Viet Nam has a huge shortage of human resources to
cope with pressing urbanisation and climate change issues, a national conference
was told yesterday, Dec 6.

Viet Nam has a huge shortage of human resources to cope with pressing urbanisation and climate change issues. Photo shows workers collecting and sorting rubbish in Ba Dinh District. (Photo: VNS)

The
conference, telecast live in Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City, agreed that the
natural resources and environment sector needed to recruit another 800-1000
people each year.

The
current figure, as provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment, is about 45,600 workers, including those working at State
corporations, industrial parks and localities.

The
report says there is an imbalance in human resource structure among different
sub-sectors. For example, those involved in land management account for 55 per
cent of the total number while those involved with water resources and
hydro-meteorology stay at a low 1 per cent.

Under
State management, the sector is a newly merged group of seven sub-sectors—land,
water resources, geology, environment, hydro-meteorology and climate change,
mapping and maritime.

The
ministry says these sub-sectors mostly deal with complex and sensitive issues
related directly to the rights of people and enterprises.

“While
human resources are needed to accomplish the sector’s strategies, they are not
sufficient to ensure their quality in the future,” said the Minister of Natural
Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen at the conference.

“There
are many shortcomings in training and using the sector’s human resources,” he
added.

According to the ministry’s report, most training institutions
focus on technology and techniques rather than
management’s understanding of specific sectors.

Some
topics have not been added into training programmes resulting in staff shortages
at Central and local levels. In addition, there are few cadres trained in
advanced science and technology.

The
reports also find that co-operation on education and training with other
countries remains spontaneous—the country does not yet have an effective way of
attracting more young applicants to natural resources and environment courses.

Speaking
at the conference, UNDP Country Director, Setsuko Yamazaki, suggested Viet Nam
turn the climate change challenges into an opportunity by opting for “green
growth” and investing in human resources.

“In
order to achieve green growth, the country requires a cross-sectoral and
cross-ministerial approach to the human resource development plan,” she said.

The 800
or so viewers at the telecast, including representatives of international
organisations and central bodies, agreed with five measures for human resource
development and training.

They
include focusing on training under a modern approach and international
integration. There would be policies to encourage students to learn about
hydro-meteorology, mapping and mineral geology.

More
investment will be poured into developing natural resources and environment
training institutions to have more laboratories and libraries. The country hopes
to build at least three universities with international standard, specialised
facilities by 2020.

The
conference’s discussions were expected to help the ministry finalise the draft
strategy on human resources development and training from now to 2020.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News