By Kim N. B. Ninh

This summer has been one of the hottest summers on record in Vietnam, with temperatures often rising above 100 F in many parts of the country. Low rainfall has rendered the country’s network of hydroelectrical power plants virtually useless, and rising energy consumption has outstripped the capacity of the state-owned energy sector, leading to rolling blackouts throughout the country in recent months. The unprecedented heat wave, however, has not kept many Vietnamese from following closely the debate over the government of Vietnam’s ambitious proposal for a high speed rail project linking Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City – a proposal that had the mercury rising even higher within the walls of the National Assembly last month.

Vietnam recently proposed an ambitious plan for a high speed rail project planned to transport passengers on the 975-mile journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in about five and a half hours, traveling at 186 miles per hour. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Licenses.

Simply put, this was the biggest project proposal ever to come before the National Assembly (NA) for approval. According to the government’s preliminary investment report, the high speed rail will make the 975-mile journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in about five and a half hours, traveling at 186 miles per hour.
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By John J. Brandon

For the past 23 years, May 31 has held significance that few are even aware of – World No Tobacco Day. Started in 1987 by the World Health Organization (WHO), World No Tobacco Day has for almost a quarter century encouraged 24 hours of abstinence from all forms of tobacco around the globe, in an attempt to shine a light on the negative health effects of tobacco use.  But smoking is on the rise in Asia – sharply – so clearly not everyone is heeding the message.

Of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco smokers, 700 million live in Asia. China, India, and Indonesia are the world’s largest consumers of tobacco. China’s 350 million smokers puff on 2 trillion cigarettes a year. Cigarette smoking in Indonesia has increased by 26 percent over the past 15 years. Increased smoking is having considerable public health consequences across the region. As life spans increase across Asia, diseases caused by smoking – cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and various forms of cancer – are overtaking infections as a leading cause of premature death. Of the 5.5 million people who die from smoking-related illnesses each year, half are in Asia. China and Indonesia alone account for 1.7 million smoking deaths. By 2050, researchers estimate that smoking deaths in Asia will be four times what they are today.
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By Kim N. B. Ninh

Vietnam has garnered international attention over the past two decades with its remarkable economic growth and strong poverty alleviation record. The adoption of the doi moi (renovation) policy in late 1986, marked by a shift to market-oriented development and international integration, has transformed this country of 86 million. Crucial legal reforms embodied in such laws as the Enterprise Law, the Land Law, and the Investment Law have further spurred economic development, encouraging the emergence and growth of market activities, the private sector, and foreign investment in a country long governed by central planning. The private sector in particular is playing an increasingly significant role in the economy. According to the World Bank, in 2007 the domestic private sector contributed 46 percent of the GDP, and private sector investment in the economy grew steadily from 23 percent in 2000 to 38 percent in 2006. With some 1.5 million new entrants into the labor market each year, the domestic private sector is critical to employment generation.
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By Julia Chen

The four students dressed in hooded sweatshirts, faded jeans, and designer sneakers looked like any other teenagers walking along the streets of San Francisco. However, these students were part of a carefully selected delegation from Vietnam here last month to gain a sense of youth participation and awareness in environmental protection in the U.S. The delegation also included two officials from the Ministry of Education, and two reporters from Vietnam TV who were videotaping their experiences for a documentary to be shown on national TV in Vietnam. (Watch our own video featuring highlights from the visit.)

The delegation participated in a special reception for the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize winners at Golden Gate Park’s Crissy Field community center.

The Bay Area’s diverse natural surroundings and strong leadership in environmental innovation made it a great place to examine environmental challenges and successes, such as solid waste management and energy conservation, in an urban setting.
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By To Kim Lien

Rapid economic growth generates tremendous stress on the environment, from water and air pollution to depletion of natural resources and mounting garbage. As one of the countries that has enjoyed a high level of economic growth in the past decade, environmental degradation is becoming increasingly visible in Vietnam. Over the last year, we have seen unprecedented public outcry over the pollution of rivers and waterways with industrial waste, protests over unsanitary waste disposal and loss of green space due to rampant construction, and growing concern over the decline of quality of life.

Public outcry over the pollution of Vietnam's rivers and waterways has increased in recent years.

Although a few recent environmental cases generated significant media and public interest in Vietnam, citizens generally do not play an active role in the environmental discourse – whether pushing for more effective government response or individually participating in protecting natural resources.
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By V. Bruce J. Tolentino

On Earth Day 2010, Asia has much to be thankful for. While the recent global financial crisis hit Asia hard, most of Asia’s governments acted swiftly and decisively and succeeded, against prevailing expectations, to limit the impact of the financial debacle. They had learned the hard way from the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Intertwined with the global financial crisis was the food price crisis of 2007-2009: long-term global trends in population growth, rising incomes, competing non-food use of crops, falling investments in agricultural productivity, and lower food stocks were jarred by sudden supply shocks in key producing countries. The panicky procurement and knee-jerk trade bans hurriedly implemented by several governments, particularly India and the Philippines, sparked a food price spiral – that spiraled out of control.
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By Gretchen Kunze

The Mekong River, the longest in Southeast Asia, is at its lowest reported water level in 20 years. The river runs through six countries – China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam – but the highest percentage (35 percent) of the river’s overall water flow runs through Laos. The dramatic effects of the low water level here are palpable. In past weeks, downtown Vientiane businesses and homes have experienced reduced water pressure and even the stoppage of water supply during business hours. Boats in Luang Prabang and northern Laos that daily ferry tourists and cargo along the river and make up a significant part of the economy are currently beached for the first time in memory because it is too dangerous or just impossible to navigate the now-shallow waters. The hospitals in Vientiane are without water supply at peak hours and are busy brainstorming stop-gap solutions such as building larger holding tanks or drilling more artesian wells. The maternity and surgery wards are the biggest users of water, so they are the most affected. Recognizing the severity of the issue, the Prime Minister urged ministries and government offices last week to actively address the impact of this water shortage crisis.

As the country that holds the largest percentage of the Mekong River, Laos' industries, such as fishing, have been dramatically affected by current low water levels.

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By Carol Mercado

At the 15th ASEAN summit, held this past October, ASEAN inaugurated its Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).  The announcement was met with criticism from some quarters, but ASEAN called it a “historic milestone” in its 42-year history of community-building in the region.

During the summit’s concluding statement, ASEAN said that the AICHR “gives concrete expression to the implementation of Article 14 of the ASEAN Charter and ASEAN’s commitment to pursue forward-looking strategies to strengthen regional cooperation on human rights.” The Commission is mandated to support and protect human rights by promoting public awareness and education, and providing advice and capacity-building to government agencies and ASEAN bodies, among other things.
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By John J. Brandon

From 2002 to 2006, The Asia Foundation implemented a series of exchanges for 80 promising young professionals from Southeast Asia and the United States to help develop a better understanding of one another’s region. This program was initiated by the Foundation because of concern that fewer Americans had been involved with Southeast Asia since the end of the Vietnam War and subsequently were less familiar with the region’s nuances and complexities. Consequently, a younger generation of Southeast Asians had limited exposure to the United States and their understanding has been limited as well.
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The global financial crisis has increased the number of desperate job seekers and prompted many to take greater risks for new income opportunities. In Vietnam, a source country for human trafficking, there are some who take advantage of the country’s opening borders resulting from the last two decades of political and economic reform. Alas, men often become victims of forced labor overseas, while women are lured into prostitution after false, brokered marriages to foreigners unravel. To combat the alarming rise in human trafficking incidents in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, The Asia Foundation is expanding projects in schools and community centers to teach young men and women about safe migration. The project, with new funding from the United States Agency for International Development, will reach 40,000 students and other young people and provide them with information and skills that will help them identify and avoid trafficking schemes in their search for jobs or when considering marriage proposals abroad. The Foundation will also work with government officials and service providers – such as police, legal professionals, social workers, and health care workers – to draft a policy document that defines a victim’s basic rights and provides a minimum standard of care across agencies. Read more about the Foundation’s anti-trafficking work in Vietnam and its role in Cambodia’s recent milestone in establishing a national set of policies for standardized care of victims.