Study on situation to overcome the consequences of toxic chemicals to humans in Cam Lo District, Quang Tri province

INTRODUCTION 1. Necessity of the study In the Vietnam War, especially in the phase 1965-1971, the American empire used many kinds of weed killer to destroy tree leaves to undermine our military affairs and economy. Three main kinds of chemicals that were used in Vietnam by the American army were agent oranges, white toxic chemical to destroy forests, and green toxic chemical to destroy crops. The agent orange contains dioxin, a very strong toxic chemical and difficult to disintegrate. Thus, they have been kept in the environment for a very long time. After many times of accumulation, the soil and water is strongly polluted. Forests are destroyed, causing the imbalance of ecological conditions and leaving many hard consequences in many areas of Vietnam. In addition to negative impacts of the toxic chemicals on the natural resources and environment, they also dangerously influence the human being because of genetic destroy. Many people and soldiers living in spreading toxic chemicals areas have caught fatal diseases, especially cancer. Many women have suffered a miscarriage and had a premature delivery. More seriously, children of people infected with toxic chemicals also suffer from diseases such as dumb, blind, deaf, mental illness or deformity although they were born after the war, even in areas far away from combat zones. Quang Tri is one of the provinces of most seriously affected by toxic chemicals. It is in the 1 tactical area with 17 – 20% of its area spread with toxic chemical; some parts were spread chemical two or three times. In many documents, it is found that the exterminated level in Quang Tri province is considerable. Formerly, the forest natural resources in Quang Tri were very rich. At the eastern side of the Truong Son range in Quang Tri - Thua Thien, there were 150,000 to 200,000 ha of primaving forest. However, they were destroyed by the toxic chemicals. After the war, the cover level of forest is only 22% (including planting forest). At present, the number of this is 30% (with influence of both human activities and the war). According to the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, about 22% of the natural forests and 31% unused land belong to the areas infected by toxic chemicals. 30% of the valley area of 9 Thach Han River - a big river in Quang Tri - was affected by the toxic chemicals. Toxic chemicals make the compositions of species of the fauna and flora change. Not only exterminating the ecological environment, the consequence of toxic chemicals also affects life of people living in Quang Tri. Even now, they are living in a peaceful time; the heart-rending traces of the war still exist. People suffered from toxic chemical after-effect have been facing many difficulties in order keep their living aspiration and existence. They have been cared by the Party and government with many practical policies to overcome the sequels of toxic chemicals. Policies for the victims suffering toxic chemicals are carried out in a comprehensive and overall way, including issues of economy, health service, medical treatments, rehabilitation, vocational instruction and psychological therapy. There have been many instruction documents and institutionalized policies and regulations. However, because of many reasons, the consequence has still limited. Promulgating policies for victim suffering toxic chemicals is still limited because of the imbalance between the human resources and people needed allowance. There have been no scientific and concrete standard to define people infected toxic chemicals to be the basis of suitable and accurate policies. Many victims of the toxic chemicals are not in the field of people benefiting much from policies, including people living scatter in areas that were affected by toxic chemicals in the past, or soldiers, officials, or people living in trouble-spot areas. The supgorting level is not high and egad with complicated procedures that are not suitable with most of the people living in poor areas. The fully worked-out model to treat the patients has not been built concentrate and not basing on the community. Because of those disadvantages, many victims of the chemical war, especially the Dioxin victims have not been able to apgroach and benefit their legitimate policies. To make that issue clearer, we choose the subject “Study on situation to overcome the consequences of toxic chemicals to humans in Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province” to be my thesis. 2. Scientific and practical singnificances of the studied subject - Scientific singnificances : The thesis results contribute to build the scientific basis for: i) Studying and perfecting policies to supgort people affected by the toxic 10 chemicals; ii) Choosing suitable methods and solutions to improve people position as well local authorities at different levels in order to better treat and support victims of the toxic chemicals - Practical singnificances: Comprehensively evaluating the work of overcoming consequence of the toxic chemicals on people, especially current disadvantages in term of supporting policy making as well as the participation of community in the study area; bettering and improving gradually the results of overcoming the chemical war’s consequence for the victims in localities. 3. Study goal - To assess comprehensively the influence of the chemical war on people in Quang Tri province in general and in Cam Lo district in particular - To assess the status of overcoming the consequence of toxic chemical impacts on people base on analysis of statistics information as well as practical information gathered in the localities - To propose some practical and comprehensive solutions to strengthen the work of overcoming the consequence of toxic chemical influence on people in Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province 4. Study objects and scope Study objects Victims of toxic chemicals, institution system (system of legal documents, policies, and implemenation arrangement system) related to the work of overcoming the impacts of the chemical war, and socialized work to overcome the consequence of toxic chemicals Study scope - Spatical: The fieldwork study is performed in Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province. - Time scope: The study was continuously conducted from January 2010 to December 2011, in which the fieldwork time in the locality was divided into three phases as following: 11 Table 0.1. Time, site, and content of fieldwork phases Phases Study site Phase 1: From 20 June Cam Lo town, Cam Chinh, Cam 2010 to 30 June 2010 Tuyen, Cam Nghia, and Cam An communes in Cam Lo district Phase 2: From 12 Association of Victims of Agent January 2011 to 23 Orange in Cam Lo district and January 2011 related departments Phase 3: From 6 June Association of Victims of Agent 2011 to 12 June 2011 Orange in Cam Lo district, some contingent families in the area, and families of the dioxin victims Study content Generally assessing study question Gathering related secondary materials Gathering missing secondary materials; sociological investigating by sample, interview, and PRA - Content scope: Focusing on: i) Assessing the impacts of toxic chemicals to people; ii) Generally assessing the situation of overcoming influences of toxic chemicals; achievements and shortcomings; iii) Assessing institutional system to concerning the victims of the toxic chemicals and some proposing solutions to improve the sittuation. 5. Study methodology and methods 5.1. Methodology 12 Figure 0.1. The relationship between victims of toxic chemicals and the surrounding environment The thesis uses systematic and interdisciplinary methodology which commonly used in the Area studies. Studying the situation of overcoming the consequences of toxic chemicals on people is put in the relationship with the general impacts of the devastating to opgose the America. It lasted for 21 year and influenced the present and future; at the same time, it was put in the social-economic development and overcoming the consequence of chemical war in the entire country in general and the locality in particular. - About time: Conducting the process of history, the work of overcoming the consequence of chemical war is the next step to restore and rebuild the country after a long war. The toxic chemicals were used by the US after defeating in a series of campaigns in order to destroy crops, clear forests, and annihilate our soldiers. It is obvious that the war already pasted more than 30 years. However, the consequence of the chemical war affects people more and more, causing long-term influences not only 13 in the past but also at present and in the future. Hence, studying the work of overcoming the consequence of toxic chemicals in order to bring out more comprehensive solutions to reduce and control impacts of toxic chemicals on following generations, and supgorting families of the dioxin victims is a long-term task. - About area: + Finding out situation of overcoming the consequence of toxic chemicals on people is a problem related to all aspects of the social life. Humankind is the integration of social relationships. From the biological point, man is at the highest grade in the evolutionary ladder. Hence, effects of the toxic chemicals on human being must be considered in the relation with all economic, social, cultural, and natural aspects. The toxic chemicals cause serious consequences and the victims are suffered impacts from all elements of the (natural and social) environment. They themselves also affect the environment, creating a mutual two-way relationship. + Conducting research of the situation to overcome the influences of toxic chemicals was done in Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province to find the most general laws of the study question development in order to generalize the general situation of our country and other foreign countries. In other words, the research problem is a “case study” putting in overall regional studies. From the situation to overcome impacts of toxic chemicals in Cam Lo district (Quang Tri province), we can analyze and assess the achievements, shortcomings, and weaknesses to propose a more comprehensive solution. As a result, we can generalize the situation of the regional and international area; then widely apglying these measures to all objects in different regions who share some basic characteristics. 5.2. Study methods 5.2.1. Collecting secondary data Gathering, systematizing, analyzing, and summarizing secondary materials, include: + Reports, materials, and statistics data of the Office 33, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social 14