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Up to now, the harmful impacts of the hazardous herbicide

known as Agent Orange are still very severe in Vietnam. For a

long time, the US did not accept any responsibility for use of the

herbicide and only very recently, there has been news that they

began cooperating in cleaning land areas around Da Nang

Airport. But across the whole country, there are millions of

affected people, and their families badly need assistance. I think

many people have seen an NHK TV program titled "Where Does

Hoa Go To?" and another program by documentary maker

Sakata Masako, who has tirelessly followed and publicised the

harmful impacts of the herbicide. Last year, Ms. Sakata

founded a scholarship fund named "Sprout of Hope" for Agent

Orange affected Vietnamese children. I met Sakata for the first

time when my wife

and I attended the

screening of a

documentary film

titled "Volunteers

Network"

organized by a

group of Japanese

women living in

Hanoi.

(http://www.vietnam-sketch.com/201108022012).

Her Vietnamese partner in this work was the "Vietnam

Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA)”.

(http://www.vn-agentorange.org/japanese_sakata.html)

My first meeting with VAVA was in 2009, when I was on a

working mission in Da Nang, where I visited a rehabilitation

center in the city, following an introduction from a young

Japanese volunteer and members of a Japanese NGO that

provided training to

disabled children.

Later on, I also

visited the "Peace

Village" in Hanoi.

It was not an

activity of JICA but

an invitation from

an acquaintance

who was then

working for a Japanese NGO. I tried to see if something could be

done to help out in ODA activities, but I have not yet been able

to do anything in this area until now. In the construction of the

ODA funded “Nhat Tan Bridge” (also called the Vietnam - Japan

Friendship Bridge) spanning the Red River in Hanoi, columns of

the bridge towers have further reached up to the sky in a very

imposing manner, and rising cranes can be seen at the

construction site. Two years ago, I had a chance to see and hear

Mr. Imai, Director of the AMS Vietnam Company - the unit that

leased the above cranes. He said they were striving to do their

work in Vietnam while making a contribution to the society. The

company has its main headquarters in Kyoto. It originally

worked in the field of traffic accident rescue, so they have also

cooperated on improving traffic safety. Here in Vietnam, where

traffic accidents have

seen a drastic rise,

similar to Japan in the

past, the company

wished to present

wheelchairs to traffic

accident victims who

are now struggling

with the

consequences of an

accident.

At that time, I recalled the story told by my wife after she

had read a book by Ms. Sakata, who wrote that the majority of

families of Agent Orange victims are poor, and many of the

mothers in these families say they can not even afford a

wheelchair for their children.

After having heard the above story from me, Director Imai

decided to launch the “Friendship Crane Bridge" project (the

crane in the title also means a lifting crane). Thus from there on,

on the occasion of the founding anniversary of this company, 10

wheelchairs have been presented via VAVA in May every year.

At the first wheelchair presentation ceremony, held in May

last year, VAVA Deputy Chairman Tran Xuan Thu said that

“though the assistance is small, what makes us happiest is our

being understood", and he went on by saying that when Japan

faced natural disasters, VAVA members also raised support funds

for Japan with a similar sentiment. At the second presentation

ceremony held on 5 July, VAVA Chairman Nguyen Van Rinh

expressed his gratitude, and said: "Agent Orange has been

transferred from the second to the third generation, causing

countless harmful impacts and impoverishing many families. In

a situation where both material and spiritual support is needed,

we feel greatly encouraged by the unshakable sentiments from

our Japanese friends." All disabled victims and their families

were invited to the ceremony. Director Imai met and encouraged

every victim, and it seemed that both sides had already

established a very profound understanding.

Many Japanese enterprises doing business in Vietnam are

also conducting activities to make a contribution to Vietnamese

society. This work includes afforestation, raising scholarship

funds for children and students, financial assistance for

construction of schools in the northern mountainous areas,

presentation of learning aids etc. I often hear that when visiting

localities, the benefactors are enthusiastically welcomed and

greeted by local villagers. Across all of Vietnam, diversified

activities aimed at broadening the embracement of humanity that

links human beings with human beings are now being conducted

by enterprises, local authorities and Japanese NGOs. Looking at

the people who attended the ceremony at the main office of

VAVA, I had the impression that JICA should continue to bolster

its efforts to be a "connecting bridge" via each of its activities.

(Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office - Tsuno

Motonori).

Message from the Chief Representative

JICA Vietnam Office

May 2012 (Monthly News Bulletin of JICA Vietnam Office)

1. Vietnam - Japan Seminar for Discussions on

Infrastructure Development Policies (April 27)

The conference for discussions on policies of strategic and

long-term significance for infrastructure development,

considered as one of focal areas in the 10-year socio-economic

development strategy (2011-2020), was held with its two

co-chairpersons being Mr. Bui Quang Vinh, Planning and

Investment Minister, and Mr. Tanizaki Yasuaki, the Japanese

Ambassador to Vietnam.

For the Vietnamese side, there were representatives and their

Japanese advisors from the Ministry of Planning and Investment,

Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry

of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Information

and Communications and Ministry of Health, while

representatives from the Japanese Embassy, JICA Vietnam

Office, JETRO Vietnam Office and JBIC Vietnam

Representative Office were from the Japanese side. More than

50 delegates attended the conference.

In his opening speech, Minister Bui Quang Vinh thanked the

government and people of Japan for the enormous support they

have provided to Vietnam. The minister also said that in

Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategy for 2011-2020,

the government has identified policy system reform, training of

human resources, and construction of infrastructure as focal

areas. In these areas, capital required for infrastructure

construction is up to USD 400 billion, and diversified capital

sources, including budget capital, ODA capital, private

investment capital and so on should be mobilized.

The representative for Vietnamese ministries briefly outlined

the needs for construction of important projects in areas such as

transport infrastructure, irrigation, health infrastructure, power

generation infrastructure, information and communication

infrastructure, water supply and drainage infrastructure.

According to a representative from the Japanese side, it was

necessary to implement ODA projects in a way that would get

support from the Japanese people. During the project

formulating process, the Japanese side will actively participate in

medium or long-term plan formulations. The Japanese side will

base its aid orientations for Vietnam on 3 areas identified as

priorities, and information on this will be issued soon, including

"growth and competitiveness improvement", "divergence

adjustment" and "State governance strengthening" to facilitate

quick project formulation. In addition, it will actively aim to

formulate projects that apply experiences and techniques from

Japanese enterprises and local authorities. Japan will also outline

the orientation for approving overall aid programs in

combination with loans and technical cooperation so as to

implement aid activities in a more thorough manner.

In the coming time, more detailed discussions will take place

at meetings for each sector that will be held once every 2

months.

2. Seminar on "Bubble Economies - Experiences from

Japan”

On Saturday May 5, from 8:00am to 5:00pm, JICA and the

Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and National Financial

Supervisory Commission (under the Government Office) jointly

held a seminar on "Bubble Economies - Experiences from

Japan”.

The seminar was held as a follow-up to a study visit made by

a Vietnamese delegation to Japan to learn about Japan's

experiences in dealing with economic bubbles that have ‘burst’.

The seminar was held following a request from economic

advisors to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, including the

Director of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and other

groups. The selection of speakers and preparations for the trip

were carried out with the cooperation of Prof. Tsuboi, Waseda

University (who was nominated as JICA international

cooperation advisor with an aim of being advisor for strategic

issues of Vietnam).

The seminar was held successfully and was evaluated by Mr.

Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of the Vietnam Academy of

Social Sciences, member of the Party Central Committee, as

"having the most important significance in the chain of seminars

jointly held with Japan". Via an enthusiastic Q&A session with

the speakers, the Vietnamese side gained awareness on different

issues, while the speakers and key delegates, including

Ambassador Tanizaki, highly valued the outcome of this work.

There were around 100 delegates attending the seminar. For

the Vietnamese side, there were representatives from the

Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, research institutes of

different ministries, National University of Economics, National

Assembly Committee on Economics, Ministry of Finance, and

State Bank of Vietnam among others. For the Japanese side,

there were representatives from the Japanese Embassy, Financial

Committee of Japan Industry and Trade Association (Director of

Hanoi Branch of BTMU, Bank of Mitsui Sumitomo etc.), Japan

media agencies (Nikkei, Jiji newspapers), experts from JICA,

JICA Vietnam Office and so on.

Speakers and issues presented at the seminar included:

1) Naito Junichi (President of National Union of Credit

Organizations (former Director of Financial Division of

Ministry of Finance, appraisal specialist of the Financial

Department), “Lessons Learnt from Japan's Economic

Crisis".

2) Hachimura Takeshi (Appraisal specialist, Ministry of

Restoration, former Director of Fukushima Branch of Japan

Central Bank, former JICA expert at the State Bank of

Vietnam), “Financial Modernization and Dealing with

Economic Bubbles”.

3) Yasui Toshiyuki (Professor of Keio University, former

specialist of the Financial Department), “Lessons from

Financial Crisis: Significance of Considering Finance as a

System”.

4) Okamoto Shigeaki (Head of the Secretariat, Office of the

Minister, Japan Ministry of Finance), “Evolution of the

Japanese Economy and Experiences in Financial

Counter-Measures".

In opening the seminar, Ambassador Tanizaki said economic

counter-measures were applied when economic bubbles burst.

These economic bubbles were not a typical phenomenon in

Japan, but the ambassador said that following the world

economic crisis in 2008 (Lehman crisis), these counter-measures

have been almost global ones. The seminar held this time was a

part of support that creates the core of Vietnam - Japan

cooperation (1. Vietnam - Japan Joint Initiatives, 2. Construction

of important infrastructural items, 3. Support for legal activities

(amendment of the Constitution), 4. Financial reform).

A member of the Financial Committee of the Japan Industry

and Trade Association, Mr. Aihara, Director of Mitsubishi Tokyo

UFJ branch presented the bank's viewpoint via his personal

experiences in bank restructuring, dealing with bad debts in

Japan and Dubai following the Lehman crisis.

JICA introduced ideas on improving the efficiency of reform

of State-owned enterprises, and stressed that there should be

measures to respond to economic bubbles or bad assets in

Highlights of the month

Vietnam. JICA also highlighted the necessity of appropriate

economic management, links among industrialization policies,

improvement of the business situation of State-owned

enterprises, and management of banks and State-owned

enterprises.

At the end of the seminar, the Prime Minister's advisor,

former Minister of Commerce Truong Dinh Tuyen, summarized

by saying that Vietnam's economy grows thanks to investment,

increasing values of real estate and stocks, as a result of inflation

of the domestic financial market. He went on to say: Though it

can not be said with absolute certainty that Vietnam is now in a

bubble economy, the symptoms can be seen. A difference

compared to Japan during its bubble economy is that Vietnam

has a high inflation rate, low foreign capital utilization efficiency,

and real estate investment affected by speculation as capital

sources are not able to reach the production sector, thus curbing

economic growth. To improve investment efficiency, public

investment reform and State-owned enterprise reform (to be

classified into 12 groups), and bank reform (restructuring of

collective commercial banks) are indispensable. The Party and

State of Vietnam are now carrying out the above reforms. The

bad debt rate in the banking sector now accounts for 3.8%, but

according to the definition used by Japan, it could be over 9%.

In addition, credit supply started to go down this year, placing

Vietnam in a situation similar to that of 2009 as enterprises'

needs for capital have deeply plunged and the situation is

extremely difficult. Amending the Constitution will help

accelerate restructuring of State-owned enterprises. Japan and

Vietnam are strategic partners, and it is extremely important that

Vietnam clearly understands its partner. Therefore, it is not only

necessary to pay attention to Japan's past experiences but those

in its future as well.

In his response, Prof. Tsuboi, co-chairperson of the seminar,

spoke about the future of Japan and Vietnam, in which, if Japan's

techniques and Vietnam's youthfulness are successfully

combined, a great strength will be created. Japan has created an

environment in which laws regulate every aspect of the economy

and it has succeeded in elevating economic efficiency via an

overall management of the entire economy as a system. In turn,

after having carried out Doi Moi or ‘Renovation’, Vietnam has

yet been able to complete mechanisms and policies, nor

modernize its system. Cooperation with Vietnam is also in

Japan’s interest, and it is hoped that Japan and Vietnam will

jointly build a bright future.

In spite of being held on Saturday, the number of delegates to

the seminar did not drop during the whole day. This shows high

interest from the Vietnamese side on issues at the seminar. In the

middle of the event, discussions focused on whether Vietnam

now had a bubble economy. There was no clear-cut conclusion,

and the answer is left for our readers to consider further.

Improvement in Living and Social Conditions and

Corrections of Disparities

3. Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting (JCC) - First

Scientific Seminar for the Technical Cooperation Project

on "Determine the Outbreak Mechanisms and Development

of Monitoring System at Food Administration forMulti-drug

Resistant Bacteria” (Apr. 6). The R/D of this project was signed on December 27 of last

year with 5 implementing agencies from the Vietnamese side,

including the National Institute of Nutrition (in Hanoi) while the

implementing agency of the Japanese side, Osaka University and

other groups. Project implementation has officially begun.

At the JCC meeting, project staff from different localities

listened to

presentations on

the

implementation

framework for

the whole 5 years

and action plans

for different areas

(micro-biological

research,

pharmacological research, Epidemiological analysis and

anthropological research) for the following year and plans were

approved. In addition, in the afternoon of the same day, a

specialized seminar was held with the participation of officials

and experts from the food and health sectors. The seminar

introduced the latest research topics on this issue in Japan. Many

of the participants said they wanted to follow the outcomes of

this research as reference materials in the coming time.

During 5 years of implementation, the project will determine

the mechanisms causing multi-drug resistant bacteria in Vietnam

and their related infectious diseases as a basis for finding

antibiotics and other related pathogens that influence outbreaks.

Work would also focus on establishing a surveillance system for

potential outbreaks of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

4. Third Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting - Technical

Cooperation Project for “Strengthening Community-based

Management Capacity of Bidoup-Nuiba National Park” (Apr.

12 and 13).

This project (implemented from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2013) aims to

create a "co-management" mechanism with local residents to

protect the natural resources of the national park through

environment-friendly agriculture and eco-tourism. At the 3rd

JCC meeting, relevant parties reviewed the actual status of

project implementation, as half of the project’s implementation

time has elapsed, and discussed the action plan for this year. The

meeting also evaluated the outcomes of the project as well as

what should be done to overcome the existing shortcomings. In

addition, a field trip was conducted on the following day.

Regarding environment-friendly agriculture, the

participants paid a visit to a community with coffee farms that

applied the Famers Field School (FFS) model, in which the

farmers learn cultivating techniques from through people centred

learning. Regarding eco-tourism, the participants visited the

Visitor Center and the hiking trail, both designed and built by

the project. They were briefed about the nature of the park, in the

Visitor Center and the hiking trail, d by a guide who received

training from the project. The eco-tourism visitors has been

gradually increasing and we really wish to have a chance to

welcome the readers of this news bulletin to our national park.

5. Exchange of Notes signed for grand aid for

"Reconstruction of Bridges in the Central Coastal Provinces

of Vietnam - Phase 3".

On May 8, a

signing ceremony for

the Exchange of

Notes on the grant

aid agreement for the

"Project on

Reconstruction of

Bridges in Central

Coastal Provinces of

Vietnam - Phase 3"

took place. With the ceiling of JPY 749 million, the grant aid

will be used for construction of 4 bridges in provinces such as

Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa and Dak Lack, which suffered a lot

during the war and more recently have sustained damage caused

by natural disasters such as storms, floods as well as economic

difficulties. So far, JICA has provided grant aid for construction

of 29 bridges in Northern Vietnam (JPY 3.76 billion) and 38

bridges in the Mekong River Delta region (JPY 3.73 billion).

The project on upgrading weakened bridges in Central Coastal

Vietnam begun in 2001, and after many difficulties, it is now

going to be completed after 13 years.

Environmental Conservation

6. The First Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting (JCC) of

the Technical Cooperation Project for "Capacity Building

for Greenhouse Gas Inventory in Vietnam" (Apr. 10).

Despite being a basic data for consideration of measures to

respond to climate change, many of the developing countries,

including Vietnam, lack a systematic mechanism for developing

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory This project aims to assist

the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)

and other related agencies, to strengthen their capability in

systematically developing a high-accuracy GHG Inventory. As

the project activities have already commenced, the JCC meeting

this time aims to report on the progress of project

implementation as well as to discuss the issues the project is

facing. Enthusiastic discussions took place during the meeting

among the participants.

Following the growing attention on the impacts and affects of

climate change in recent times, the meeting showed immense

expectations from the Vietnamese side on this project.

Meanwhile, JICA also consider this as the core technical

cooperation project in the field of climate change in Vietnam,

and wishes to utilize effectively, the knowledge and experiences

obtained through this project.. As GHG Inventory development

requires mulit-sectoral collaboration, devising a cooperation

mechanism among the relevant ministries and sectors is a big

challenge. It is hoped this project will be able to mobilize

maximum incentives from all the partners in achieving positive

outcomes for the project.

7. The First Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting (JCC)

for the Dien Bien REDD+ Pilot Project (Apr. 24).

In forestry nowadays, the “REDD+ (Reducing Emissions

from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)” mechanism aimed

at reducing CO2 emissions and increase of CO2 sequstration in

forests is being discussed very intensively. Vietnam is one of the

countries who is actively pursuing the application of this new

mechanism, however, in order to workable policies and

institutions, it is inevitable to pilot and test their applicability.

Until March 2012,, JICA contributed to the formulation of

national institutions and policies for REDD+through the "JICA

REDD+ Study”. Taking the results from this Study, this new

project will be implemented in Dien Bien province as the first

provincial piloting of REDD+.. During a relatively short time of

one and a half years, the project will develop a REDD+ action

program for the province and then transfer it to the ongoing

SUSFORM-NOW for its implementation. The “REDD+”

mechanism itself is still in the process of tiral and error around

the world, as well as in Vietnam, therefore, we also foresee lots

of challenges. But it is expected that this project will contribute

both, to the field level and the policies.

8. “Forest management activities in Ca Mau – Vietnam”

Shimizu Fuiaki

Volunteer in the Forest Management Sector

Batch 1, in 2011.

I used to be a forestry ranger working in Niigata prefecture in

Japan, and I am now a volunteer and doing the same job here. In

Niigata prefecture, I participated in planting and managing

protective forests, design and monitoring of construction of

mountain and forest protection works such as dams, along with

natural disaster prevention and control, and post-natural disaster

restoration

works.

I was sent to

work at the

Lower U Minh

Forestry

Company, under

the Natural

Resources and

Environment

Department of

the People's

Committee of Ca Mau province. There are many wetlands in the

Mekong River Delta region, so afforestation work focuses on the

"cajuput" plant. In Ca Mau, the southernmost region of Vietnam,

there are immense cajuput forests. The forestry company is

responsible for management of forests in the region, as well as

preventing and controlling forest fires during the dry season.

There was a huge forest fire, which burnt down more than

5,000 hectares of forests in U Minh district in 2002. As this is a

poor region, the JICA funded project has helped replant forests,

carry out activities aimed at improving living conditions for

local people such as construction of roads, schools, health clinics

and so on, and my dispatch here involves all of those activities.

The requirement of my job is "improving living conditions for

local people via forestry work". At present, I am helping the

company in doing afforestation and surveys on growth of the

forests planted

with assistance

from JICA with

an aim to

provide data

proving the

efficiency of

activities

conducted by

JICA.

In addition, I

have also cooperated with Murota, a volunteer in rural

development who is also working in U Minh on mapping out

plans and visiting enterprises that use forests and fairs with other

Vietnamese staff to seek new customers.

In recent years, while the price of cajuput, which is very

popular in the region, has gone down, demand for boards made

of plant fiber has risen. Thus, there have been big changes in the

market and forecasts are really difficult.

Reports from working sites

On the other hand, how to gain benefits from forests is a

decision that must be taken by the local people. Being a

volunteer, and

under the

circumstance of

market changes,

the requirement

of 'increasing

incomes" is

perhaps too big a

puzzle. That is

my true feeling.

For an

outsider like me,

I think what I could do first is gather data regarding forests and

the surrounding factors, and then systemize it in a very objective

manner. Based on this data, I will hold discussions with staff at

the forestry company and forest owners, providing them with a

viewpoint and documents that are different than what they have

carried out so far.

I still have about half of my working time left. I will keep

doing my job so as to leave at least a little piece of useful

knowledge or experience for the local people and officials.

9. Advisor of Management, O&M of Expressway Network in

Vietnam

Hata Shunji

My working time is from May 2010 to May 2012, and 2 years

have gone by in an instant. I have been given office space at the

Ministry of Transport. At weekly or bi-weekly meetings, I

introduce and put forth my opinions to my counterparts based on

their requirements. My job mainly deals with vertical areas such

as organizational

structures, the legal

system, actual

performing

procedures, site

manuals etc. as well

as horizontal areas

like financing,

maintenance, traffic

management and so

on. Therefore, I

need support from

different units and staff from my former employer, the

Expressway Company of Central Japan. During my working

time in Vietnam, I have also received immense assistance from

my main partner, the Deputy General Director of Transport

Infrastructure Department Mai Van Hong, and Deputy Minister

Ngo Thinh Duc, as well as staff at the Transport Engineering

Construction and Quality Management Bureau, which is located

next to my working office.

Currently, Vietnam is still in the initial phase of development

of expressways, however, relating mechanisms and policies have

yet to be established. Therefore, much more work and advice in

this area will be needed.