“Environmental Security in Southeast Asia in the Context of Economic, Ecological and Social Transition”

Environmental security is one of the most concerned issues today, especially in the context of complex climate change, which has a profound impact on many countries and regions in the world, including Southeast Asia. In the context of countries facing resource depletion and environmental pollution - consequences of the process of promoting economic growth and the effects of global climate change, adjusting and finding solutions is extremely necessary. The seminar on "Environmental security in Southeast Asia in the context of economic, ecological and social transition" is an important linking activity in promoting and expanding the research network, exchanging knowledge at home and abroad on environmental security and sustainable development in Vietnam in particular and Southeast Asia in general.

Speaking at the seminar, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim - Party Secretary, Vice President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi emphasized: "The organization of this seminar is very meaningful, contributing to providing arguments to support the process of planning and implementing policies on sustainable development, creating a balance between economic - ecological and social values ​​in Vietnam's development strategy in the coming time".

The seminar was attended by many domestic and foreign experts from leading universities and research institutes on environmental security, and representatives from the Ministry of Public Security. In particular, the delegates listened to the introductory report of Senior Lieutenant General, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security on the issue of non-traditional security in the face of the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The content of the report helped open up discussion topics on environmental security from a non-traditional security approach, and issues raised with non-traditional security in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Presenting the report at the seminar, Major General, Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Huong - Director of the People's Police Academy emphasized: environmental security is a national security issue that needs the attention of not only the academic community but also current policy makers.

The seminar had 11 reports and more than 20 opinions and comments on environmental security issues, solutions and policies on environmental security. As an expert in economic, ecological and social transitions, Mr. Philip Degenhardt - Director of the Rosa Luxemburg Institute in Southeast Asia expressed his concern about the trade-off between economics and ecological and social values ​​and emphasized the prediction of the consequences of environmental pollution and environmental security in countries today, including Vietnam. The reports of two foreign speakers: Ms. Maureen Harris - Director of the Southeast Asia program of the International Rivers organization and Ms. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti - Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia received attention and welcome from domestic experts with lessons learned on the exploitation and management of water resources in the Mekong River region and the issue of reducing economic dependence on mining activities in Indonesia.

In the final discussion session of the seminar, the report on maritime security issues by the captain, Dr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - School of Maritime Affairs, Vietnam Maritime University and the report on the solution of using solar energy to distill salt water into fresh water by MSc. Huynh Canh Thanh Lam from Can Tho College of Economics and Technology presented practical solutions, balancing economic, ecological and social factors.

At the end of the discussion, Associate Professor Dr. Dao Thanh Truong - Director of the Institute of Policy and Management, Head of the Faculty of Management Sciences, Project Director emphasized that the research process and approach to the issue of economic, ecological and social transition will continue to be expanded and developed on the basis of the cooperation project with the Rosa Luxemburg Institute in Southeast Asia. The Institute of Policy and Management hopes to continue to receive the attention and support of experts and policy makers in research activities on economic, ecological and social transition in Vietnam in the coming time.