Buddhist responses to the plastic waste crisis in the Mekong Delta

On 27 January 2024, Nhung Lu Rots presented a paper about Buddhist responses to the plastic waste crisis in the Mekong Delta. Her paper was part of the symposium “Religious and Theological Responses to Environmental Disaster in Asian History”, which was organized by the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, Japan.

Image source: Nhung Lu Rots

In her presentation, Nhung described the impacts of the current plastic waste disaster in the region, which has contaminated the Mekong River, its channels, and tributaries in Vietnam. In response to the crisis, Hòa Hảo Buddhist leaders have embraced environmentalism and utilized propaganda methods for raising pollution awareness. In addition to developing a new waste management model, Hòa Hảo Buddhist temples and their volunteers also joined forces with local and national state bodies to clean up polluted areas. 

 

Published Feb. 26, 2024 6:48 PM - Last modified Feb. 27, 2024 4:49 PM