Reflections on Miss Earth 2010

Vietnam is a country high biodiversity sheltered within network of national parks, nature reserves and marine protected areas. It is also a nation of contrasts, with ambitious development of urban centres, fertile deltas threatened by rising sea levels and mountainous regions populated by ethnic minorities living by subsistence farming. On paper, it is an ideal venue for Miss Earth, a beauty contest designed to promote the protection of nature and to develop social and environmental advocates. Indeed, the account of Miss Earth 2010 on Wikipedia creates the image of a well-run beauty contest with a strong environmental focus. However, those who participated and followed the month long programme had a somewhat less positive impression.