Decision No. 1618/QD-TTg dated October 24, 2017 approving the project for development of the environmental and natural resource monitoring database

DECISION

APPROVING THE PROJECT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE MONITORING DATABASE

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Government Organization dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 63/NQ-CP dated July 22, 2016 on issuance of the Government’s Action Program for implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution on the 5-year Socio-economic Development Plan during the period from 2016 to 2020;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 73/2017/ND-CP dated June 14, 2017 on collection, management, exploitation and usage of environmental and natural resources data and information;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Decision No. 90/QD-TTg dated January 12, 2016 on approval of the Planning for environmental and natural resource monitoring network in the period from 2016 to 2025 with vision towards 2030;

At the request of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment,

HEREBY DECIDES

Article 1. Approve the project for development of the environmental and natural resource monitoring database (hereinafter referred to as Project) with the following main points:

I. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives

Set up the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database as a component of the national environmental and natural resource database system on the basis of the planning for the national environmental and natural resource monitoring network during the period from 2016 to 2025 with vision towards 2030. Apply modern technology solutions so as to collect and consistently manage, meet requirements concerning release, provision, usage and sharing of, environmental and natural resource information with a view to achieving targets for policy planning, socio-economic development, natural disaster prevention and control, response to climate change and maintenance of national security and defence.

2. Specific objectives

a) Collect a full amount of data and integrate them into a consistent national environmental and natural resource database developed based on application of technological solutions and information technology infrastructure that are modern, advanced, ensure information security and safety.

b) Build the comprehensive regulatory framework and engineering regulations that enable collection, publication, sharing, provision, exploitation and usage of environmental and natural resource data and information in an easy, timely and accurate manner.

c) Provide favorable conditions for timely and effective usage of data and information available in the environmental and natural resource monitoring network and other monitoring systems of ministries, sectoral administrations, local authorities, organizations or enterprises.

d) Develop human resources to meet the needs for accomplishment of duties to set up, manage, maintain and operate systems in an effective and sustainable manner.

II. PROJECT SCOPE

The Project covers environmental and natural resource monitoring data of entities affiliated to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, ministries, sectoral administrations, local authorities, organizations or enterprises providing environmental and natural resource monitoring services, including:

1. Data available from stationary monitoring stations;

2. Data collected from periodical monitoring operations;

3. Monitoring data compiled from outside the territory of Vietnam in compliance with international agreements and treaties;

4. Monitoring data gained from irregular operations that will be sorted and integrated with appropriate monitoring results.

III. PROJECT EXECUTION SCHEDULE

The Project shall be implemented during the period of 6 years from 2017 to 2022 and divided into two phases as follows:

1. During the 1st phase (2017 – 2020), the following works shall be carried out:

a) Build the comprehensive regulatory framework and engineering regulations that govern collection, construction, management, publication, sharing, provision and use of environmental and natural resource data and information;

b) Put investment in equipment, hardware, software and establishment of the data integration and processing center; build connections with data centers under the regulatory authority of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; promote links with ministries, sectoral administrations and local authorities;

c) Collect and receive environmental and natural resource data, and build the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database (comprising historical monitoring data and other relevant data gained from basic investigations) by using monitoring data entities affiliated to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, ministries, sectoral administrations, local authorities, organizations or enterprises providing environmental and natural resource monitoring services;

d) Establish specialized data integration, analysis and processing systems intended for provision, exploitation and use of monitoring data that meet the needs of state agencies, population and business communities;

dd) Publish, provide, share environmental and natural resource monitoring data and information and make them accessible to persons needing such data and information in accordance with applicable regulations.

In the 1st phase, prioritize environmental, marine and island monitoring tasks which are detailed as prioritized tasks in the Appendix II hereto attached.

2. During the 2nd phase (2020 – 2022), the following works shall be carried out:

a) Build complete information technology infrastructure to meet actual demands;

b) Build complete connections with all of the databases of ministries, sectoral administrations, local authorities, and environmental and natural resource monitoring stations;

c) Continue to collect environmental and natural resource monitoring data and integrate them into database systems, and include all of persons carrying out environmental and natural resource monitoring activities;

d) Build a complete database in conjunction with processing and analyzing monitoring data to ensure publication, provision, sharing and exploitation of environmental and natural resource monitoring data and information;

dd) Maintain, operate, update and upgrade the national environmental and natural resource database that meets specified objectives.

IV. DUTIES AND SOLUTIONS

1. Duties

a) Building the comprehensive regulatory framework and engineering regulations that govern collection, integration, construction, management, operation, exploitation and use of the environmental and natural resource monitoring database.

b) Making investment in facilities, equipment and information technology infrastructure.

- Develop, upgrade and modernize the environmental and natural resource monitoring data integration and processing center from data centers controlled by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, make most use of existing information technology infrastructure systems, ensure cost efficiency and reduction in state budget expenses for investment.

- Enhance information connection, integration and exchange between the environmental and natural resource monitoring data integration and processing center and state management sectors of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and ministries, sectoral administrations and local authorities.

- Build software systems intended for collection, update, standardization, integration, management, analysis, exploitation and sharing of environmental and natural resource monitoring data.

- Develop data control, measurement, connection and integration instruments.

- Set up the system for information security and data safety.

c) Developing the database

- Collect, compile, standardize and update data and information from environmental and natural resource monitoring stations, and those that are managed by ministries, sectoral administrations, enterprises and organizations.

- Integrate, transfer and complete the national environmental and natural resource database by making the best of all data sources.

- Assist in integration, analysis and processing of monitoring data and information to meet work-related demands and support the decision-making process.

- Publish, provide, share and enable persons prescribed by laws to have access to environmental and natural resource monitoring information.

d) Provide training and competency enhancement training

Train and improve competency of personnel to meet requirements concerning design, construction, management, maintenance and operation of the environmental and natural resource monitoring database.

dd) Promoting public communication activities

Organize communications programs to raise public awareness of roles, benefits and methods of use of environmental and natural resource monitoring data and information.

The list of tasks and subprojects necessary for implementation of the project shall be given in the Appendix I hereto attached.

2. Significant measures

a) Measure related to the regulatory framework

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take charge of writing, amending, supplementing and finalizing legislative documents, regulatory framework and engineering regulations on collection, publication, sharing, exploitation and usage of environmental and natural resource monitoring data and information. Organizations, enterprises and individuals contributing data and information to the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database shall be given incentive, preference and support policies.

b) Resource-related measures

- Project funding sources

+ Funding source:

The project shall be funded from the central budget, local budget and other legitimate finances;

Ministries, Ministry-level agencies and People’s Committees of centrally-affiliated cities and provinces shall be responsible for providing annual state budget allocations for implementation of project works in accordance with laws.

+ Funding structure:

The central budget’s allocations for development of specific public investment programs during the period 2016 – 2020 and subsequent years;

The central budget’s allocations managed by ministries, Ministry-level agencies and Governmental bodies;

The local budget’s allocations for implementation of projects and tasks presided over by relevant local entities.

- Project workforce:

+ Ministries, Ministry-level agencies, Governmental bodies and People’s Committees of centrally-affiliated cities and provinces shall establish mechanisms and hire personnel for implementation of the project;

+ Provide training and competency enhancement training so that all staff members are capable of performing such tasks as construction, management, maintenance and operation of the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database.

c) Measure related to science, technologies and international cooperation promotion

- Apply new technologies, such as Bigdata, IoT connectivity, cloud computing and machine learning, etc., and develop data mining applications used for information management, analysis and mining purposes.

- Conform to specialized requirements and keep up with tendencies to technological development and diversification of approachability in order to provide and effectively exploit environmental and natural resource monitoring data.

- Conduct research on technologies for management and mining of environmental and natural resource monitoring data and information and transfer them to ministries, sectoral administrations, local authorities and business communities with a view to ensuring easy, stable and efficient operation and consistency with developmental conditions.

- Apply and implement managerial and engineering measures in conformity with technical standards and regulations for information safety and data security to prevent and control risks and handle any failure occurring during the process of transmission and receipt of data, information, design, construction, management, operation and use of the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database.

- Enhance international cooperation in order to innovate technologies, research and apply modern and advanced technologies, models and approaches, and provide effective financial and technical support.

d) Propagation and awareness-raising measure

- Regularly and widely disseminate and propagate information about roles and benefits of environmental and natural resource monitoring data and information through mass media.

- Increase roles and responsibilities of grassroots-level governments, social unions and civilians with respect to use and supervision of environmental and natural resource monitoring information.

- Provide environment and natural resource officers, unions, social and politic organizations and communities with training and drilling courses on improvement of competency, knowledge and awareness in the environmental and natural resource monitoring field.

V. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Ministries, Ministry-level agencies and Governmental bodies (engaging in environmental and natural resource monitoring activities), People’s Committees of centrally-affiliated cities and provinces shall assume the following responsibilities:

a) Propose and approve tasks and subprojects necessary for implementation of the project according to the Appendix I hereto attached. Annually, prepare a consolidated report and make the approval decision on allocation of funds in accordance with applicable laws;

b) Establish the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database, provide environmental and natural resource monitoring data and information within their jurisdiction, connect and transfer them to the database;

c) Prepare an annual review report on implementation of the project for submission to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for the purpose of reporting to the Prime Minister.

2. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall assume the following responsibilities:

a) Preside over or cooperate with ministries, sectoral administrations, People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-governed cities in undertaking the project;

b) Provide necessary instructions, carry out inspection or supervision and prepare a final performance report; organize preliminary and final review of implementation of the project; prepare an annual review report on implementation of the project by ministries, sectoral administrations and local authorities for submission to the Prime Minister; suggest any modification or supplementation of the project, where necessary, to the Prime Minister;

c) Preside over and cooperate with relevant ministries and sectoral administration in putting forward the proposal for ratification of legislative documents, economic and technical regulations within the project scope; encourage organizations, individuals, enterprises and entities engaged in environmental and natural resource monitoring activities to take part in contribution and integration of data and information to the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database;

d) Include detailed contents of the project in the Ministry's annual and midterm programs and plans for application of information technologies.

3. The Ministry of National Defense (the Government’s Cryptography Agency) shall take responsibility for cooperating with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in implementation of engineering measures to ensure information safety and data security during the process of transfer and input of state secret data and information to the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database.

4. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall take responsibility for cooperating with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, other relevant ministries, sectoral administrations and local authorities in providing guidance, expediting and examining connection, transfer and ensuring information safety and data security for the national environmental and natural resource monitoring database.

5. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall be responsible for distributing state budget allocations and other funds for implementation of the project under the provisions of the Law on Public Investment, the Law of State Budget and other guides now in force.

Article 2. This decision shall enter into force from the signature date.

Article 3. Ministers, Heads of Ministry-level agencies, Heads of Governmental bodies, Chairpersons of People’s Committees of centrally-affiliated cities and provinces, and other organizations and individuals involved, shall be responsible for implementing this Decision./.

APPENDIX I

THE CHART OF SUBPROJECTS AND TASKS TO BE CARRIED OUT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE MONITORING DATABASE
(Issued together with the Decision No. 1618/QD-TTg dated October 24, 2017 of the Prime Minister)

APPENDIX II

PRIORITIZED TASKS IN THE 1ST STAGE OF THE PROJECT
(Issued together with the Decision No. 1618/QD-TTg dated October 24, 2017 of the Prime Minister)

1. Review, supplement and finalize documents prescribing and providing guidance on environmental, marine and island monitoring activities:

a) Create and manage monitoring data and information;

b) Establish the reporting regime, integrate monitoring data, figures and information;

c) Exploit and disseminate information, share, exchange, process and analyse monitoring data, figures and information.

2. Set out and adopt regulations on standards and codes for construction, management and exploitation of the national environmental, marine and island monitoring database.

3. Control measurement and connect monitoring data obtained from automatic and continuous monitoring stations.

4. Build tools for direct connection and integration of data from monitoring equipment into the database system with the following activities: Researching connection standards, data characteristics and protocols for data integration of monitoring equipment.

5. Build tools for direct connection and integration of data from laboratory devices into the database system with the following activities: Researching connection standards, data characteristics and protocols for data integration of laboratory devices; build tools and models for forecast of environmental quality.

6. Build tools and models for processing, computation and forecast of data based on natural resource, marine and island environment monitoring data and information.