VISION OF VIET NAM’S WATER, LIFE AND ENVIRONMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY - To Trung Nghia

To Trung Nghia
Director
Water Resources Planning Institute
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Hanoi

In the context of great changes and development in the world as a whole and in Viet Nam in particular, it is obvious that any socio-economic development is closely linked to the need for water. Rapid economic and demographic growth results in increased demand for water; improper use of water resources leads to water shortage and to pollution of the water environment. Viet Nam has had programmes and a short-, medium- and long-term strategy on water resources planning. The country is integrating into the world in linking the water issue to its development potential, putting it high on the overall agenda, together with social equality, sustainable development and protection of the environment.

In spite of confronting the myriad difficulties of a backward agricultural country suffering from continuous natural calamities and protracted wars throughout her history, Viet Nam has given top priority to irrigation and drainage, water resources exploitation and development. The following is an overview of her historical development.

1. Up to Independence in 1945

From time out of mind, the Vietnamese people have attached great importance to water. For plants, water was considered the key factor: “Water, manure, hard work and seedlings” is the age-old recipe. At the same time, they also realized the need to control water and water came first among the four calamities - “Water, fire, religion, invasion”.

In 1945, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (as Viet Nam was spelt then) was born with a poor and backward economy. The country had only 13 water systems, many of which had yet to be harnessed. The Red River delta had an old and vulnerable flood-preventing soil dyke system. A typical case happened in 1945 when the Red River rose, its dyke broke and more than 260 000 ha of paddy fields were flooded. This calamity, coupled with the war, resulted in crop failures and the subsequent famine claimed more than 20 000 lives. Despite numerous difficulties and shortages, the government spent much of its capital and mobilized the people to overcome flood consequences, restore water structures and repair dyke breaks. The Mekong River delta had only a few channels to exchange goods and crop cultivation totally relied on rainwater. There was no water infrastructure. The Central, Midland and mountainous areas continuously suffered from droughts.

2. From 1946 to 1975

From the sorrowful 1945 lesson, the government advocated the protection and development of the country’s water infrastructure and encouraged the people to build small water structures. Between 1946 and 1949, the water-structure-building movement by the people was extensively implemented in order to expand the available water infrastructure and increase irrigated areas. The government also pushed land reclamation and the building of flood-preventing dykes, particularly in the Red River delta.

The 1949-1954 period was the most difficult wartime. Nonetheless, the government paid special attention to water resources and issued Ordinance 68-SL on 18 June 1949 establishing inter-district and provincial hydro-agriculture councils, which were responsible for building, repairing and developing hydro-agricultural structures and dykes.

In the 1955-1957 period of economic restoration, the duties of the water resources industry were defined as follows: “The macro hydro-agriculture duties are to restore all the water infrastructure system which was exploited before the Resistance and widen channels to increase irrigated areas, reform irrigation water management, and educate the people to save water so that little water is used but much land is irrigated. While the macro hydro-agriculture duties are implemented, it is necessary to develop micro hydro-agriculture countrywide” (The 1955-1957 economic restoration plan).

In 1958, Vietnam shifted to a period of economic restoration and development. The targets of the water resources industry in the three-year plan were to overcome floods, widen irrigated areas, narrow cultivation areas reliant on rainwater, guarantee adequate water supply in the face of greater demand due to technological improvements and contribute to the cooperation movement in order to fulfil the three-year agriculture production duties and create a firm foothold for hydraulic modernization.

In 1960, Vietnam substantially developed water resources exploitation and control, taking the first steps in researching how to control and exploit the Red River. This was useful for the preparation of the first five-year plan. Vietnam started to build reservoirs and medium-sized hydroelectric plants. Several colleges and institutes were established for training and scientific research on water resources development.

The 1961-1965 period was considered as a great leap forward for the North’s water sector. Directing the guidelines for those five years, the Fifth Congress of the Communist Party’s Central Committee (the third legislature) issued a resolution in which the section on the water resources sector was defined as follows: “Water service is the first measure to develop agricultural production. In the next five years, the water resources industry must take an active role in preventing droughts, narrowing flood areas, guaranteeing adequate water for paddy cultivation and for areas planted with vegetables and industrial crops that are only partially irrigated. To prevent floods, river and sea dykes must be strengthened and riverbeds scraped, guaranteeing protection from high river levels and strong winds. It is necessary to make plans for the Red River, build essential structures and start research on big rivers.”

In order to fulfil the plan, the government started a new small water structure-building movement by the people over 1964 and 1965, which increased the number of reservoirs and irrigation and drainage structures. Research on how to control and exploit big rivers brought about the first tangible results. For the Red River system, terrace exploitation plans for the Lo and Da rivers were drawn and it was determined that the Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant should be the first water structure on the Da River. At the end of the 1961-1965 plan, there were 83 large-scale hydraulic structures and 2 830 medium-sized structures which could irrigate 449 800 ha and drain 207 600 ha. The water resources industry of the period contributed to controlling nature, efficiently serving agriculture production and supplying safe water to large areas.

In the 1965-1975 period, the government advocated building large intensive-cropping zones which, properly irrigated and drained, could yield at least five tons of rice per hectare per year. Only selective building of large-scale and medium-sized water structures was done, because at the time the country was once again at war. The government issued the policy of developing water structures in mountainous areas. A series of medium-sized and small reservoirs were built, some of which had the capacity to hold millions to tens of millions of cubic metres of water.

3. From 1976 to 1995: reconstruction

In the 1976-1985 period, newly reunified Viet Nam started water resources protection, development and management countrywide. In the South, agriculture was still backward and totally reliant on nature. Droughts and floods occurred frequently. Millions of hectares of land were still in wild condition. The government advocated focusing all efforts on developing water resources services in the South to meet the urgent needs of each region to serve production, thus easing and improving people’s lives. The water resources agencies quickly went about collecting all available documents, undertook supplementary analysis and primary research on regional plans, defined the structures to be built at once, and prevented actions that could run counter to the long-term strategy. In the North, hydro-agricultural completion was hastened in every locality. Water structures were improved in both capacity and operating speed. At the same time, key structures kept being built to meet every region’s basic needs. The issue of drainage, which had been implemented at low level, was totally solved. In the Central area, the water resources services still had difficulties and only dealt with droughts.

The water resources services in the South set about convincing the people in the Mekong river delta to shift from backward cultivation methods to the new cultivation technology.

The 1985-1995 period was a time of renovation. The government advocated developing a diversified agriculture with food production as the key element to guarantee sustainable social development and a multi-faceted commodity economy with market mechanisms and government management. The new economic structure created the issue of diversely supplying water to people, animals and plants in plains, hills and mountainous areas. The supply of safe water, especially in mountainous areas, was taken up in the national plan. Water structures were radically and more efficiently exploited. However, in the process of exploitation and development there emerged problems on mobilizing socially useful labour, compensation, using land to build structures, environment protection, immigration, and investment capital management. Based on extensive and careful research, hydraulic regions were classified and investment projects designed in harmony with each region’s natural conditions and development needs. Several large areas were successfully desalinated and turned over to cropping. From few structures formerly, by 1995 there were 75 large-scale hydro-agricultural systems, 750 big and medium-sized reservoirs, tens of thousands of channels and 7 000 km of river and sea dykes. There were also tens of thousands of small structures and pumping stations. 5 600 000 ha of paddy field and 560 000 ha of vegetable land were irrigated, 865 000 ha of land were drained, 16 000 ha of land were free of alum and 700 000 ha of coastal land were desalinated by building dykes and drainage channels, besides supplying water to tens of millions of urban and rural people and meeting water demand for domestic consumption and industrial production in mountainous areas.

In addition, Viet Nam attached importance to international cooperation and intensified cooperation on training cadres and on project research and investment, especially projects on rivers shared with neighbouring countries. In international cooperation, Viet Nam preserved the rules of national sovereignty and national interest, exploited and protected domestic water resources while seeking to harmonize relations among, and the national interests of, the countries along the banks of the Mekong River. Overall plans on water resources development in deltas were drawn, particularly for the Red River and the Mekong River deltas, creating the premise of an overall national plan. Plans were also drawn for key regions to serve investment projects on water resources and other industries in order to guarantee the balanced development of water resources among the regions. A draft law on water resources was prepared for submission to the government. The water resources agencies also drew plans for water resources development in the 1996-2000 period and development projections for 2010. The government had a programme to evaluate the country’s water resources and water usage and issued a series of standards on quality of surface water, groundwater, wastewater, etc.

In spite of those achievements, there were still many problems, as listed below:

a. The Red River delta

Most dykes, built with earth, were usually eroded. Pumping stations had been in use for more than ten years, sometimes more than twenty, and electricity systems were backward. Annual maintenance and repair cost much money and effort, but the government budget was insufficient and irrigation and drainage fees were much lower than production costs; thus, the structures deteriorated. Meanwhile, water demand for production increased and there was a growing need for irrigation and drainage.

After the Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant came into operation, there occurred both positive and negative changes in the Red River delta and hydro-agricultural systems had to adjust to such changes.

Annual flooding was still a challenge to the sustainable and stable development of the delta, not only for agricultural production but also for the whole economy. Protecting dykes, consolidating the water infrastructure, preventing internal instability as well as overflows had to be done frequently with proper investment. In addition, it was vital for the sustainable development of the delta to combine the water resources plans for the Lo Gam and Da rivers with reforestation and forest protection.

Due to ecological changes and upstream exploitation, the Mekong River’s flow regime in the dry season and in the rainy season is very complicated. Saltwater was spreading and fresh water shrinking as the demand for water in the dry season increased. Therefore, the urgent task was to build saltwater-preventing structures, including surrounding dykes and drainage systems. Apart from agricultural development, industrialization in the Mekong River delta created a great demand for water.

The Mekong River’s floods on the one hand made life difficult for the local people, particularly those in newly developed regions whose houses were not suited to flooding conditions; on the other hand, they provided alluvial deposits, increasing the fertility of the soil, reducing the number of pests. So, it was necessary to work out different sustainable, adaptable strategies for different regions.

In some parts of the Tien and Hau rivers, erosion and landslides were a risk to people on the banks, but there were no ready solutions.

Since 1995, research on large hydroelectric plants has been completed. The Law on Water Resources has been passed. Based on the need to supply water, both in quantity and in quality, for urban, agricultural and industrial development, the water resources agencies have proposed the following development plan for the period leading to 2010:

a. Adequate supply

Water resources planning is the first step in agricultural production and a key element in sustainable industrial development. In coming years, apart from supplying water for paddy cultivation, water resources services must meet the further requirements of agriculture, industry, ordinary consumers, security and defence, and the ecosystem. Especially in agriculture, they must support industrial cropping, fruit tree growing, fishery, production for export and the development of midlands and mountainous areas.

b. Water usage coupled with water resources protection

Although Viet Nam has abundant water resources, most of them are generated in neighbouring countries and run the risks of running out and of being contaminated. Therefore, in order to use water resources in a sustainable manner, Viet Nam must act as follows:

• Water resources must be exploited systematically according to river basin and water structures, not according to administrative divisions.
• Water resources exploitation and use must be coupled with protection against scarcity and contamination.

c. Avert water-related dangers

If the advantages of water are to be exploited, water-related dangers must be averted, by combining national interests with those of the regions and localities and modern technology with popular traditions in accordance with the country’s economic condition.

d. Intensify water resources management

The restoration of degraded water structures and the establishment of new structures of all sizes need to be properly balanced. Besides building water structures, water resources management needs to be intensified in order to make full use of investment capital and to achieve success.

e. Policy on community priority

Pay attention to water resources development in remote and mountainous areas, link water resources planning to social policies to supply adequate water to a growing number of people and make contributions to ‘hunger eradication and poverty elimination’ programmes and to settlement programmes.

f. Socialization of water resources services

Socialization of water resources services and management is implemented according to the motto: “Both the government and the people do.” At the same time, the government advocates rallying all popular efforts and encouraging foreign and domestic investment in water resources exploitation and construction of water structures based on democratic participation and equal benefit. To that end, the government has intensified public education through the mass media on the importance of water resources, by emphasizing that “water resources and water structures management is the people’s responsibility, obligation and right”.

g. Water financial policy

As water is of great value (water is considered as a commodity), it is necessary to make water financial policies to link water resources exploitation to the obligation of contributing capital. It is the way to afford the maintenance and improvement of water structures and protection against water-related dangers.

1. Surface water potential

Most of Viet Nam’s 332 000 km2 land spread consists of hills and mountains, not very high but very dangerous due to steep slopes. They make for a very complex network of rivers and streams. Due to the humid tropical climate and plentiful rainfall, water flows are easily formed, but the uneven distribution of rainfall makes them uneven as well. In Midland and mountainous areas, there are places that are short of water all year round or in the dry season, yet are flooded in the rainy season. In the plains, where numerous rivers have plentiful water resources throughout the year, the problem is to drain water in the rainy season.

The surface water either generated in or flowing through Viet Nam’s territory comes from rainwater over an area of 1 167 000 km². The surface water potential is estimated at about 835 000 million m³ per year, though this number can fluctuate between 630 000-650 000 million m³ and 1 000 000 million m³. Water quality and quantity are affected by both natural and social factors. As 60 percent of Viet Nam’s surface water is generated outside the country, its potential is affected by the source countries’ socio-economic development.

With the present population, the water volume per capita is of about 4 000 m³ per year. According to the classification of the International Water Resources Association, a country with a water volume per capita of less than 4 000 m³ per year is considered a country of water shortage. Given population growth, Viet Nam is thus likely to experience a water crisis. All the more reason, then, to work out a national water vision which will include unified steps and a common strategy for the whole region and those countries in it sharing river basins. Water resources management under laws and stipulations is the key to proper usage and control.

2. Underground water potential

The estimate of the underground water potential, after many years of research, is still uncompleted. Hydrogeologists have given different estimates. However, the rough estimate is between 50 000 and 60 000 million m³, equal to 16-19 percent of the annual total runoff or of the total water volume of rivers in the dry season. Underground water is the supplementary source for rivers in the dry season. Yet, the exploitation of underground water in many regions reduces river water volume in the dry season.

3. Current situation of Viet Nam’s water resources

a. Increasing shortage of water

Increasing population reduces the volume of water per capita. In 1945, it was of 14 520 m³: now it is of 4 840 m³. If Viet Nam’s population were 150 million, the water volume per capita would be 2 420 m³ (as estimated from the internal runoff).

Due to climatic changes, the rainfall diminishes year after year. As the atmospheric temperature rises, so does evaporation. This leads to decreasing water resources and increasing water demand for irrigation. Therefore, the regions where the dry season lasts nine months and the annual rainfall is less than 1 500 mm can turn into deserts.

There is growing demand for water to increase the productivity of plants, to supply domestic needs, to develop industry, tourism, trade and services. Water overexploitation and overuse easily lead to serious contamination if proper measures are not taken.

Severe storms occur more frequently. It is calculated that each decade has 1.6 times more storms than the previous one. Typhoons, causing the seawater level to rise by two metres, account for 11 percent of all storms. The sea level rises 0.2 cm annually. Coastal erosion and landslides become increasingly frequent and serious.

The highest amounts of rainfall per day can exceed 700 mm. In inland places such as Lai Chau or Kontum, daily rainfall of more than 300 mm has been recorded repeatedly. The shrinkage of source forests results in the probability of increasingly serious floods. Flash floods also occur more frequently in many places, particularly in small basins. The hydrogeology observation system is out of operation, however, so it is difficult to produce accurate figures.

The water flow in the dry season is diminishing due to decreasing rainfall and to two other factors: source forests no longer play their regulating role because of forest fires and deforestation, and water exploitation is implemented through a system of movable dams at river source. Therefore, in most places there are water shortages as early as February or March, one or two months earlier than used to be the case.

Water in lakes and rivers generally is good enough to meet people’s requirements. But around industrial zones, rivers, lakes and the sea can be seriously polluted. Increasing urbanization and industrialization have resulted in rampant water contamination. In the dry season, there is not enough water in lakes and rivers to dissolve waste and the contamination becomes worse. The overuse of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture contaminates both surface and underground water.

The modernization and industrialization of agricultural production has caused new kinds of pollution, as with coffee-processing plants whose processing of beans for export demands a great amount of fresh water, later released as wastewater.

a. For hydro-agriculture

Water resources planning was seen as the first requisite to develop agricultural production. So, on the seven million hectares of cultivated land, 75 hydro-agricultural systems were created, 3 million ha were irrigated, 1.3 million ha drained and 0.7 million ha desalinated. From 1944 to 1999, the population tripled but the food output grew six-fold - from 4.9 million tons in 1944 to 33.8 million tons in 1999 (68 percent of it on irrigated and drained land). In 1998, although serious droughts occurred, the food output was maintained thanks to the contribution of hydro-agriculture. So far, 30 hydro-agricultural projects have been proposed or are under operation. However, the efficiency of the projects is still low, below 50 percent.

There are 200 water stations, supplying three million cubic metres of water per day to more than half of the population, at the per capita level of 50-60 litres per day in general and of 80-100 litres per day to the 60-70 percent of the population living in large cities. However, water profligacy is still high. The demand for drinking water increases rapidly. Eighty percent of the urban population is to be supplied with 80-100 litres of water per person per day by 2005, and 120-150 litres in the case of the 90 percent of the people living in large cities.

Supplying drinking water to rural areas has been undertaken in the last five years, so that, at present, 30 percent of the rural population is supplied with drinking water. According to plans, by 2005 80 percent of the rural population will have access to safe water, 50 percent of rural households will have sanitary lavatories, and 30 percent of the animal sheds and 10 percent of the handicraft villages will have waste treatment systems.

Hydroelectricity has been the driving force of the power industry. By 1998, six large-scale and medium-sized hydroelectric stations supplied 2 844 MW, equal to 50 percent of electricity demand countrywide. The 720 MW Yali station came into operation at the end of 1999 and two more stations are under construction. Sixty percent of the country is electrified, with a nearly one-hundred-percent coverage of plains. In coming years, hydroelectricity will continue to spearhead the power industry. Seven large-scale hydroelectric schemes with a total capacity of more than 5 000 MW will be introduced after the year 2000.

Viet Nam’s population continues to grow rapidly. It is estimated to reach 93 million by 2010 and 126 million by 2040. Deforestation and water contamination have made the water volume per capita dwindle. Total water demand for agriculture, industry and domestic use, which was 65 000 million m³ in 1990, is estimated to be 72 000 million m³ in 2000 and 90 000 million m³ by 2010. These numbers still lags behind world figures.

Under the current water exploitation, which uses up two thirds of the inflow water and leaves the rest to preserve the ecosystem, it is impossible for Viet Nam to balance water demand and supply. A national programme has recommended increasing useful water capacity to 70 000 million m³ between 2010 and 2020. Actually, such a recommendation is absurd, because for the past few decades, the useful water capacity from reservoirs has been of 18 000 million m³ only and only two percent of the average flow regimes have been exploited. Therefore building more water infrastructure is important, but the solution is to manage water usage. Given the danger of water withdrawal in coming times, it is essential to find more efficient approaches than traditional ones, which are inefficient.

1. Water resources planning and development

Water resources planning has been developed both in depth and in range. So far, planning in river basins and internal areas, though incomplete, has met real needs by:

• Governmentally managing water resources;
• Working out techno-economic solutions on hydraulic schemes;
• Making short- and medium-term hydraulic plans; and
• Working out an overall socio-economic development strategy.

The scheme to control and exploit the Red River is the most important among hydraulic schemes in the North. The Red River scheme includes:

• a flood prevention plan,
• an irrigation and drainage plan,
• a waterborne transportation plan,
• a hydroelectric plan and
• an overall terrace exploitation plan.

The water resources planning directions have proved logical. Constantly updated research has dealt with water demand by urban and rural inhabitants, for crop cultivation, animal husbandry and fishery. Yet the issue of water demand to sustain the ecosystem has not been addressed.

2. Water policies and strategy

Viet Nam has not issued any policies or strategy on water except several guidelines applied to water-related branch agencies at different levels. Those guidelines are extracted from specialized documents such as documents for long-term hydro-agricultural plans, irrigation and drainage fee, rural drinking water supply and hydroelectric development.

The Law on Water Resources deals with “the making of strategies, plans and policies on water resources protection, exploitation, use and development and their water-related consequences”. While the law had yet to come into effect, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant authorities at the conference of foreign donors formulated a strategy on water resources development and management until 2010 as follows:

• To meet the increasing demand for water by building another ten multipurpose hydraulic structures and to contribute to sustained social and economic development by multiplying flood-prevention structures.
• To upgrade the available structures to fulfil the plan, gradually modernize and improve service to satisfy domestic consumption and production needs.
• To manage water resources, enhance regulations in accordance with the Law on Water Resources.

a. Water investment policy

In recent years, the government has funded many water resources development projects but these projects have not achieved consistent results. Every year water-related branch agencies submit their plans to the government, yet they do not consult with one another, especially about basin or inter-basin water balance. Therefore the Law on Water Resources should include articles on water protection, exploitation and use in harmony with river basin planning. As there is no national programme of water resources management, the investment in this field does not match the demand.

b. Capital return policy

All investment capital has been spent on building hydroelectric plants, as hydro-energy is considered a profitable commodity with quick returns. Lately, it has been suggested that hydro-energy can be replaced by thermoelectricity produced from incidental gas and cheap coal. Investment priorities should be defined in terms of national energy balance and useful exploitation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources.

Hydroelectricity can be profitable, so some say that beneficiaries should finance the construction of multipurpose reservoirs, which are essential to hydroelectric stations. Now, only the power agencies finance it. Therefore the government should require contributions from beneficiaries, get the people to know the cost of flood prevention and the risk of water shortage in river basins, so that beneficiaries and water users see the value of water and save water.

c. Capital mobilization policy

Since 1960, Viet Nam has issued the policy saying that both the government and the people jointly develop hydraulic structures. The 1999 report on hydro-agricultural fixed assets shows that government expenditure accounted for 83 percent and capital contributed by the people 17 percent. The policy of mobilizing capital from water users has been applied to rural drinking water development programmes. It is planned that by 2020 up to 100 percent of the capital in most areas, or up to 10 percent in poor regions, will be mobilized from water users. Therefore, to solve the issue of capital, it is essential to have proper policies in order to attract the participation of all economic sectors, i.e. the State, private companies and ordinary water users.

3. Legal documents on water

a. The Law on Water Resources

The Law on Water Resources began to be formulated in the late 1980s ahead of laws on other natural resources and it was submitted to the National Congress. As water has always been part of people’s lives, it is very difficult to persuade them to abandon old ways of handling water in favour of managing water resources in a professional way.

The Law on Water Resources was approved by the National Congress in May 1998 and came into effect in January 1999, but implementation decrees have yet to be signed. The law provides general rules on water resources management, as follows:

• Water resources are publicly owned.
• Use, exploit and protect water resources under plans; guarantee water resources exploitation systematically.
• Water resources must be used for multiple benefits.
• The government guarantees the water usage rights of organizations and persons.
• Organizations and persons using water must contribute capital.
• Take part in international cooperation on rivers shared with other countries and abide by international laws.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has the authority to manage water resources.
• The National Water Resources Council is the government’s think-tank for important decisions on water resources.
• River basin planning and management agencies are to be established under the control of MARD.

However, the following issues should be clarified:

• Water resources management not only contributes to the sustainable development of the nation but also to the conservation of water resources.
• Government water resources management should be separate from government management of water usage.
• River basin management.
• Coordination among authorities, water-related branches, organizations and localities.
• Water is a special commodity; water businesses should promote water usage and management and be responsible to customers for quality of service.

b. Other laws relating to water

The other water-related laws are the Law on Forest Protection and Development (1991) and the Law on Environment Protection (1993). In the implementation of these laws, the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (MOSTE) has issued rules and regulations on water usage, water quality and water contamination. The authority of the two ministries concerned with water management should be distinguished: MOSTE takes care of water quality in the environment as a whole while MARD manages water in terms of usage and volume.

4. Water resources management

a. Water resources management on a professional basis

Water resources management is a new development, thus it is essential to train a contingent of professionals skilled in its methods. Viet Nam’s advantage is that the country took early action in sustainable water resources management and has received international support in this field.

b. The system of information management

At present, although there are documents relating to water resources management in the relevant branch agencies, these documents are not consistent. Therefore, a mechanism needs to be set up for branch agencies to exchange information. The Law on Water Resources has defined this duty.

c. The system of water research management

MOSTE manages scientific research at the national level; other ministries manage scientific research at the ministerial level. In terms of water-related technology, there have been considerable achievements in the construction of hydraulic structures and in water resources exploitation, but insufficient attention has been paid to water resources management, use and conservation.

5. Participation in planning and management

a. Joint participation approach

There has been some coordination among the relevant authorities, yet such coordination lacks efficiency. International experts highly regard ‘joint participation’ and embodied the concept in the second Dublin rule. The joint participation approach can be defined as follows:

• Coordination among the various relevant ministries and authorities;
• Coordination between water resources managers and users;
• Coordination between water resources policymakers and water users;
• Coordination among the State, water enterprises and localities;
• Coordination among professionals, managers, businessmen and the media; and
• Participation by women both as water users and as professionals.

This concept was refined in the third Dublin rule, but it is not popular in Viet Nam.

b. The role of the local community

Viet Nam has issued similar policies, inspired by the “of the people, by the people and for the people” slogan, and has legislated people rights and locality rights. The people have the right to participate in the national programmes on clean water and environmental hygiene by contributing ideas; the right to decide is left to the Communal People’s Council and Committee. However, there are no similar regulations for hydro-agriculture. The water resources sector has set up pilot water cooperatives and associations, upholding the role of local water user communities. These organizations are considered as its agents.

IV. WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT VIEWPOINTS

1. Aggregate water resources management

In conferences and forums on water resources, Viet Nam has expressed her determination to guarantee water and ecosystem sustainability and has supported the view on aggregate water resources management that making full use of water and other natural resources implies conserving the environment. In this context, the Global Water Partnership has made the following three points:

• The evaluation of water resources quality and quantity must be carried out based on soil examination.
• Water distribution includes distribution of fresh water and reused water.
• Strategy and mechanisms on water resources exploitation and control, in the context of limited water resources and capital, should deal with the improvement of the welfare system.

Globally, aggregate water resources management was agreed to unanimously in conferences on water resources and the environment held in Dublin (January 1992) and in Rio de Janeiro (June 1992) as follows:

• Fresh water is a limited and easily eroded natural resource but it is essential to living and to economic development.
• Water resources development and management must be carried out based on the joint participation of water users and policymakers at all levels.
• Women play the central role in water supply, management and conservation.
• Water has economic value and must be recognized as a commodity.

The Pacific-Asian consultative conference on water held by ADB in June 1996 issued seven strategic guidelines, as follows:

• Working out national policies and programmes on water.
• Investing in the management of a country’s key river basins.
• Intensifying the sense of responsibility and self-support of water-supplying agencies.
• Introducing punishment and reward to improve people’s knowledge of sustainable water usage.
• Managing the use of shared water resources and developing cooperation.
• Improving the exchange of information, consultation and cooperation on water.
• Increasing supervision, and exchanging experience.

2. Water vision for 2025

Viet Nam has set up a water vision subcommittee, which held a conference on the national water vision. The conference centred on:

• Obstacles on water resources development.
• Consultations on a strategy for water resources development.
• Classification of water demands: demands that can be satisfied locally; demands that need international support to be satisfied.
• Classification of groups: one group for organizations and individuals to support Viet Nam and one group of organizations and individuals to support other countries.
• Reports on the vision and the framework for action.
• Analysis of water visions.
• Analysis of frameworks for action on water resources.

The conference did contribute to building visions and frameworks of action on water resources in Southeast Asia and the world.

The water vision was formulated through exchanges on water resources development possibilities among water experts. The experts paid special attention to obstacles and incentives to developing a water vision, and to ways of attracting the participation of as many relevant professionals as possible.

The incentives include:

• Socio-economic growth
• Demographic pressure and life quality
• Technological progress and its potential
• Quality of the environment and of the ecosystem
• Development of society, of public knowledge and of democracy
• Country’s regulating mechanisms
• The state of peace in the region and in the world

Experts analysing the World Water Vision came up with three scenarios: (1) evolutionary world and water, (2) water crisis and (3) sustainable world and water. These are useful references for the analysis of a Vietnamese water vision.

A national workshop entitled ‘Water in the 21^st century: vision and action’ was held in Hanoi on 7-8 March 2000. It concluded that Viet Nam’s water vision is the integrated and sustainable use of water resources and the effective prevention and mitigation of harm caused by water. This implies:

• Clean water for the people.
• Water for food safety and socio-economic development.
• Preservation of water ecosystems.
• Prevention and mitigation of harm caused by water.
• Reasonable pricing of water.
• Partnership aiming at efficient and effective integrated water resources management.
• International cooperation on shared watercourses for mutual benefit.

3. Framework for action

The framework for action aims at:

• encouraging participation by localities;
• formulating political guidelines on useful exploitation of resources;
• mobilizing supplementary investment capital;
• creating favourable conditions for water-related branch agencies to define their action plans; and
• defining realistic aims having immediate international support.

The framework for action on water does not provide detailed programmes or lists of development projects. Its aim is not only to call for government funds and international support but also to mobilize internal resources and participation by the state sector as well as the private sector.

The workshop also drew a list of actions for a better future for water, life and the environment, as follows:

a) Integrated water resources management to provide sufficient water for domestic, economic and social uses, a sustainable environment, and flood control

b) Changed views on water and water management

c) Strategy, policies and reasonable mechanisms in water management

d) Demand and water usage management

e) Equitable and reasonable allocation of water

f) Technological research in water saving and water efficiency

g) Basin approach in integrated water resources management

h) Partnership among stakeholders for integrated water resources management

i) Balance between water usage and ecosystem preservation through river basin planning

j) Decision-supporting systems for integrated water resources management

k) International cooperation on shared watercourses

l) Awareness and political will, institutional strengthening and capacity building for integrated water resources management

m) Renovation of investment policies and mechanisms in the development and management of the water infrastructure

n) Water governance to be separate from water services

o) Establishment of a water management organizational system at central, basin and local levels

p) Establishment of a synchronized and comprehensive legal framework

q) Capacity building

r) Effective water services

s) Institutional strengthening of water services in view of accountability and self-sufficiency

t) Water is recognized as a tradable commodity

u) Strategy for the development of water services with the participation of multiple sectors and the water user community

v) Construction, rehabilitation and efficient management of the water infrastructure

1. Workshop organization

On 25-26 April 2000, the Institute of Water Resources Planning (IWRP) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in cooperation with ESCAP and FAO, organized a roundtable workshop in Hanoi with 36 participants - 24 officials of the ministry, 11 officials from related ministries and one NGO representative. The list of participants and the programme of the workshop are attached as Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 respectively.

The workshop started with the presentation of three papers prepared by ESCAP, FAO and IWRP. After a brief exposition of strategic planning techniques, the workshop was divided into working groups to identify priority actions to be carried out to realize the national water vision. The following conclusions and recommendations were the results of the workshop deliberations, mostly carried out by the working groups.

2. Conclusions

The participants reconfirmed the national water vision worked out in the national seminar on this subject in Hanoi a month earlier. The details of the national water vision adopted are attached as Appendix 3.

In order to implement the national water vision, the participants recognized the need to integrate it into the national socio-economic development process. For this purpose, the participants were convinced of the need to adopt a new methodology to planning and management and therefore agreed to adopt a “strategic planning and management” approach for the implementation of the national water vision. With such an approach, strategic plans can be established for all sectors or sub-regions or river basins of the country to facilitate coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the vision.

Due to time constraints, it was agreed to focus on four items: (a) overall implementation of the national water vision, (b) water for people: water supply and sanitation, (c) water for food and rural development, and (d) application of the national water vision to the Red River basin. These items were discussed within the following framework:

• What are the visions for the area?
• Who are the key actors and agencies?
• What are the mission statements?
• What are the main objectives?
• What are the approaches to the objectives?
• What are the performance indicators?
• Framework for action and resources.

3. Summary of priority actions

Group 1: overall implementation of the national water vision

• Vision of the group: All stakeholders accept the integrated use of water resources and management of water based on resources for economic and social development.
• Key actors and agencies: Many agencies and civic groups will have to be involved in the implementation of a national water vision, in particular MARD, the leading ministry responsible for the implementation of the Water Resources Law. In the context of the Water Resources Law, the government is expected to establish a national water resources council soon. Once the council is established, it may decide to take the lead in the implementation of the national water vision.
• Mission statement: The leading role in the implementation of the national water vision was defined as follows: “Advise the government on all key water resources management issues at the national level, including the mobilization of all communities and stakeholders to participate in the process in order to achieve the national water vision.”
• Priority actions: (i) disseminate the national water vision to all communities and stakeholders, (ii) monitor and update the process of implementation of the national water vision, (iii) establish all river basin organizations and implement water resources management at the basin level, (iv) improve the legal and institutional framework, particularly for water resources management, and (v) rehabilitate all water sources for development.

Group 2: water for people - water supply and sanitation

• Vision of the group: All people will be provided with safe and adequate water and sanitation and everyone will be aware of the importance of hygiene and environmental sanitation. (The group pointed out that at present 23.2 percent of the people are in urban and 76.8 percent in rural areas. Currently, 50-60 percent of urban areas are provided with piped water, 30 percent of rural areas with safe water. The national plan aims to reach 100 percent of urban areas and 80 percent of rural areas by 2010 and then 100 percent of all areas by 2025.)
• Key actors and agencies: At present, many agencies and civic groups are involved in water supply and sanitation. The key agencies include the Ministry of Construction (responsible for water supply of urban areas), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (for rural areas and the protection of water resources), several other ministries and civic groups (public education on hygiene and environmental sanitation). The group expected that a national body (such as a National Water Resources Council) could be established to provide overall guidance and monitor progress in the implementation of the vision.
• Mission statement: If such a national body were established, its mission statement would read as follows: “Provide water to all people in adequate quantity and at the quality level of the national standard for drinking water.”
• Priority actions: (i) enhance public awareness and participation, (ii) protect, rehabilitate, improve and assess all water sources for supply, (iii) improve the legal framework and policies on water supply on the basis of the value of the resources, (iv) reform the institutional framework, (v) improve financial resources and management for water supply and sanitation, (vi) train personnel and (vii) improve technology.

Group 3: water for food and rural development

• Vision of the group: Manage and protect the water resources in an integrated and effective manner to ensure food security, enhancement of living standards of people and sustainability of agricultural and rural development. In this connection, reach the watershed coverage of the 1950s to ensure the protection of biodiversity and forest resources.
• Key actors and agencies: the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
• Mission statement: (i) Guarantee water resources for socio-economic development as planned; (ii) guarantee irrigation water for sustainable development; (iii) provide adequate water to all sectors; (iv) prevent and mitigate water-related disasters; (v) improve living standards through the development of agriculture and rural areas and ensure food security; (vi) promote sustainable community development in rural areas; and (vii) strengthen the capacity to protect biodiversity and manage the forest and watershed resources to contribute to socio-economic development.
• Priority actions: (i) enhance the participation of water users and their interaction with water suppliers, (ii) enhance interaction among sectors and between central and local agencies, (iii) modernize the water resources control system and apply the irrigation and drainage operation management concept and (iv) enhance public awareness and participation of communities in the management and integrated use of water resources.

Group 4: Implementation of the Red River basin vision

• Vision of the group: “Clean water, green land and prosperous people.”
• Key actors and agencies: At present, the responsibility for management of the river basin water resources is fragmented among many agencies, provincial authorities and civic groups. Efforts are being made to establish a Red River Basin Commission.
• Mission statement: (i) Consolidate all plans (sectoral and local) into an integrated basin plan for sustainable development, (ii) disseminate the plan and vision to all stakeholders, and (iii) mobilize and encourage participation of all stakeholders in the implementation of the integrated plan and of the vision.
• Priority actions: (i) update, adjust and supplement all the plans into an integrated plan, (ii) establish a management body of the basin’s water resources within a suitable legal and institutional framework, (iii) disseminate the integrated plan, (iv) promote better control and mitigation of water-related disasters, particularly floods, (v) enhance the management role of government agencies for better interaction among sectors and with people, and (vi) enhance public awareness of the concept of “clean water and green land” and ensure popular participation.

4. Recommendation

According to the plan for the implementation of the Water Resources Law, important developments are due to take place soon. Among these will be the establishment of the National Water Resources Council and of the Red River Basin Commission. These bodies are expected to play important roles in the adoption and implementation of the national water vision, including coordination among sectors and sub-regions. In order to prepare for the national process of implementation and in view of the keen interest of all participants in the strategic planning and management approach, it was recommended that assistance be provided to the respective national agencies to strengthen their capacity in strategic planning and management.

APPENDIX 1. -ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP ON ‘VISION OF WATER, LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE 21^ST CENTURY’ - LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Hanoi, 25-26 April 2000

No.	Participant	Institution
INSTITUTE OF WATER RESOURCES PLANNING
1	Dr To Trung Nghia	Director
2	Dr Pham The Chien	Chief of Division
3	Mr Vu Hong Chau	Chief of Division
4	Mr Nguyen Thi Phuong Lam	Acting Chief of Division
5	Mr Tran Van Nau	Chief of Division
6	Mr Truong Trong Luat	Acting Chief of Division
7	Mr Dang Ngoc Vinh	Chief of Division
8	Mr Tran Dinh Thac	Chief of Division
9	Mr Nguyen Van Dam	Chief of Division
10	Mr La Song Toan	Chief of Division
11	Mr Le Phuong Van	Deputy Chief of Division
12	Mr Lam Hung Son	Deputy Chief of Division
13	Mrs Nguyen Le My	Accounting
14	Mr Thai Gia Khanh	Deputy Chief of Division
	Mr Le Tien Phong	Interpreter
OTHER INSTITUTIONS BELONGING TO THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
1	Mr Dao Trong Tu	International Cooperation Department
2	Dr Dang Dinh Phuc	Department of Water Resources Management
3	Mr Vu Tien Luc	Department of Water Resources Management
4	Dr Tran Dinh Hoi	Vietnam Institute for Water Resources Research
5	Mr Tran Si Trung	Vietnam Institute for Water Resources Research
6	Dr Prof Ngo Dinh Tuan	Hanoi Water Resources University
7	Dr Vu Cong Lan	National Institute for Agricultural Planning
8	Mr Hoang Si Dong	National Institute for Forestry Planning
9	Mr Le Van Can	National Programme for Rural Water Supply & Environment Sanitation
10	Mrs Nguyen Thi Minh Tam	Vietnam National Mekong Commission
OTHER INSTITUTIONS
1	Mr Nguyen Tien Trong	Department of Planning & Investment
2	Mrs Do Hong Phan	Vietnam Union of Science & Technology Associations
3	Dr Dang Trong Khanh	Science, Technology & Environment Development & Strategy Institute
4	Mr Nguyen Van Trang	Power Investigation & Design Company No.1
5	Mr Pham Anh Tuan	Urban & Rural Planning Institute
6	Mr Truong Manh Tien	Department of Science, Technology & the Environment
7	Mr Nguyen Qui Hung	Transport, Development & Strategy Institute
8	Dr Tran Thanh Xuan	Institute of Meteorology & Hydrology

APPENDIX 2. -PROGRAMME OF THE ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP ON ‘VISION OF WATER, LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE 21^ST CENTURY’

Hanoi, 25-26 April 2000

25 April 2000: Day 1

8:00-8:30	Registration
8:30-8:40	Welcoming address	Dr To Trung Nghia, IWRP Dr Le Huu Ti, ESCAP Mr Thierry Facon, FAO
8:40-9:40	Presentation and discussion ‘A conceptual approach to the formulation of a national water vision for action’	Dr Le Huu Ti, ESCAP
9:40-10:40	Presentation & discussion ‘Overview of the water vision for food, agriculture and rural development - strategic choices for countries’	Mr Thierry Facon, FAO
10:40-11:10	Coffee break
11:10-12:00	Presentation & discussion
	‘Vision on water, life and the environment in the 21st century’	Dr To Trung Nghia, IWRP
12:00-13:30	Lunch
13:30-15:00	Working group	Dr Le Huu Ti, ESCAP
15:00-15:20	Coffee break
15:20-16:30	Group presentation

26 April 2000: Day 2

8:00-9:30	Group discussion
9:30-9:50	Coffee break
9:50-11:00	Group discussion
11:00-12:00	Group presentation
12:00-12:30	Closing session	Dr Le Huu Ti, ESCAP Mr Thierry Facon, FAO Dr To Trung Nghia, IWRP

APPENDIX 3. NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ‘WATER IN THE 21^ST CENTURY - VISION AND ACTION’*

*Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations and the Global Water Partnership South East Asian Technical Advisory Committee

Hanoi, 7-8 March 2000

National vision and action for water in Viet Nam in the 21^st century

The Vietnamese water vision is the integrated and sustainable use of water resources with effective prevention and mitigation of harm caused by water.

• Clean water for the people
• Water for food safety and socio-economic development
• Preservation of water ecosystems
• Prevention and mitigation of harm caused by water
• Reasonable pricing of water
• Partnership for efficient and effective integrated water resources management
• International cooperation on shared watercourses for mutual benefit

The Vietnamese action for a better future for water, life and the environment

1. Integrated water resources management to provide sufficient water for domestic, economic and social uses, a sustainable environment, and flood control

• Changed views on water and water management
• Strategy, policies and reasonable mechanisms in water management
• Demand and water usage management
• Equitable and reasonable allocation of water
• Technological research in water saving and water efficiency

2. Basin approach to integrated water resources management

• Partnership among stakeholders for integrated water resources management
• Balance between water usage and ecosystem preservation through river basin planning
• Decision-support systems for integrated water resources management
• International cooperation on shared watercourses

3. Awareness and political will, institutional strengthening and capacity building for integrated water resources management

• Renovation of investment policies and mechanisms in the development and management of the water infrastructure
• Water governance to be separated from water services
• Establishment of a water management organization system at central, basin and local levels
• Establishment of a synchronized and comprehensive legal framework
• Capacity building

4. Effective water services

• Institutional strengthening of water services for accountability and self-sufficiency
• Water to be recognized as a commodity
• Strategy for water services development with the participation of multiple sectors and the water user community
• Construction, rehabilitation and efficient management of the water infrastructure

CONCLUSIONS

1. Obstacles and challenges

• Water resources have increasingly deteriorated due to deforestation, environmental pollution and global climate changes. The exploitation of provincially and internationally shared water resources may be a challenge.
• Under the pressure of population and development, the biggest challenge is how to manage the use of water.
• Politically, although the government and relevant authorities are very concerned about water issues, they hesitate to reform management procedures.
• In the field of water resources management, for a long time too much attention has been paid to water resources exploitation but the management and protection that guarantee stable and sustainable development have been ignored. Water resources exploitation has been extravagant and management haphazard, overlapping and unsuccessful. The Law on Water Resources has not been fully implemented.
• In terms of water supply, the fact that water is an economic commodity has not been recognized. Although good results have been achieved in some localities, the water supply services, which are still subsidized by the government, have been inefficient overall.
• In terms of capital mobilization, even though the government attaches importance to water resources development, management has not been capitalized properly and there has been no overall strategy on water resources investment. Neither has the government issued policies to encourage economic sectors to invest in water resources.
• In terms of technology, considerable achievements have been made in building hydraulic structures. But not enough attention has been paid to water resources research and management, river basin exploitation, proper use of water and water conservation. Generally, water technology is still backward.
• Viet Nam has drawn lessons from the past. These lessons, once recognized and propagated, will promote the process towards sustainable water resources. Technology transfer and support from the international community will help modernize water resources management. The government and relevant authorities have realized the role of non-governmental organizations and professional associations and actively intensified the cooperation.

2. Solutions

In the context of increasing demand for water, decreasing water potential and worsening environment pollution, the following solutions are proposed:

• Formulating a framework of action on water resources development in the whole country and in each river basin. Thereby working out the strategy for water resources development towards 2025 and beyond as well as five-year action plans. Focusing on building reservoirs for the dry season.
• Designing legal documents on water resources exploitation and use, and on the prevention of and protection from water-related consequences.
• Systematically managing water resources exploitation and use, and the prevention of and protection from water-related consequences
• Making policies suitable to each period on water resources exploitation and use and the prevention of and protection from water-related consequences.

These solutions should be carried out simultaneously, with the participation of all water-related bodies: the State, investors and beneficiaries. It is essential to combine persuasion with administrative and economic measures to deal with issues. The formulation of national plans and strategies on water resources development should be carried out forthwith.

3. Potential for 2025

The government has defined targets for developing a stable and sustainable economy, society and environment. The water potential in the 21st century is as follows:

a. In the first decade

• Water resources development will evolve.
• Water resources exploitation will increase faster than in the past.
• Pilot programmes on sustainable water resources development and management will be carried out successfully in several places.

b. In following decades

• A series of policies will be issued, at once economically and socially more diverse and open and scientifically and technologically tighter, to meet the needs to save water, reduce paddy acreage and diversify crops. Education on water will be more widespread and better received.
• Water resources management will attract greater participation of domestic concerns and the international community. Professional and management skills will be further improved.
• Water contamination and conflicts on internationally shared rivers, though they will still occur, will be settled more logically. International cooperation in river management will be improved.
• Aggregate water resources management will be applied, contributing to the improvement of the people’s standard of living.

According to the plan for the ongoing implementation of the water vision, IWRP has come up with strategic guidelines on water vision and action, as follows:

1. Properly use land resources in accordance with the sustainable development of water resources

• Protect the land environment.
• Do research to further exploit usable land.
• Make rational changes in the methods of using land.
• Jointly manage the use of land and water.
• Improve capacity in science and technology management, approach and application.

2. Use, manage and develop water resources in a proper, comprehensive and sustainable manner

• Give priority to the overall plan of water resources development in river valleys, especially for big rivers.
• Revalue water resources in terms of both quality and quantity.
• Calculate the need for water, the water balance of various uses, including water to maintain the ecological system; define households’ need for water to plan provision of water in quality and quantity. For example, providing water to 70-80 percent of the people in rural areas with the capacity of 80 litres per capita per day by 2005 and 95 percent and 80-100 litres respectively by 2010.
• Build new water structures and upgrade old ones; attach importance to the management, operation and maintenance of water structures; complete canal systems and the systematic management of hydro-agricultural structures at various levels.
• Select and build reservoirs at river sources to prevent floods in the lowlands, to generate electricity and to meet other demands of aggregate usage.
• Preserve forests; develop source forests to improve their regulatory capability and to prevent flash floods; and reforest 40 percent of the country.
• Consolidate the dyke system; improve the capacity of drainage and of flood prevention.
• Strengthen the management of water resources and structures; complete the organization and management system from the central to the local level.
• Complete the establishment of legal documents to create favourable conditions for the management of water resources and structures.
• Enhance the training of human resources; push up scientific and technological research and development in the management of water resources and structures.
• Strengthen international cooperation.

3. Protect the environment

• Complete the policy on environment protection and issue guidelines on environment management and protection; strengthen governmental management of the environment at district and commune levels.
• Build quality supervising networks; further provide equipment for observation and equipment to treat environmental incidents; control environmental pollution.
• Invest in environment hygiene in rural areas.
• Issue compulsory and incentive policies to renew the technology and invest in waste treatment.
• Improve public awareness of the environment; educate communities and train executive managers.

4. Improve the methodology for water resources planning

• Train water resources planners in the methodology of strategic planning.
• Prepare new water resources planning standards based on the strategic planning methodology.
• Apply the methodology of strategic planning to the water resources sector.