Summary:

The increase in demand for natural resources of the continuously growing human population has caused environmental consequences. The development of industry to supply human needs has increased pressure on the environment, especially in developing countries, in which natural resources are rapidly exploited for industrial and economic development. As a result, the world is facing many environmental problems. In developing countries, such as in Southeast Asia, environmental problems are increasing. Pollution caused by chemicals, nutrients, plastic use, and other industrial emissions is a big concern (Leung et al. 2020). Fragmentation of natural habitat due to development of manufacturing and shelters for humans has resulted in biodiversity loss and altered ecosystem functioning and services. The rapid urbanization, especially in Southeast Asia, has resulted in changes in land use that directly affects water resources and ecosystems. Surface water and ground water in some Asian countries have been contaminated with both organic and inorganic substances. In big cities and industrial areas, the air is polluted with chemicals emitted from industrial facilities. This directly affects public health. Global warming and climate change have affected coastal environments in most Southeast Asian countries. Many areas in the Mekong Delta are contaminated with sea salt due to seawater intrusion because of seawater rise and reduced water and sediment flows due to hydropower dams in the upper stream. This heavily affects rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta.

To resolve environmental problems, increasing public awareness and the effectiveness of environmental management are vitally important, especially in developing countries in need of improved and enhanced environmental management. As environmental problems, especially in some Asian countries, continue to increase, the need for global education and proper management of natural resources becomes imperative.

This meeting is proposed to be the fourth of a decade-spanning series of meetings on environmental pollution, restoration, and management in Vietnam. The previous conferences were highly successful with the encouragement and attendance of more than 200 scientists and managers from academia, industry, and governmental institutions attending each and representation from over 40 different countries. There were more than 150 presentations at each conference that covered different areas of environmental science, including general environmental pollution, toxicology, public health, risk assessment, remediation, technology, management and policy, environmental economics. The conferences have initiated collaborations for research and education between scientists around the world. Many small, focused training workshops have been organized after the conferences to further exchange experiences and knowledge with scientists and managers in Vietnam to support environmental management and regulation in Vietnam.

The goals of this 4th conference are to gather scientists from around the world in Quy Nhon to share research results and management experiences, discuss environmental issues, and continue to strengthen collaborations for research and education between scientists in developed and developing countries. We expect to meet and discuss with environmental managers of Vietnam at the meeting to develop collaborations to support management and sustainable development in Vietnam.