Ministry of Health
National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health
Vietnam
27th Annual Conference
International Association for Impact Assessment
Build up a suitable model for health impact
assessment on current situation of Vietnam
Doan Ngoc Hai, MD., Ph.D
3-9 June 2007 - COEX Convention Center, Seoul, Korea
Introduction
Many new plans, projects and policies (called projects)
were promulgated each year in Vietnam.
The projects in some specific areas were assessed for
environmental impact including health impact
assessment (HIA).
Many projects gave negative impact to people’s health
due to:

Lack of the proper concern of the law maker

Lack of legal base

The ineffectiveness of HIA in EIA.

No suitable HIA model for current situation of Vietnam
Current situation of Vietnam
A part of HIA was carried out by medical worker in health
system (effect of environmental pollution to people’s
health)
The awareness on HIA in most of health worker are still
low.
In most of projects, economic matter not health matter is
priority.
The coordination between other sectors is ineffective
Many existent projects significant caused negative impacts
to people’s health.
The Son La Hydropower Project
The largest and most complex dam project ever built in
Vietnam.
The project will displace up to 91,000 ethnic minority
people, requiring the largest resettlement in Vietnam’s
history.
These people live mainly by the river and practice wet
rice cultivation.
EIA was assessed carefully by many organizations and
agencies
The Son La Hydropower Project
The largest and most complex dam project ever built in
Vietnam.
The project will displace up to 91,000 ethnic minority
people, requiring the largest resettlement in Vietnam’s
history.
These people live mainly by the river and practice wet
rice cultivation.
EIA was assessed carefully by many organizations and
agencies.
Two pilot resettlement sites were established. Initially
heralded by the Vietnamese government as model sites
that would dramatically improve the lives of the
resettled people.
The Son La Hydropower Project
Studies have shown the pilot project to be a failure.
Resettlers lack adequate sources of livelihood in the
new site and have difficulties maintaining cultural
practices that were integrally linked to their former
lands.
The change in farming practices has proven extremely
difficult for them to adjust to.
One village headman said "More than two years has
passed. The subsidy from the government is over, but
we still struggle with how to live. The tea and coffee
plants have not been successful, the cows died or were
returned to the project”
The Son La Hydropower Project
Resettlement policy has not paid sufficient attention to
the concerns of ethnic minorities with regards to natural
resource management of forests, agriculture and meadow
lands, including the provision of credit to maintain them.
The Resettlement Management Units did not coordinate
with consultants, district agencies, line agencies and
commune and village authorities in allocating residential
and farm land.
They did not joint develop plans for land use
management in resettlement sites.

Suitable model HIA for current situation of Vietnam
Proposal of HIA model
1. Screening: Screening quickly and systematically
establishes whether a particular project has an
impact on health and whether a HIA is appropriate
or necessary.
2. Getting the HIA team together : Input from a
team of people to provide different perspectives and
areas of expertise.
3. Scoping: Setting the boundaries of the HIA: the
geographical scope, the population groups whose
health is considered, and the timescale over which
to predict impacts. Establishes a steering group and
produces a work plan for the HIA.
Proposal of HIA model
4. Identifying impacts: Identifying possible
health consequences of the projects.
5. Assessing impacts: Assessing the identified
impacts, in order to inform recommendations to
improve the health consequences.
6. Making recommendations: Giving
recommendations to adjust the projects to
maximize positive and minimize negative health
impacts.
Proposal of HIA model
7. Evaluation and Monitoring :

Evaluating whether the HIA has influenced the
decision making process. Evaluation of the HIA
process is to answer why the HIA worked or not.

Monitoring the implementation of the projects is
critical to ensure that any recommendations that
decision-makers agreed to, actually occur.
Tentative Plan
1. Improve awareness for people about HIA (capacity
building), especially for leader of local authority, law
maker
2. Establishment of the complete model of HIA
3. Carry out Retrospective HIA, apply HIA on existent
projects to find out solutions for minimizing of
negative impact.
4. Carry out Concurrent HIA
5. Add more details for HIA in EIA regulations
6. Making as compulsory regulation to new projects
Thank for your attention!
Doan Ngoc Hai M.D., Ph.D
Ministry of Health of Vietnam
Secretary board
138A Giang Vo Str. Ba Dinh Distr. Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: +84-4-2732221 Fax: +84 - 4- 8464051
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]