Vietnam Environmental Incident Response Center – a member of Vietnam Association for Protection of Nature and Environment, was established under Decision No. 203 / QD- HTMg October 15, 2018, of Vietnam Association for the Protection of Nature and Environment, according to the Certificate of Science and Technology Registration No. A-1991 dated November 1, 2018, of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Vietnam Environmental Incident Response Center (referred to as “SOS Center”) has a team of experienced specialists in response to environmental incidents. Since October 2021, SOS Center has responded to 130 incidents in many localities and businesses with various sizes, conditions, and complexity; organized more than 360 training courses and drills in response to environmental incidents for central, local, and enterprise levels nationwide.
SOS Center has a network of oil spill response stations nationwide with specialized forces, vehicles, equipment, and materials available to ensure timely and effective response when incidents occur.
SOS Center manufactures equipment and materials dedicated to incident response, replacing up to 95% of imported products, ensuring adequate supply for SOS Center’s network of stations at localities, for the core response forces of units across the country, and strategic reserves. This is also the place for testing and evaluating new products from the research results of experts, scientists, and students by the SOS Center’s science and technology research fund.
SOS Center is a place that respectfully welcomes and gathers professors, experts who are enthusiastic about environmental technology, and at the same time, supports young students who are passionate about scientific research for generations to have can maximize knowledge and experience, wisdom and creativity for the cause of environmental protection in Vietnam.
Vietnam Environmental Incident Response Center is an organization with vastly allocated resources ready to respond when incidents occur on a national scale and promotes research and development activities. New technologies and products ensure proactive prevention, minimizing the risk of environmental incidents
1. Emergency response activities to environmental incidents
As of November 2021, SOS Center has directly involved in response and field command in 120 oil spills at localities nationwide such as Hanoi, Vĩnh Phúc, Ninh Bình, Thái Bình Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Trị, Bình Thuận, Đăk Lăk, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, Hà Nam, Yên Bái.
2. Training and skill training on environmental incident response
SOS Environment’s Training Center has organized 386 training courses on oil spill response for localities and enterprises in Vietnam with more than 13,000 students. In details:
- 14 courses coordinated with National Search and Rescue Committee and National Oil Spill Response Centers.
- 09 courses coordinated with General Department of Sea and Islands.
- 05 oil spill response drill at provincial level (with Quang Nam, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh People’s Committee).
- 67 courses with Departments of Natural Resources and Environment.
- 06 courses with Vietnam Environment Administration.
- 279 courses for units and enterprises nationwide.
- 06 courses with students majoring in environmental science, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Ba Ria – Vung Tau.
3. Consulting
3.1. Consulting plans for Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA)
- Developing an action plan with the incidents/emergency response and guidance on emergency response of PCB emission incidents (national projects on managing PCB of VEA, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment).
- Developing training materials and training plans for a number of authorized agencies in localities selected to perform response and prevention activities to environment incidents related to POPs, PCBs and other toxic chemicals.
3.2. Consulting plans at provincial level
- Consulting about Developing the oil spill incident response plan and sensitivity maps for Quang Tri, Quang Binh province.
- Implementing the Scheme of Developing the oil spill incident response plan and shoreline sensitivity maps for oil spill incident response in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh province.
- Planning the partition plan using integrated coastal of Ha Tinh province until 2020, orienting to 2030.
- Developing the provincial incident response plan for rig, oil and gas pipeline explosion in Thai Binh province.
3.3. Consulting plans at grass-roots level
SOS Environment consults to develop oil spill response plan, oil pollution control solutions and supplies equipment, facilities for emergency oil spill response and oil pollution treatment for more than 1000 enterprises/ organizations. Some typical projects:
- Developing oil spill response plans for 15 airports nationwide
- Developing an oil spill response plan for Samsung Electronics Vietnam Co., Ltd
- Developing an oil-chemical spill response for Thai Binh 1 Thermal Power Plant.
- Developing an oil spill response plan for 22 key areas of Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company.
Strategic partners
Domestic and foreign agencies, organizations and enterprises have trusted and cooperated with SOS Environment in environmental protection.
