Livelihood and the Environment in Vietnam

This book reveals the interaction between the livelihood of people and the surrounding natural environment in rural and urban areas of Vietnam and discusses actions to be taken towards sustainable development, which provide some useful insights into several SDGs. After introducing the overview and environmental regulation of Vietnam, the book describes the impact of agriculture, fishery, and forestry activities on land and water in rural areas. The following chapters on the impact of urbanization on air, water, and material cycles in urban areas contribute to Goal 6 (Clean water and sanitation). The last chapter on environmental education, community development, and other useful information towards future development address Goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities). Most of the topics covered in the book are based on field research for the past 20 years by the researchers of the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University in Japan, and readers can recognize the reality of how people act on the environment in Vietnam, where rapid development may deteriorate the environment.

Shigeo Fujii is a professor emeritus of Kyoto University. He was born in 1955 in Nagoya, Japan. He received a bachelor of engineering in 1978, a master of engineering in 1980, and a Ph.D. degree in engineering (sanitary engineering) in 1990, all of them from Kyoto University. He started his professional career at Kyoto University as a research associate in 1980, and then gained work experience in the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand from 1991 to 1993 and Ritsumeikan University in Japan from 1993 to 1998. He came back to Kyoto University in 1998 and worked as a full professor at the Graduate School of Engineering from 2001 to 2007 and at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies from 2007 to 2021 in Kyoto University. After retiring in 2021, he still works as a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies. His current interests include water sanitation issues, water pollution analysis, and micro-pollutant contamination.

Shinya Funakawa is a professor of Kyoto University. He was born in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. He received a bachelor’s degree of agriculture in 1987, a master’s degree of agriculture in 1989, and a doctoral degree of agriculture in 1993 from Kyoto University. He started his professional career at Kyoto Prefectural University as a research associate in 1992 and then worked at the Graduate School of Agriculture in Kyoto University as an associate professor from 1998 to 2008. Since 2008, he has been working as a full professor at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies in Kyoto University. His current interests include soil science, agricultural ecology, and environmental agronomy.

Hirohide Kobayashi is a professor of Kyoto University. He was born in 1966 in Osaka, Japan. He received a bachelor’s degree of engineering (architecture) in 1990, a master’s degree of engineering (architecture) in 1992, and an advanced postgraduate certificate with scholarship from Manchester University (UK) in 1992. He worked at a private architectural office from 1993 to 2001 and started his academic career as a research associate from 2002 to 2006, an assistant professor from 2006 to 2009, an associate professor from 2009 to 2018, and a professor since 2018, in Kyoto University. During these periods, he received a doctoral degree of global environmental studies in 2007. His major research topics include environmental design and planning integrating local contexts, and research on human settlement integrating local contexts.

Izuru Saizen is a professor of Kyoto University. He was born in 1972 in Kagoshima, Japan. He received a bachelor’s degree of agriculture in 1996, a master’s degree of agriculture in 1998, and a doctoral degree of agriculture in 2001 from Kyoto University. He started his professional career at the National Institute of Environmental Studies as a supporting staff member for priority research in 2001 and then gained work experience in Kyoto University as an assistant professor from 2002 to 2010, followed by an associate professorship from 2010 to 2019. During these periods, he also worked as a visiting researcher in Michigan State University (USA) from 2006 to 2007, now currently working at Kyoto University as a full professor since 2019. His current interests include rural revitalization, regional resources management, and geographic information science.

Hidenori Harada is an associate professor at the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Japan. He received a doctoral and a master’s degree in global environmental studies and a bachelor’s degree in engineering (environmental engineering) from Kyoto University. He specializes in field-based research on water, sanitation, and hygiene for development. His research topics include septic tank and fecal sludge management, diarrhea risk assessment, greenhouse gas emission analysis from sanitation services, resources-oriented sanitation, and water and material flow analysis. He is currently appointed as a member of the strategic advisory group of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) and the UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS). He also serves on the ISO TC224 National Task Force Committee for Sewerage - WG7 (Emergency Management).

Hitoshi Shinjo is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies and the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan. He holds a doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees in agriculture from Kyoto University. He is specialized in soil science and land resource management. His research topics include soil conservation, sustainable land management in the tropics, interaction between the livelihood of local people, and natural resource utilization. He is currently a board member of the Japanese Society of Pedology and was the society’s secretary-general from 2012 to 2016.

Huynh Trung Hai is a professor of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam. He was born in 1965, in Vietnam. He received an engineer and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from Moscow State University of Fine Chemical Technologies, Russia. He is specialized in environmental chemistry and environmental management. His research topics include circular economy, waste recycling and environmental monitoring.

Hoang Hai is a senior lecturer of Faculty of Environment, Danang University of Technology, The University of Danang. He holds his doctoral, master’s degree in environmental policy from Ehime University, Japan. He is specialized in environmental management. His research topics include food safety, solid waste and wastewater management, environmental policy, environmental education towards sustainable development.

Tran Thanh Duc is an associate professor of University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University (HUAF). He was born in 1975 in Nghe An province, Vietnam. He received a bachelor’s degree of cultivation in 1998 and a master’s degree of agriculture in 2002 from HUAF, a master’s degree (diplôme d'études approfondies – DEA) of agriculture science and biology engineering in 2007 from Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium; and a doctoral degree of global environment studies in 2012 from Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University. His interests are agronomy, soil science, environment and rural development.

Tran Van Quang is an associate professor in Danang University of Science and Technology, the University of Danang. He was born in 1963, in Vietnam. He holds his engineer degree in Bratislava Technique University, Slovakia, master and PhD in water supply and environmental technology from National University of Civil Engineering, Vietnam in 2004. His research topics include water use and wastewater treatment process.

Le Van An is an associate professor in University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University. He was born in 1961, in Vietnam. He holds bachelor degree in animal production from Agricultural University No. 2 in Vietnam in 1983, master and PhD in agriculture from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in 2004. He is specialized in agriculture and community development. His research topics include animal nutrition and feeds, community development and natural resources management. He was formerly rector of Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. He is a honorary oversea professor for international educational cooperation of Okayama University, Japan since 2016.