September 30, 2023

What did you learn about the technical skill of conducting research, developing a system map, developing a theory of change, and developing a social impact finance deal (whichever is relevant to the phase) at this phase of the project?

Write a 1000-word reflection about your learning in this phase of the project that addresses the following questions:

What did you learn about your ability to work in a team? Which teamwork skills do you still need to develop?

What did you learn from providing feedback to your peers that you are going to incorporate into your own work?

Requirements: A thousand words

What Was Learned About Ability to Work in a Team

The project focuses on teamwork to address complex issues in the textile industry. Collaborating in a research project is instrumental in enhancing comprehensive research, having diverse perspectives, and developing holistic solutions.

In this project, communication is one of the teamwork skills that I refined most. Communication needs to be adequate to align project goals and share ideas. Besides, communicating effectively ensures no one is left behind. The communication provided a smooth flow of information and avoided misunderstandings. During the project, we used both verbal and written communication. As a result, this helped in maintaining consistent constant throughout.

I also learned a lot about time management during the project. The project had a deadline and thus required coordination of tasks from the members. The planning needed to be done carefully and should adhere to the schedules. In this case, I learned the importance of setting priorities and timelines. As such, this ensured the progress of the project was smooth. We had to utilize project management tools to track the progress, assign tasks, and meet milestones effectively.

Despite doing well in some teamwork skills, there are those that I need to improve. For instance, I need to develop some skills in conflict resolution. Conflicts arise when people work together due to differences in perspectives and opinions. Therefore, learning conflict resolution skills would be necessary. The craft would be required for maintaining a productive and positive team environment.

In addition, I need to improve my leadership skills within a team setting. As such, I can guide the team toward achieving a common goal. More so, this would call for making critical decisions and motivating team members toward the project’s success. The best way to accomplish this is through training or mentorship programs.

What Was Learned From Providing Peer Feedback

Providing feedback to my peers is an essential process as I could see areas they need to improve and those that I need to improve. I have gained valuable lessons that I aim to incorporate into my work. First, I learned that providing constructive feedback is crucial in learning. The feedback should be respectful and aimed at improvement instead of criticism. If the input is approached this way, it motivates the learner and creates a positive team atmosphere. I also noted that providing specific comments is necessary rather than giving general feedback. In this case, one needs to pinpoint the areas that one needs to improve. Besides, one may illustrate the feedback with examples. Last but not least, promptly providing feedback helps the team make the necessary adjustments. As such, I strive to offer my peers constructive, timely, and specific feedback. In addition, I will have an open attitude, thus ensuring balanced perspectives when doing evaluations.

What Was Learned About Ability to Work in a Team

What Was Learned From Providing Peer Feedback

Water Pollution in Vietnam

In the late 19th century, it was when the Industrial Revolution and water pollution happened. Water pollution has been a huge topic for a long time, and people have come up with various amount of ideas to improve the problem. Vietnam, a Southeast Asia country, and its rural cities are suffering from a water shortage and access to clean water. From our research, the three main reasons that are causing rural areas in Vietnam water shortage are lack of regulations from the government, industrial waste, and weather conditions. The water shortage in rural Vietnam is under severe conditions.

First of all, Vietnam is surrounded by lakes and ocean but it has limited water resources that is usable or drinkable. According to the Coalition for Clean Water and the Centre for Environment and Community Research (CECR), 70 percent of industrial waste was released into the environment without proper waste disposal. The inappropriate method of handling industrial waste is not the only factor that caused the water crisis in Vietnam. According to The World Bank, even though 60 percent of households dispose of their waste through the public sewerage system, only 10 percent of the waste goes through proper treatment (The World Bank, 2023). Moreover, 90 percent of families dispose of domestic waste through septic tanks, but there are only 4 percent of the waste is treated. These are some of the major issues that the Vietnamese government has to take action on. To have more regulations on wastewater, also to upgrade its wastewater system.

Secondly, Vietnam is now one of the fastest-growing economic countries in Asia. While there are more factories built in the country, the wastewater rate is increasing fast. According to the International Trade Administration, “Every day, there are seven million tons of industrial solid waste are released into the environment” (International Trade Administration, 2022). There is a massive amount of industrial waste released daily. Another factor that is making the situation worse is that there are 458 dump sites, and only 121 sites meet sanitation standards (International Trade Administration, 2022). Following the government’s rules on wastewater and raising citizens’ awareness of water pollution could be the first step to improving the problem. Although there are more regulations and non-profit organizations working on the environmental issue, they still have a long way to go.

The climate condition in Vietnam is fanning the flame of the issue. There are long drought seasons in the country. The combination of the huge scale of polluted water and drought is making citizens struggle. There are more than 13 million people who do not have adequate access to clean water to support their daily life. This includes 2.5 million residents in rural areas, where the most agricultural fields are located. Furthermore, every year, around 80 percent of the diseases in the country, such as typhoid, dysentery, and cholera are caused by polluted water (Sasha Kong, 2022). Vietnam officials are building more irrigation systems and enhancing disaster preparedness measures. For example, there has been significant improvement in the early warning system also emergency relief efforts. Doing these has reduced the challenges that rural citizens face in severe weather conditions (Pham et al., 2022).

Lack of official regulations, fast-growing economy, and climate challenges are factors that contributed to water pollution in Vietnam. The water crisis in Vietnam does not only affect access to clean water and citizen’s daily life but also the health and economy of the country. The water crisis can be seen as one of the factors that will lead to a more serious issue in the future.

We, as human beings, should start focusing on environmental issues before there is an irreparable problem occur.

There is inadequate government regulation, and hence, the reason there is significant water pollution in Vietnam. It is also noteworthy that a legislative framework is lacking. These two factors have made it possible for industrialists to engage in unethical practices, which result in the contamination of the nation’s water resources. Nonetheless, the government is now in the process of implementing legislative and policy changes, which will help in addressing the problem in an effective manner (Tzanakakis et al., 2020).

In 2014, for instance, Vietnam enacted the Law on Environmental Protection. This law serves as a guideline for protecting and managing the country’s water resources. The emphasis is on the need to prevent (or at least control) water pollution. In order to reinforce that effort, the government issued Decree 18/2015/ND-CP on February 14, 2015. The decree provides more specific regulations which aid in the management of water quality. Industries that fail to adhere to those regulations are penalized through fines or even via the prosecution of their managers (Briesen & Das, 2023).

More government efforts towards guaranteeing water quality are being undertaken at the provincial level. Indeed, provincial administrations are implementing regulations and policies that are tailored to address the specific interests of the citizens at the local level. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the provincial initiatives are closely aligned with the Law on Environmental Protection and the Decree 18/2015/ND-CP. In essence, the provinces have no authority to relax the measures being taken by the national government (Tran et al., 2023).

In Vietnam, industrial plants and factories are located in rural areas in a bid to generate employment. Unfortunately, the disposal practices of these industries are a significant contributor to the pollution of water resources. In order to curb this challenge, the government has instituted pollution control programs. The authorities have also launched a framework for ensuring that the firms are complying with regulations (Tzanakakis et al., 2020).

The government has noted that such climatic conditions as floods and droughts tend to escalate the problems of water quantity and quality in Vietnam. As a result, it has developed a number of climatic adaptation plans which are geared towards coping with water scarcity as well as pollution. The authorities are also enhancing disaster preparedness measures. For instance, there has been significant improvement in the early warning systems as well as emergency relief efforts. These steps have reduced the challenges that the rural population faces in case of adverse weather conditions (Pham et al., 2022).

The government has employed various measures in order to incentivize ethical environmental practices. Through such services as educational initiatives and outreach programs, the government is hoping to create the kind of awareness that will ultimately promote responsible use of water. Business organizations are being offered tax incentives in order to encourage them to embrace clean and sustainable practices. In conjunction with donors and various international organizations, the government is also offering grants for projects that are aimed at providing enough clean water to the citizens living in rural areas (Briesen & Das, 2023).

Impact of the for-profit sector

The for-profit sector has impacted Vietnam tremendously regarding its water sanitation, for better and for worse. On the one hand, industrial and agricultural activities often release untreated wastewater into rivers, lakes, and other water bodies, contaminating the water supply and harming human health and the environment. On the other hand, some for-profit companies are developing innovative solutions to help reduce water pollution.

The for-profit sector of Vietnam is primarily responsible for causing water pollution because of their emissions that are not treated. This lack of responsibility is a significant contributor to water pollution in Vietnam. Many pollutants can contaminate drinking water supplies and cause various health problems, including cancer, birth defects, and digestive problems. According to the World Bank, “Around 2/3 of industrial wastewater from industrial zones is treated, while only 9.4% of industrial clusters have centralized wastewater treatment facilities” (2019). This shows that the industries in Vietnam are emitting their unfiltered and untreated wastes directly into the water system, which has immensely impacted the water pollution problem of the country. The lack of involvement of the for-profit sector is not helping Vietnam’s water pollution problem, and there are several reasons behind such lack of involvement.

Organizations in the for-profit sector hesitate to invest in controlling and mitigating water pollution for various reasons. “Firms are reluctant to invest in water pollution control because of the uncertain regulatory environment, limited enforcement of regulations, high costs, lack of knowledge of WWT technologies available, and lack of experience in cleaner production processes” (Sawdon et al., 2011). The uncertain regulatory environment makes it difficult for firms to plan for future investments in water pollution control. If firms are unsure what the regulations are or how they will be enforced, they may be reluctant to invest in expensive new technologies. Limited enforcement of regulations can also discourage firms from investing in water pollution control. Even if regulations are in place, firms may hesitate to invest if they believe they will not be enforced effectively. The high cost of water pollution control technologies is another barrier to investment. Firms may also lack the knowledge or experience to implement effective water pollution control measures. Some firms may not be aware of the different wastewater treatment technologies available or know how to choose the right technology for their needs. Additionally, some firms may not have the experience to implement cleaner production processes to reduce the pollution generated in the first place.

Despite the barriers preventing for-profit organizations from investing in water management, many organizations that work for profit are helping Vietnam fight its water pollution. For example, “The Ocean Cleanup recently launched its Interceptor™ Original trash collection system for testing in the Can Tho River in Vietnam as part of a global partnership with The Coca‑Cola Company” (The Coca-Cola Company, 2022). This system is powered by solar energy and is designed to collect and mitigate plastic pollutants from rivers so that the waste does not reach the ocean. This step by Coca-Cola will positively impact the water pollution problem in Vietnam. Another example is Hanwha, a South Korean company that donated “solar-powered boats for the Clean Up Mekong campaign to remove waste from the Mekong River” (Hanwha Group, 2019). These boats are used to collect and remove waste from the river, helping to improve water quality and protect the environment. The efforts of for-profit organizations play an essential role in the fight against water pollution in Vietnam. By working with government agencies and local communities, these organizations can significantly improve water quality and protect the environment.

Impact of the not-for-profit sector

Although the non-profit sector in Vietnam has a better effect on water contamination than the for-profit sector, there are still drawbacks. The issue of water contamination in Vietnam has been considerably helped by international organizations and international humanitarian groups. However, internal non-profit organizations in Vietnam fall short of accomplishing their goals and delivering notable outcomes.

International organizations such as USAID and Gravity Water have been working to fight the water pollution problem in Vietnam. USAID is involved with Vietnam to solve its water pollution problem through Collective Action for Water Conservation. “Collective Action for Water Conservation forms a community of concerned stakeholders and supports them to raise public awareness, collect data, and advocate for better local water conservation practices to reduce water pollution. [2020-2023, $1,500,000]” (USAID, 2023). USAID’s Collective Action for Water Conservation program is helping to raise public awareness about water pollution and promote sustainable water conservation practices. This is important because it helps reduce the pollution that enters water bodies in the first place.

Gravity Water has also been participating in attempts to minimize the water pollution problems in Vietnam. The international non-profit organization has worked in the country for six years. Along with 10 million liters of ground and surface water conserved and $454000 saved in drinking water costs by schools, “since 2017, Gravity Water has worked with over 60 schools and communities in Vietnam, providing a daily source of safe drinking water to over 31,000 Vietnamese children and community members” (Gravity Water, 2022). This contribution by Gravity Water helps to reduce the need for people to collect water from unsafe sources, which can be contaminated with pollutants.

Statistical evidence also shows that national and international not-for-profit organizations are working to remedy the water pollution problem in Vietnam. Evidence: The influence and impact of community organizations are immense in Vietnam regarding water pollution problem as “In 2022, the level of participation by users/communities in planning programs in rural drinking-water supply (where 3 = High; 2 = Moderate; 1 = Low; and 0 = NA) stood at 3.0 points” (SDG Indicators Database, 2023). This statistic shows that community organizations are doing an excellent job in mitigating the water pollution problem in the country. Furthermore, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, in terms of foreign direct investment projects licensed by kinds of economic activity concerning water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities, there were 83 total projects with a total registered capital of $3,042.47 million (2023). This level of investment and the high number of projects show that international organizations are also committed to helping Vietnam solve its water pollution problem. These statistics suggest that the efforts of national and international organizations are making a difference in addressing Vietnam’s water pollution problem.

Although international not-for-profit organizations are helping a lot in positively impacting the water pollution problem of Vietnam, the country’s internal organizations are not doing the same. River Basin Organizations (RBOs) were established in Vietnam as not-for-profit organizations to help solve the water pollution problem in the country. However, “although RBOs have been established in a number of large river basins, the role of local governments in these organizations and the financing mechanisms are unclear, so River Basin Management Boards (MBMs) have not operated effectively” (Pham et al., 2023). This statement shows that the internal not-for-profit organization is not helping solve the water pollution crisis. Such organizations should be run with a better vision as well as a better execution.

There is a mutual opposition between profit and non-profit organizations, but the non-profit organizations that collaborate and solve problems between the government and non-profit organizations are mainly responsible for producing water pollution. These organizations only consider their own interests, care about individual development interests, and ignore the living environment. The development of Vietnam’s economy has been rapidly developed through these non-profit organizations, but at the same time, the environment has also deteriorated increasingly due to economic development. Although the government and non-profit organizations work together to solve problems, the role and financing mechanism of local governments in the organization are unclear. Therefore, although the government plays a certain role, it is not significant. Gravity Water Company has had a positive impact on solving water pollution. We saved 10 million liters of groundwater and surface water, and schools also saved $454000 in drinking water costs. Over 31000 Vietnamese children and community members provided daily safe drinking water sources. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of Vietnam, this non-profit organization invested 304.247 million US dollars (in 2023), which is enough to prove that the organization has spent a lot of time and money on addressing water pollution issues.

Both for-profit and non-for-profit organizations are working hard to solve the problem. When we are looking at the impact on the system as a whole, for-profit organizations bring more impact to the system. Although there are international not-for-profit organizations helping Vietnam with the crisis, they have limited resources. In the previous paragraph, we have discussed how for-profit organizations hesitate to invest in improving water quality due to limited regulation, lack of knowledge, and more uncertainties. Some of these barriers shared a similarity, that is they could be solved by the government. If the government started to treat this issue as an urgency, potentially, more for-profit organizations might be willing to invest in the program.

The problem will remain if the government does not take any action before other organizations. The first step can be building a reputation for improving water pollution programs, making relative regulations, and showing evidence of the improvement. By doing these, more for-profit organizations will be willing to invest to solve the crisis. This will greatly help improve the issue because for-profit organizations have better financial resources compared to not-for-profit organizations. As previously stated, controlling and mitigating water pollution is a high-cost operation. When there is more relative information, more companies will participate.

Last, more local or international businesses invested in improving water pollution, and other corporations might be willing to help. Take the Coca-Cola Company as an example, the company decided to implement a trash collection system in the Can Tho River created a positive impact on the issue. This is because Coca-Cola is one of the most competitive corporations in the world, and its actions could have a huge impact on society. The trash collection system raised the awareness of water pollution, moreover, more people could have a chance to learn about the water crisis in Vietnam. For-profit organizations could bring more impact on the system as a whole through their financial support and brand influence.

References

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Briesen, D., & Das, S. P. (2023). Media, Politics and Environment Analyzing Experiences From Europe and Asia. Springer International Publishing.

Kong, S. (2022). Vietnam’s water crisis threatens Food Security. FairPlanet. https://www.fairplanet.org/story/vietnams-water-crisis-threatens-food-security/#:~:text=Over%2013%20million%20Vietnamese%20do,dysentery%20and%20malaria%20each%20year.

Pham, H. T., Ngô, V. T., Pham, T. T., Bùi, T. T., & Thị, L.G. N. (2022). The Role of Mangroves in Supporting Ports and the Shipping Industry to Reduce Emissions and Water Pollution. CIFOR.

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Tran, D. A., Thu, H. L. T., Viet, N. N., Vo, P. L., & Pham, T. L. (2023). Advances in Research on Water Resources and Environmental Systems Selected Papers of the 2nd International Conference on Geo-Spatial Technologies and Earth Resources 2022· Volume 2. Springer International Publishing.

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What did you learn about the technical skill of conducting research, developing a system map, developing a theory of change, and developing a social impact finance deal (whichever is relevant to the phase) at this phase of the project?

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