'Now, urban areas like Da Nang, Can Tho, Hai Phong, and Hanoi flood every time it rains'

Noting that cities like Da Nang, Can Tho, Hai Phong are flooded every time it rains, and even Hanoi has been flooded for half a month but the water has not receded, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man suggested that there must be a fundamental solution according to the direction of General Secretary To Lam.

On the afternoon of October 14, continuing the 50th session, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave opinions on the draft law on amending and supplementing a number of articles of 15 laws in the fields of agriculture and environment.

Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang presented the draft law at the meeting.

PHOTO: GIA HAN

Presenting the draft law, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang said that the draft law amends 15 laws including: Law on Environmental Protection; Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine; Law on Animal Husbandry; Law on Biodiversity; Law on Dikes; Law on Surveying and Mapping; Law on Hydrometeorology; Law on Forestry; Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control; Law on Water Resources; Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment; Law on Veterinary Medicine; Law on Irrigation; Law on Fisheries; Law on Cultivation.

The amendment focuses on three groups of contents, including regulations related to the arrangement of the administrative apparatus; decentralization, delegation of power, and division of authority when organizing two-level local governments. Along with that, it is necessary to amend regulations to reduce business conditions, administrative procedures, and promptly resolve and handle difficulties, inadequacies, and bottlenecks caused by legal regulations.

Mr. Thang said that the Government has determined to only amend and supplement a number of provisions that are truly "bottlenecks" and the most difficult to include in the draft law. Accordingly, the draft law amends 20 "bottlenecks" that need to be resolved immediately in 2025...

Speaking at the meeting, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that recently the Politburo and Secretariat have paid great attention to the fields of agriculture and environment. Most recently, General Secretary To Lam worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ministry of Home Affairs to resolve the issue of agricultural extension at the grassroots level.

From that, the National Assembly Chairman suggested that this law amendment must remove all bottlenecks and obstacles in current laws. In particular, focusing on organizing the administrative apparatus, defining authority; simplifying administrative procedures and improving the investment and business environment in this field.

"The spirit is that now you see any difficulties or problems for the people, especially in the fields of agriculture, rural areas, and the environment, we must resolve them," said the National Assembly Chairman.

According to the National Assembly Chairman, after the two-level government was put into operation and after visiting many localities, he found that in the environmental field, there was a shortage and weakness of officials. The National Assembly Chairman suggested studying and supplementing regulations on training and financial support for the commune level to ensure work requirements.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man speaks at the meeting

PHOTO: GIA HAN

Hanoi has been flooded for half a month now and the water has not receded yet.

The National Assembly Chairman also noted that the amendment must aim at protecting the environment and developing sustainable agriculture; and at the same time proposed adding a separate chapter on climate change agriculture.

The National Assembly Chairman reflected that at the Government Party Congress yesterday and the Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress this morning, the General Secretary assigned the task during this term to ensure that cities and urban areas are no longer flooded during storms. This is the issue of climate change and rising sea levels in urban areas.

"Now, cities like Da Nang, Can Tho, Hai Phong... are flooded every time it rains. Even in Hanoi, it has been flooded for half a month now and the water has not receded yet," the National Assembly Chairman said, suggesting that there must be a fundamental solution to this problem according to the General Secretary's direction.

The National Assembly Chairman also suggested learning from the experience of countries like the Netherlands, which are below sea level but do a very good job of protecting fields and agriculture.

The National Assembly Chairman also requested the Government to urgently send the draft law documents as the law is expected to take effect from January 1, 2026, after being passed by the National Assembly at the upcoming 10th session.

"Tomorrow, the Government Party Committee and the National Assembly Party Committee will meet to finalize the contents of the 10th session so that the 10th session must be a success according to the direction of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and especially the General Secretary. The spirit is that if we cannot amend the law, we will express it through a resolution to immediately resolve a number of issues," said the National Assembly Chairman.

Citing the Land Law, the National Assembly Chairman said that the Central Committee had given opinions but when preparing, the desired contents had not yet been achieved, so they continued to discuss and at the session only considered passing a resolution to amend a number of issues.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bay-gio-do-thi-nhu-da-nang-can-tho-hai-phong-ha-noi-cu-mua-la-ngap-185251014170319076.htm