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Ha Thanh River, one of water sources in Binh Dinh. Photo V.H |
The workshop on capacity building in assessing and managing water resources was held in Quy Nhon city. This is an initial step for the implementation of the “Capacity building in assessing and managing water resources” project (CAPAS project) in the central province of Binh Dinh. Participants worked out many measures to carry out the project effectively.
Prior warning
Most participants agreed that the water resources are the burning issue worldwide, including Vietnam’s central province of Binh Dinh.
More importantly, the water resources are also believed to play a core role in the socio-economic development of a country or a territory.
Vietnam is rich in water resources, compared with many countries. Its annual average rainfall is 2.5 times as much as the average rainfall on earth. However, Vietnam’s rainfall is distributed unequally due to regular flood and drought.
Experts, therefore, issued a warning that Vietnam may face serious shortage of clean water. Accordingly, among 80 percent of the rural people, two third could suffer diseases relating to the quality of water. Unhygienic water is also able to make 27 percent of under-5 children suffer from malnutrition.
The central province of Binh Dinh is rich in water resources, but the shortage of water often happens in the dry season.
According to Dr Luong Thi Van, a Quy Nhon University’s lecturer, some studies showed that most rivers in the province were polluted, particularly the rivers flowing across industrial zones and urban areas.
In 2005, for example, 60 percent of communes and towns faced the shortage of running water owing to the drought. The source of fresh water has been gradually infected by industrial food and organic substances.
Binh Dinh is one of provinces which are poor in water source according to international standards, said director of Binh Dinh’s Hydrometeorology Centre, Tran Sy Dung.
Enhancing management
Binh Dinh is one of 7 provinces selected to join the CAPAS project. It is funded by the Belgian Government with Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MoNRE) and Belgian Technical Cooperation as executing agencies.
The project has the total capital of EURO 4.4 million of which Belgian contribution is 4 million EURO and Vietnamese contribution is 400,000 EURO. It is expected to finish by November, 2012.
The general objective is to strengthen institutional arrangements and build capacity within MoNRE and its provincial and district bureaus in order to support the strategic integrated management of regional water resources in support of a sustained development so as to reach the Vietnam Development Goals.
The results expected to be achieved include the improvement of strategic water resource management, the public awareness, building capacity in MoNRE and DoNRE’s, and the protection of water resources.
At the workshop, most participants highly valued the feasibility of the project. Van said it’s vital to carry out measures to protect and maintain the water resources.
Nguyen Viet Cuong, an official of Environment Protection Agency, suggested that the important task is to ensure the harmonious relationship between economic development and environment protection. Also, people’s awareness of environment and waste treatment must be raised.
In the future, the demand for water will increase and people may face the shortage of water resources, particularly in dry season; thus, it’s necessary to work out measures to protect the source of water, Dung said.
Everyone must take responsibility for using water economically and protecting the running water, he added.
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