(VOVworld) - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has signed with Germany’s Hanns-Seidel Foundation a cooperation agreement on green growth and sustainable use of natural resources from now until 2016.

Nguyen Van Tai, Director of  Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment and Peter Witterauf, Hanns-Seidel Foundation’s CEO, signed the cooperative agreement. (Photo: monre.gov.vn)

At the signing ceremony in Hanoi on Thursday, Deputy Minister Tran Hong Ha said Vietnam is facing water, land, and air pollution and its treatment of solid waste in provinces using old technologies is still weak. Vietnam’s forest coverage, ecosystem, and fauna and flora are declining. The situation requires the whole community to work together and support from both domestic and foreign organisations. Deputy Minister Ha called for more support from the Hanns-Seidel Foundation in Vietnam’s change of economic model from a natural resources-based economy to a green economy to ensure sustainable growth.