On February 24, 2022, Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (HUCE) successfully held the 4th SATREPS Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting and the 3rd HUCE – SU Joint Seminar on “Sustainable and Green Development for Circular Economy in Vietnam”
The SATREPS project “Establishment of Environmentally Sound Management of Construction and Demolition Waste and Its Wise Utilization for Environmental Pollution Control and for New Recycled Construction Materials in Vietnam” is sponsored by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). This project is implemented by Hanoi University of Civil Engineering - Vietnam and Saitama University - Japan in the period 2018-2023.
Event overview
The purpose of this event is presenting the research results achieved in the past 4 years for the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) to evaluate and orient the work plan for the following year.
The meeting was attended by delegates: Mr. Hitoshi Toriyama - 2nd Diplomat - Embassy of Japan in Vietnam; Mr. Naomichi Murooka - Deputy Chief Representative of JICA in Vietnam; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Ngoc Anh - Director General of Department of Science Technology and Environment - Ministry of Construction; MSc. Nguyen Khanh Long - Head of Solid Waste Department - Technical Infrastructure Agency - Ministry of Construction; Mr. Dinh Minh Tung - Deputy Director General of Department for Planning and Finance - Ministry of Education and Training; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Dang Chinh - Vice Rector of Hanoi University of Science and Technology; and representatives from Hanoi Department of Construction, Hai Phong Department of Construction, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment, URENCO Hanoi. On the Japanese side, there were the participation of: Mr. Hideaki Matsuoka - Director of Environment Group 1 - JICA Global Environment Division; Prof. Takaomi Shigehara - Vice Rector of Saitama University; Prof. Ken Kawamoto - Co-manager of the SATREPS Project - University of Saitama; Prof. Yukari Takamura - Future Innovation Institute - University of Tokyo; and experts representing JST - University of Saitama, Center for Environmental Science Studies of Saitama (CESS), National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan (NIES). On the side of Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, there were the presence of: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Giang - Vice Rector and Project Manager of SATREPS; Prof. Dr. Phan Quang Minh - SATREPS Project management specialist; and experts who are teachers, researchers, members of the Project, representatives of leaders of departments and faculties of the University.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Giang - Vice Rector and Project Manager of SATREPS speaking
Speech by Mr. Hideaki Matsuoka - Director of Environment Group 1 - JICA Global Environment Division
Statement by Prof. Takaomi Shigehara - Vice Rector of Saitama University
Although the Covid-19 pandemic greatly affected all activities of society, the SATREPS project was still implemented on schedule. In recent years, experts from the two countries have collaborated to research and replicate effective construction solid waste management and recycling activities to many localities such as: Hanoi with the demand for trial production recycling; Da Nang and Quang Ninh with the planning and proposing for the management structure and recycling of construction solid waste in the locality; Hai Phong and Vinh Phuc with the survey on the current status of construction solid waste management in the locality. The project has created new materials from recycled construction solid waste with breakthroughs for infrastructure, structures to solve the problem of keeping underground water levels for urban areas, reducing flooding, towards green buildings, green cities and circular economy for Vietnam.
It can be said that the cooperation model from ministries and sectors to localities through the research results of the Project from Japan and Vietnam has achieved practical results and is applied in practice to bring benefits for the society in a field that is very important to Vietnam today. Hanoi University of Civil Engineering will work with experts from Japan, JICA, JST and Vietnamese ministries, departments and sectors to effectively implement the next activities of the project and towards the goal of building a Research and Application Center for recycling construction solid waste in Vietnam.
Evaluating the SATREPS Project being implemented by Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and Saitama University, Prof. Yukari Takamura - Institute of Future Innovation - University of Tokyo, and also the senior expert of JST, expressed his hope that the Covid-19 pandemic situation would be improved in the near future so that Japanese experts could go to Vietnam and vice versa to promote the overall progress of the Project. In particular, the Professor also suggested for experts to propose the necessary support from JST and JICA to facilitate the project implementation.
Speaking at the meeting, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Ngoc Anh – Director General of Department of Science Technology and Environment - Ministry of Construction has recognized the positive results of the Project in the past 4 years, and highly appreciated the application and dissemination of these results to many provinces and cities across the country. The establishment of an effective management system and the development of construction solid waste recycling technologies are in line with Vietnam's development orientation. Department of Science Technology and Environment - Ministry of Construction committed to continuing to accompany the project team in 3 areas of work:
• Continue to develop a system of standards, regulations and technical guidelines on the management and application of recycled products from construction solid waste in basic construction.
• Based on Vietnam's Green Development Strategy from 2021-2030, the Ministry of Construction will study and propose a Green Building Development Scheme, in which one of the criteria of green buildings will be the use of recycled materials from construction solid waste.
• Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the State Bank to have effective mechanisms and policies to support production and business models of recycled materials or recycled products from construction solid waste.
Speaking at the end of the meeting, Mr. Naomichi Murooka - JICA Vietnam's Deputy Representative emphasized that although the implementation conditions of the Project's activities faced many difficulties and obstacles due to the Covid-19 pandemic, experts from both countries had made great efforts to collaborate and continue to organize meaningful activities. He highly appreciated the practical results of the Project and believed that the young human resources trained under the Project would make positive contributions in the field of construction solid waste management and recycling in Vietnam in the future.
International Cooperation Department – HUCE
Some pictures of the JCC Meeting and Joint Seminar:
