Surfing instructor Rob Kidnie will begin on May 14 his first-ever paddleboard
journey from Cambodia to Viet Nam to raise awareness about pollution in Viet
Nam’s waterways.

Taking a punt: Rob Kidnie of Australia plans to ride his paddleboard along the Cuu Long River as part of his campaign to raise awareness about water pollution in Viet Nam. (Photo: VNS)

The Australian, who
heads up the Kite and Surf School in Mui Ne Town in the central coastal province
of Binh Thuan drew inspiration for his journey from his adopted beachside home.

“I have been in Viet
Nam for five years, and I wake up day after day seeing bag after bag that washes
up on the shores in Mui Ne, and indeed around the world,” said Rob at
yesterday’s press briefing in HCM City.

“I felt someone had to
do something, someone had to raise awareness and someone had to spread the
message to people about the importance of keeping the oceans and rivers clean,”
said Rob, adding that plastic bags take between 500 and 1,000 years to
biodegrade.

His 230km journey will
run from Chau Doc Town of An Giang Province bordering Cambodia along the Cuu
Long (Mekong) River to Tra Vinh Province.

Research firm Cimigo
shows that 24.5 per cent of people in HCM City and Ha Noi cite pollution as a
major concern.

Plastic bags have
become a serious concern of both Rob and environmental authorities nationwide,
with the HCM City Waste Recycling Fund reporting in 2009 that the country’s
largest city alone generated over 50 tonnes of used plastic bags each day.

According to the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, each family in the country wastes
one bag per day on average.

“Numbers like these
caused me to adopt a campaign based on four key tenets: refuse plastic bags when
they are offered to you at the market, reduce the number of bags you use, reuse
bags once you have taken them, and recycle them once they have been used,” said
Rob.

His journey of 230km,
expected to take 12 days, is believed to be the first of its kind in the world.

It will be undertaken
on an 11- foot stand-up paddleboard. A typical day will see Rob paddling around
20km.

Rob, 35, has applied
to the Guinness Book of Records for recognition of this journey.

“Along the way I will
be meeting with local schools, reporters, community organisations and
governmental authorities to share my message and raise awareness of my mantra,
nguon nuoc, nguon song. People talk about spring water, but I prefer to think
that from water, life springs.”

Tim Baxter, DHL-VNPT
Express general director, first heard of Rob’s journey when a newspaper carried
an early story, and saw a tremendous opportunity to lend a hand to a worthy
cause.

“It is an honour for
DHL Express to be involved in Rob’s voyage,” said Tim. “We have a global
commitment to Go Green, and Rob’s journey embodies this. We share his passion
for sustaining the natural beauty of Viet Nam, and for reducing polluting
waste.”

The company plans to
support Rob with a boat, some daily costs, and several volunteers who will
accompany him on the trip.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News