Environment Protection in Vietnam

A lot of travelers (or expats) complain about the lack of environmental protection demonstrated in Vietnam. Never mind that, like virtually all low or middle income countries, the per capita environmental damage is much lower here than in high income countries (of which these foreigners are from).

Environmental protection is not just about carbon output, I know, but if one measures using this currently favored metric, that flight to Vietnam is worse than what most locals could do in a year. Same for those quick weekend jaunts on Air Asia for some sun and sand.

Or course this does not even touch upon past environmental damage. The industrial revolution was not exactly kind to Mother Earth; a great philosophical debate is underway as to the propriety of those countries that have benefited from unchecked industrial development to turn around and constrain the industrial development of countries (such as India) that are undergoing their own revolution two centuries later.

But enough about that - this post is more about the government's recent policy to ban water skis in Ha Long Bay. What a great idea, and about time. When we were there last year, the water skis out and about were kind of a hassle when we were swimming in the bay.

This policy action was spurred, in part, from the government's desire to keep the Ha Long's UNESCO stamp of approval. Even in a high income country like Japan, lack of environmental care for the area around Mount Fuji has prevented this source of Japanese pride to be granted UNESCO status. I didn't know people care so much about the opinions of the powder blue brigade.

Doesn't really matter why the new policy came into being, just glad to know that it's a step in the right direction.

For those who are interested in reading another opinion on Vietnam's development, check out this post ("The Exit Sign") by Preya from a year ago.

Welcome back

This post from the Pho from Home blog reminded me of what I thought while cruising about on a small chartered boat in Ha Long Bay. The title of this post is a sign-off often used by a Vietnamese poster on an ex-pat forum I read today - he was happily telling Viet Kieu folks 'welcome back' to Viet-Nam and their home(land).

So, back to me - sitting in the sun, nursing a Halida, quietly admiring the bay with VA while the boat puttered back to the dock, I was just struck by it all. Wow, this place is beautiful; wow, this is my homeland. This is where I'm from. Nevermind the fact that, like other overseas Vietnamese, I'm a southerner. I live in Virginia right now, so I'm southerner by U.S. standards too!

Ah, I dunno, it's hard to describe how I felt. It's sorta like how I felt when I stepped back onto my college campus, after over a decade away. Your heart lightens and you feel good, at home, and warm memories wash back in. You remember your friends and good times.

It's similar, except that there aren't those memories to involuntarily recall, and yet, regardless, you feel grounded and part of it all. It was beautiful, I never knew it before, and it was home.

The picture above is from the balcony of a room in Saigontourist Ha Long Hotel, a pretty nice place to stay if you're in the area. The bridge being awaken by the rising sun is the Bai Chay bridge, nearing completion. It's the longest bridge of its type - the type being a pre-stressed concrete span with a single, central plane of cables, if you're into such things; you can learn more here.