Notes: This is the English version of the law with more grammatical textures and a better-looking book cover translated and designed by Alph16, and some extra graphics. It's only available on Wattpad of Alph16. All other websites that reupload this version are thieves and don't have my permission. So if you care, please only read on Wattpad.

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CHAPTER VI

Protection of Marine, River, and Other Water Source Environments

SECTION 1

Protection of Marine Environment

Article 55 Principles for marine environmental protection

1. Environmental protection shall constitute a component of the marine economic development master plan designed to mitigate the adverse impact on the marine environment and to raise marine economic effectiveness.

2. Preventing and restricting waste discharged from land and offshore activities; taking the initiative and coordinating in response to marine environmental incidents.

3. Marine environmental protection must be based on the delimitation of functional zones for the protection and use of natural resources.

4. Marine environmental protection must be associated with integrated management of marine resources and the marine environment in service of sustainable development.

Article 56 Conservation and rational use of marine resources

1. Marine resources must be investigated and assessed in terms of their reserves, regeneration capability, and economic value to service marine environment management and protection.

2. Aquaculture, exploitation of marine resources, and other activities related to exploitation and use of marine resources must be carried out following approved natural resource use planning.

3. Activities within marine nature reserves, submerged forests, and natural marine heritage sites must comply with the rules set by management boards and with the law on the protection of the environment and other relevant laws.

4. It shall be strictly prohibited to use destructive measures, means, and apparatus in exploiting marine resources.

Article 57 Control and treatment of marine environmental pollution

1. Waste discharged from land, from manufacturing, business, and services establishments, and urban centers and residential areas located in coastal regions, on the sea, or islands must be surveyed, quantified, and assessed to have measures to prevent and limit adverse impact on the marine environment.

2. Waste and other contaminants from marine products, services, construction, transport, and exploitation activities must be controlled and treated to environmental standards.

3. Oil, gas, drilling fluids, chemicals, and other toxic substances used in marine resource exploration and exploitation must be collected and stored in specialized equipment and must be treated following regulations on hazardous waste management.

4. All forms of dumping waste in the waters of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall be strictly prohibited.

Article 58 Organization of prevention of and of response to marine environmental incidents

1. Organizations and individuals engaged in mining and owners of means of transportation of petrol, oil, chemicals, radioactive substances and other toxic substances on the sea must be prepared with plans, manpower, and equipment to ensure prevention of and response to environmental incidents.

2. National rescue forces and the marine police force must be trained and equipped with appropriate means and equipment to respond effectively to marine environmental incidents.

3. Owners of means of transportation and of warehouses on the sea which are likely to cause environmental incidents must inform the forces stipulated in clause 2 of this article and other related organizations and individuals to make plans to prevent and avoid environmental incidents.

4. Ministries, ministerial equivalent bodies, Government bodies, and provincial people's committees in coastal localities shall, within the scope of their respective functions, duties, and powers, detect, warn of and inform of promptly marine any natural disasters or environmental incidents and must organize responses and remedy consequences.

SECTION 2

Protection of River Water Environment 

Article 59 Principles for river water environmental protection

1. River water environmental protection shall constitute one of the fundamental contents of the planning of exploitation, use, and management of water resources in river basins.

2. River basin localities shall be jointly responsible for protecting the water environment in river basins and shall take the initiative in jointly exploiting benefits brought about by water resources in river basins and ensuring the interests of local people.

Article 60 Control and treatment of environmental pollution of water in river basins

1. River basin waste sources must be investigated, quantified, and assessed, and control and treatment measures must be applied before discharging any waste into rivers.

2. Waste from manufacturing, business, services, construction and transport activities, waste from mining of riverbed minerals, and garbage from households living on rivers must be controlled and treated to environmental standards before being discharged into rivers.

3. Development of new manufacturing, business, and services areas, urban centers, and concentrated residential areas in a river basin must be considered in the light of the interests of the whole river basin, taking into account water currents, hydrographical regimes, load capacity, and the self-cleaning ability of the river as well as the existing manufacturing, business, services, and urban development activities within the whole river basin.

4. Appraisal of environmental impact assessment reports of projects to develop new manufacturing, business, and service establishments, new urban centers and residential areas, or large scale manufacturing, business, and services establishments upstream of a river must include the opinion of provincial people's committees in the downstream provinces.

Article 61 Responsibilities of provincial people's committees for water environment protection in river basins

1. Provincial people's committees in river basin localities shall have the following responsibilities:

(a) To make public information on sources of waste discharged into rivers;

(b) To control sources of waste discharged into rivers and to deal with breaches of environmental standards;

(c) To coordinate with relevant bodies in identifying entities causing environmental damage and fixing compensation for entities suffering loss and damage in other localities within the river basin.

2. Provincial people's committees in upstream localities shall coordinate with people's committees in downstream localities to investigate and identify river water pollution sources and to apply remedies. If environmental damage is caused, provincial people's committees in localities where such damage occurs shall coordinate with relevant bodies in investigating and assessing the damage and in claiming compensation from the entities which caused such damage.

3. Provincial people's committees in localities where waste-discharging sources are located shall apply measures to require compulsorily entities that cause damage to remedy the damage and to pay compensation following the law.

Article 62 Organization of water environmental protection in river basins

1. Co-ordination of environmental protection activities for rivers flowing through several provinces and cities under central authority shall comply with regulations of the Prime Minister of the Government.

2. Provincial people's committees in river basin localities shall be responsible for taking measures to protect the river basin water environment.

3. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall guide the implementation of regulations of the Prime Minister of the Government on river basin water environmental protection. 

SECTION 3

Protection of Environment of Other Water Sources

Article 63 Protection of the environment of water sources in lakes, ponds, canals, and ditches

1. Water sources in lakes, ponds, canals, and ditches must be surveyed and assessed in terms of reserves and quality and must be protected and regulated.

2. Lakes, ponds, canals, and ditches in urban centers and residential areas must be planned, renovated, and protected; organizations and individuals must not trespass on water surfaces or build structures and houses over water surfaces or on the banks adjacent to water surfaces of the lakes, ponds, canals or ditches which have already been planned; and the filling up and leveling of lakes and ponds in urban centers and residential areas shall be limited as much as possible. Owners of projects which obstruct the flow of canals or ditches and of projects which fill up and level lakes, ponds, canals, or ditches must prepare environmental impact assessment reports following the law.

3. The discharge of soil, rock, sand, gravel, solid water or wastewater not yet treated to environmental standards and other types of waste into water sources of lakes, ponds, canals or ditches shall be strictly prohibited.

4. Provincial people's committees shall be responsible for surveying and assessing the reserves and quality of; and for planning protection and regulation of water in lakes, ponds, canals, and ditches; and for planning and carrying out the relocation of residential quarters, houses and works built over lakes, ponds, canals or ditches polluting the environment and obstructing the flow of water, degrading the wetland ecology and adversely affecting the urban landscape.

Article 64 Protection of the environment of reservoirs used for irrigation and hydropower purposes

1. Construction, management, and operation of reservoirs used for irrigation and hydropower purposes must be associated with the protection of the environment.

2. It shall be strictly prohibited to trespass on reservoirs or to dump untreated solid waste, soil, rock, and wastewater into reservoirs.

3. Water environment in reservoirs used for irrigation and hydropower purposes must be monitored periodically to predict changes in water quality and hydrographical regimes necessary to regulate water sources and protect the environment.

4. Bodies managing reservoirs used for irrigation and hydropower purposes must comply with the provisions of this Law and other relevant laws.

Article 65 Groundwater environment protection

1. Environmental protection in groundwater exploration and exploitation shall be regulated as follows:

(a) Projects for exploitation of groundwater with a capacity of ten thousand (10,000) cubic meters or more per day and night shall require environmental impact assessment reports;

(b) Only chemicals on permitted lists issued by competent State bodies may be used in groundwater exploration and exploitation;

(c) It shall be strictly prohibited to introduce into groundwater sources any toxic chemicals and waste, untested micro-organisms, and other agents harmful to humans and other living creatures;

(d) Measures must be taken to prevent groundwater source pollution via drilling wells for groundwater exploration and exploitation; groundwater-exploiting entities shall be responsible for rehabilitating the environment of explored and exploited areas; exploration and exploitation boreholes that are no longer used must be filled up following technical processes to avoid groundwater pollution.

2. Applicable to mineral mining projects and other projects using toxic chemicals or radioactive substances, measures must be taken to prevent leakage and dispersal of toxic chemicals and waste, radioactive waste, and infectious organisms into groundwater sources.

3. Chemical warehouses, treatment facilities, and hazardous waste burial areas must be constructed to ensure technical safety and the prevention of toxic chemicals from penetration into groundwater sources.

4. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall be responsible for directing the organization of periodical surveys and assessments and for monitoring groundwater reserves and quality.