Wasteful growth and the growth of waste – which development path for vietnam?

It is widely acknowledged that Vietnam has had a high level of economical growth for a long time now. The country has seen a significant expansion of the industrial base, change of consumption patterns as well as a high rate of urbanization. This has been understood as part of modernization and adaptation to the global economy, but one of the negative consequences is the growing amount of waste. This amount is expected to increase even further while the capacity to handle waste has not been developed accordingly. The government of the country has adopted an ambitious plan on waste management with a vision up to 2050, but so far enforcement is lacking. There is also an urgent need to question the traditional growth model as a too one-dimensional understanding of development. This would be a way to structurally address growing waste generation taking into consideration the broader socio-economical frame as to enable a development path that is sustainable in a truly holistic meaning.