The provincial sustainable development index (PSDI 2021) report, which was announced at a workshop on December 21 in Hanoi, reflects clearly efforts of Vietnamese localities in implementing sustainable development goals in the context of difficulties and geopolitical conflicts in the world.

The workshop was organised by the Academy of Policy and Development (APD) of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

Under the index, the northern provinces of Hung Yen and Ha Nam, and the southern province of Binh Duong were among 13 localities that performed well sustainable development goals (SDGs) with big leaps from 2020.

The provincial sustainable development index (PSDI 2021) report.

Da Nang continued to be the leading locality in the country with 65.28 points, followed by Hai Phong (64.09 points), Quang Ninh (63.10 points), Hanoi (62.46 points) and Hung Yen (62.43 points).

The average point for all localities across the country in 2021 reached 51.38, showing that localities need to be more active in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the country’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

During the workshop, experts and researchers discussed international commitments on sustainable development, sustainable development goals and those that have been developed to meet Vietnam's conditions. They also gave assessments the implementation of these goals at the national and local levels.

The 17 global SDGs have been nationalised by Vietnam in the national action plan to implement the 2030 Agenda for SDGs (SDG NAP) with 115 specific goals to match conditions and development priorities of the country.

Basically, general guiding policies to concretise the implementation of SDGs have been issued synchronously and fully, significantly contributing to implementing SDGs in Vietnam.

However, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Trong Nguyen, Director of APD, said the assessment of sustainable development level in Vietnam has only focused on the country as a whole, not at the provincial and municipal levels, and the integration of SDGs into national and local socio-economic development planning schemes and plans still faces many difficulties.

According to Dr. Le Viet Anh, Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment of the MPI, the multidimensional poverty rate in Vietnam dropped sharply to 3.36% in 2022 from 9.2% in 2016.

Vietnam has worked hard to ensure food security with no one going hungry, maintain export growth of agro-forestry-fishery products, contributing to increasing income for agricultural labourers, promoting agriculture in a more sustainable way, he said./.