Natural disasters kill some 500 people and cause an economic loss of some VND14.5 trillion (USD700.5 million) per year in Vietnam, said a report issued last Friday by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The report said natural calamities have been causing negative impacts on the country’s economic development in recent years including losses of aquaculture, food production and damages of infrastructure facilities.

Besides, according to the World Bank, the country each year also suffers losses of some USD780 million due to illnesses caused to the community by environment pollution.

The ministry said in the past five years, the country has faced numerous environment problems such as worsening pollution, a serious decline of bio-diversification, and threat to environmental security.

In its report issued last Friday, the ministry said the pollution caused by organic compounds in the water of the three river basins of Cau, Nhue-Day and Dong Nai has been increasing to an alarming level.

Furthermore, some 70% of the total one million cubic meters of industrial wastewater discharged daily from industrial parks is untreated, aggravating pollution in many river basins around the country.