to promoting the sustainability levels of cities and urban areas and
protecting the sustainability of freshwater sources.10 This creates a very broad and
indeed ambitious agenda that will in many cases go beyond the exclusive remit of the
environmental ministers.

Of particular prominence is ASEAN’s effort to address transboundary haze pollution

arising from land and forest fires in the last two decades and these efforts will be
analysed
in detail in the next section.

Institutionally, amongst the three pillars of the ASEAN community, environmental

concerns are assigned under the socio-cultural community pillar, rather than the
economic, or political-security pillars. Take the transboundary haze pollution for
instance. Despite the clear linkages to economics, it remains an issue under the ambit
of the Environment Ministers, and discussed only under the socio-cultural pillar. Some
have questioned the viability of such an approach. In the minds of many people today,
sustainability and environmental issues are quite fundamentally economic issues.

Seeing the Haze as a Sustainable Development Issue

Regional initiatives have been created to promote regional collaboration, of which the
most significant effort is the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
(AATHP), which seeks to prevent, monitor, and mitigate land and forest fires to control
transboundary haze pollution through concerted national efforts, regional and
international cooperation. It has been hailed as the world’s first regional arrangement that
binds a group of states to tackle transboundary pollution from land and forest fires,
containing measures such as monitoring and assessment, prevention, preparedness,
national and joint emergency response, and technical cooperation and scientific research.

ASEAN efforts center on the environmental ministers and the sub-group of countries
affected by the haze problem and this has seen some progress for example, with the
ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. Yet despite this, results in recent
years however have been mixed, with an especially bad haze period in the last quarterof
2015 in the southern ASEAN region.

The Indonesian and Other Governments

The causes of transboundary haze pollution are complex and multi-dimensional. As such,
governments play a critical role in setting the direction and parameters for other
stakeholders to play their part. Of top priority is the institution and enforcement of laws
and regulations pertaining to unsustainable practices including slash-and-burn; but
governments are also looking towards the longer term by emphasising prevention
measures and the importance of sustainability in the plantation sector. The loss of
livelihood, particularly of the small-scale growers and their communities, should be
addressed as part of the solution. Alternative methods of production and, in some cases,
alternative livelihoods must therefore be part of the approach.

The fires and haze, first and foremost, impact Indonesia, its people, and its economy. In
this context, we recognise that the current government under President Joko Widodo has
significantly ramped up Indonesian efforts against the fires. Increased law enforcement
has seen the Indonesian police arresting more than double the number of individuals in
forest fire cases in 2016 as compared to the year before. Public education on alternatives
to using fire for land clearing and verification that the arrested individuals understood the
broader concerns, have been conducted. At a time when the palm oil industry is already
suffering from a falling commodity price, President Jokowi also announced plans to
impose a moratorium on oil palm plantations – a move that will halt further land
clearing, and in turn, the use of slash- and-burn practices. However, while benefiting the
environment, this approach risks economic repercussions. For instance, when Indonesia
stopped issuing permits for oil palm plantation on peatlands in May 2011, the country
sacrificed approximately $10 billion in potential income from the sector. Therefore,
without viable alternatives, the moratorium on oil palm plantations will exacerbate the
economic impact on Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of this edible oil.

From Small Scale Farmers to Large Companies

The traditional supply chain model typically consists of stakeholders who are directly
involved in production: plantations, millers, refiners, processors, manufacturers and
retailers. On the upstream side, some companies – in the palm oil sector and pulp and
paper sector – have been allocated concession lands to establish plantations and therefore
can exercise close oversight of the operations on the ground. These include banning
deforestation, prohibiting the use of slash-and-burn practices and achieving
water and energy efficiency.

At the same time, smallholders are a critical player to the supply chain, particularly in the
palm oil industry. More than 3 million smallholders and small-scale farmers depend on
palm oil for a living and they collectively contribute around 40% of total global palm oil
production. Smallholder farmers can be divided into two basic categories namely
independent smallholder farmers and smallholder partnership farmers. The latter varies
between different levels of collective organisation from one-to-one partnerships with oil
palm companies (also known as the plasma scheme) to farmer cooperatives. Studies have
shown that independent smallholders often achieve lower yields as compared to plasma
farmers while facing high exposure to a wide range of legal, supply and market risks for
instance.This should come as no surprise when one considers their many constraints,
particularly for independent smallholders. Many of them currently do not have the means
or financial capacity to switch to land-clearing without fire.

Further, they also have cost concerns when it comes to increasing their productivity. The
seeds and fertilisers they need are expensive, relative to their limited income, and these
small-scale farmers often have little or no access to capital and loans. Ensuring that these
farmers have access to seeds and fertilisers and the knowledge to apply them correctly
are crucial to bring about better yields and stable income while minimising
environmental problems such as the depletion of soil quality.
V. Ways to avoid/ minimize environmental impacts and advance environment
sustainability.
The approaches could be categorized into these below aspects:

5. 1. Renewable resources

Solar Energy for Heat

Solar energy is a versatile and renewable source of energy. At its core, every source of
energy, even fossil fuels, were originally powered by seemingly omnipresent solar
energy. In the home, solar energy can be used to warm water for bathing or cleaning in
the same way that solar bags are used among camping enthusiasts. They are filled with
water and placed in the sun to warm, then attached to a solar shower and used as the
source for shower water.

Solar Panels
Solar panels can be used to collect solar energy and turn it into electricity, and more and
more they are used in homes. In fact, you may already have a garden lantern that is
powered by a solar panel. When used as a major power source, solar panels are often
quite large and may be mounted on the roof of a home. The solar energy collected is
converted to electricity and can be used and stored, as with purchased electricity. Solar
panels can also be used to charge batteries and perform smaller electric tasks as well.

Water
Water can also be used to gather electricity by hydroelectric power plants, which harness
the flow of runoff water in rivers, streams and lakes. According to "The Citizen-Powered
Energy Handbook," by Greg Pahl, there is great potential to use hydroelectric power in
urban areas, where there is a constant flow of water through municipal pipes.

Harnessing Municipal Water

In the book, Pahl discusses how hydroelectric power can be used to harness the
movement of renewable water through municipal water pipes, and how smaller
hydroelectric power plants can harness the power of the water that flows through the
pipes in your house. That power could supply a large or small power demand in your
home and get better and cheaper as generators become smaller and less expensive to
build. Water, though its volume on the Earth is finite, is considered to be a renewable
resource, because conservation efforts in local areas can alleviate a water shortage.

Wind
A windmill is typically attached to a generator that is powered by its rotation: When the
wind blows, its force turns the windmill. Wind energy was first used not to produce
electricity, but to perform repetitive mechanical tasks, such as pump water from wells or
to grind grain. Today, windmills can be used for a variety of situations, including when a
small amount of power is needed. They can be used most places, as they can be made
any size.
5.2 Ways to power home renewable energy

Rooftop solar panels - This is probably the most common and obvious method, if you're
looking into renewable power. Solar panels typically go on your roof, although you can
also install them in your yard. Depending on your latitude and the orientation of the
panels, you could generate 10 or more watts per square foot. A typical house consumes
at least a kilowatt of power, so a few square feet of solar panels should be enough to
power most or all of your needs.

If your current roof is nearing the end of its lifespan, you could also consider investing in
solar shingles. Where standard rooftop solar panels are mounted on top of your current
roof, solar shingles actually take the place of your roof tiles. Elon Musk's
SolarCity recently announced a plan to start producing solar shingles, and other
companies like SunTegra have been making them for years.
Of course, one big weakness of solar power is that it only works when the sun is up. If
you want to power your home when the sun is down, you'll need to pay for grid
electricity or invest in a second type of renewable energy.

Wind turbines - Wind turbines are most commonly found in windfarms or floating
offshore, but if you have enough real estate you can install a small wind turbine on your
property to power your home.

There are a few downsides to a wind turbine that make them less popular in residential
areas. They can be ugly and make a lot of noise. They take up space, and depending on
where you live, local laws and zoning regulations may outright forbid it.
But if these disadvantages don't apply to you or don't bother you, wind power may be a
great asset. Wind power is more stable than solar, and a good-sized wind turbine
can easily generate most or all of your electricity needs. Depending on your area, wind
might be a better renewable investment than solar.

Solar oven - Perhaps you're not ready to power your entire home with renewable energy.
That's a big project, and maybe it's just not feasible for all sorts of reasons. You can still
power a part of your home with renewable energy by building a solar oven.
Solar ovens are typically a science fair project, but ovens actually use quite a bit of
electricity. Using the sun to passively heat your food is a good way to get started in the
world of renewable energy.Solar ovens work by trapping sunlight to heat food. You
can buy a solar oven or build your own out of a few common materials.
Solar ovens have several advantages, in that they heat your food for free, and they work
even during a power outage or emergency. You'll never have to have a cold meal due to a
lack of power.
Hydro power - This won't work for most people, but if your property contains a source
of flowing water, you're in luck. You can divert some or all of the stream or river to flow
through a turbine and power your home.
There are a number of ways to go about doing this, but at its most basic, you'll want to
find the largest vertical distance the water will travel, and divert that water so it flows
through a turbine in a controlled manner. Depending on the amount of water and vertical
distance, you can produce a substantial amount of power this way. Setting up a hydro
power generator is not easy, and you may need to have a professional install it for you. If
you have some engineering knowledge, though, you could even build it yourself from
scratch.
And the advantages to hydro power are immense. Unlike solar and wind, hydro is stable
and continuous, which means you'll always get the same input no matter what. You'll
never have to worry that your generator won't be able to power your home. That piece of
mind might be worth a little engineering project.

Solar power heating - Solar power doesn't just have to generate electricity. You can also
use the power of the sun to heat your home.
Solar water heaters use the sun to heat a reserve of water, which can then be pumped
through your radiators or out your faucets or showerheads. This system is much cheaper
than using gas or electricity to heat your water, and is easier to install than solar panels.
If you're not willing to completely commit to powering your entire home with renewable
energy, solar water heating can be a good alternative.
There are many different types of solar water heaters, each with their own advantages
and disadvantages, so be sure to select the type of system that works best for you.

Solar air conditioning - It might seem strange to use heat from the sun to cool your
home, but that's exactly what solar air conditioning does. Solar air conditioning uses the
same principles of the solar water heater, but uses that hot water in an air conditioning
system. Air conditioning uses more electricity than almost anything else in your home.
Air conditioning can cost you a substantial amount of money every year, especially if
you have central air and you live in a hot climate. Using hot water to cool your home can
save you money and help the environment.
As a bonus, the hot water produced for air conditioning can also be used for other
applications in your home. Depending on your setup, you can get the benefits of solar
water heating with bonus air conditioning as well.

VI. Youth contribution towards maintaining the balanced scale between

industrialization, urbanization and a sustainable society

The youth are the source of energy, the asset of every nation particularly, and of the
whole planet in general. They are the ones who are capable of making changes to the
surrounding world. All the current dilemmas, especially the environmental issue, are in a
great need of reservation and join hands to create positive changes that young people are
the main source of energy can make.
6.1 Individual effort
To be able to change huge problems, we all have to start from the smallest solutions.
Each and every one of us has to train ourselves and practice a green living habit and
healthy lifestyles. Limit our personal travel use to lower emissions. Use electricity and
water more economically and intelligently. Do not throw garbage indiscriminately, but
segregate waste and reuse possible items. If each individual knows how to strive for a
common goal of protecting the living environment, the effectiveness will be multiplied
and provide a brighter future.

6.2 Community activities

Besides efforts stemming from individuals, young people need to join hands to spread
positive messages to society. From the series of events that promote positive lifestyles as
well as warnings about situations existing with our living environment. Young people
should be aggressive and wholeheartedly supporting environmental protection campaigns
and activities such as participating in Earth Hour, planting forest trees, cleaning up
garbage challenges #Challengeforchange, etc,.

Young people like us must be more responsible in protecting the environment for
sustainable development, since this is our common home and also our future
generations’. We can not continue to live indifferently, which leads to the fact that the
lives of generations will be seriously affected.

VII. A huge amount of time and money is spent on the protection of wild animals
and this could money could be better spent on the human population. Do you agree
or disagree?

Whether to invest a fortune in preserving the wildlife or enhancing human living

standard has long been a source of controversy. In our perspective, we partially agree
with the opinion because it is possible to allocate resources intelligently to benefit both
the animal and the human population.

On the first hand, the action of financially protecting wild creatures is a high priority as
they play a vital role in balancing the ecosystem and human’s life.

Firstly, most people think that there is an abundance of wildlife species in the world, but
the truth is, their numbers are dwindling and if nothing is done about it, these species
might become endangered and extinct. Animals become endangered all the time and
people are not aware about it. Apparently, the extinction of any species in the nature
would result in an ecological crisis and eventually affect the human survival. As a part of
environment ecosystem, wild animals play a critical role in maintaining not only food
chain, but also natural process in which plants and microorganisms are involved. For
example, if the practice of whaling is not halted, the ecosystems of our oceans will be
altered forever, and this may affect fish stocks on which so many communities depend
for a living.

Secondly, protecting wild animals means protecting the habitats in which they live, such
as rainforests and wetlands. If habitat destruction is permitted, climate change will affect
our capacity to produce food to sustain the growing human population. When we
conserve and protect the natural habitat of wildlife species, we enrich our planet. To do
so, we must keep the animals in their natural place. Conservation of natural habitats will
also be beneficial for humans since it helps keep the essential watersheds intact and
ensuring clean, fresh water.

Regarding wildlife benefits, it goes without saying that wild animals are a huge source of
environment sustainability and research experiment. One can learn a lot from animals
which can benefit the human race. For instance, a lot of medicines have been derived
from the chemicals produced by animals. These medicines are then used to help cure
various health conditions, such as heart diseases, disorders, and other illnesses. In fact,
based on the statistics provided by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 25% of
the medicinal prescriptions given every year contain chemicals from animals. For
instance, there are scientists who are studying venom from the pit viper to cure the
symptoms of Melanoma, and the venom from a tarantula can help fight neurological
disorders.
Wildlife protection is essential because if the animal is gone, it will be impossible to
study and learn from them. Unfortunately, a lot of wildlife has disappeared from earth
due to human activities, such as the Bali tiger, Mexican grizzly bear, and the Japanese
wolf.
Additionally, the formation of wildlife reserves not only protects wildlife, it also brings
benefits to communities. In order to generate revenue for their management and to
eliminate poaching, responsible ecotourism to observe animals in the wild can be
developed further. This has been shown to create jobs in such places as the Serengeti
National Park in Africa. The result is increased prosperity when local communities,
especially in developing countries, are involved in the running of wildlife safaris, which
attract visitors to the reserves. Thus, the application of intelligent strategies brings
benefits for humans and wildlife.

To draw a conclusion, spending money on wild animals is a thoughtful action, on the

grounds that these creatures contribute substantial values in recreational, ecological and
scientific aspects. However, creative solutions have shown that this need not be a drain
on scarce resources.

VIII. Where to get the fund for environment sustainable projects, the government
or the organizations or the citizens?

Everyone in the society has to mutually contribute to the funds for environment
sustainable projects. Protecting the Earth means protecting our own lives, thus, everyone
is responsible for this matter.

8.1 The government

The government is the most powerful body, which has the authority to direct and control
citizens‘ lives to social issues. The government must ensure the use of budgets for
environmental purposes quickly, accurately, as well as ensure efficiency and
transparency.
At the current, in the European Union for illustration, member countries are doing very
well with the use of funds for environmental protection activities. They are having more
than 103 different funds. This is a truly impressive thing to follow by other countries,
including ASEAN countries like Vietnam.

8.2 The organizations

Corporate social responsibility is what business organizations must always attach
importance to ensure business ethics. It is like a reminder for every enterprise to always
pay attention to the society, to the environment beside the profit gained from the revenue.
Just when they guarantee not to harmfully effect any aspect of the surrounding
environment, they have to be under governance of the superiors.

8.3.Citizens

Each citizen ensure that they follow the law of paying tax. This is a way to show our
contribution to the common goal – protect the sustainability of the environment. Besides,
joining the activities aimed to raising fund for environment protection is also a good way
to express your humble yet valued intercession.

REFERENCE:
● https://www.mcgill.ca/sustainability/files/sustainability/what-is-sustainability.pdf
● https://www.environmentalscience.org/sustainability
● https://environment.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/SOER5.pdf
● http://qlkh.hcmussh.edu.vn/Resources/Docs/SubDomain/qlkh/9.Environmental%20Iss
ues%20in%20the%20South%20East%20Asian%20Region.pdf