Water Resources Management in Vietnam

Tasks and Roles of water resources management department, Vietnam The Department of Water Resources Management (DWRM) has Functions to provide assistance to the Minister in implementing state management on water resources including rain water, surface water, ground water, and sea water within the territorial land and sea of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Powers and Responsibilities of DWRM 1. Develop legal documents, policies, strategies, planning, long-term, 5-year and annual plans, programs, 2. Develop processes, procedures, standards, technical-economic norms on water resources management 3. Submit to the Minister for approval on assignment and delegation in basic investigation on water resources; 4. Develop measures on protection of water sources, control of and prevention against water resources deterioration and pollution 5. Compile data, manage results of basic investigations, inventories and assessments of water resources; develop national water resources database and information exchange system

Powers and Responsibilities of DWRM (next) 6. Submit to the Minister to define authorities and procedures on issuance, extension, revoke licenses on surveying, exploration, exploitation and utilization of water resources, and waste water discharge permits; 7. Appraise projects and works in areas of water resources basic investigation, planning, plans and projects related to protection, exploitation, utilization and development of water resources 8. International cooperation in water resources areas 9. Implement function as Office of National Water Resources Council (NWWRC) was established to advise the Government of Viet Nam on issues related to water resources required Government’s approval. 10. Inspect and deal with claims, denunciations and disputes on water resources

Water resources status in Viet Nam Annual average Rainfall (Xo) 1,960 mm Total annual discharge of all rivers is about 840-850.109 m3, incoming flow volume from outside is 500-510 109 m3, total flow volume generated inside is about 340 109 m3 (40%). The Mekong River's total runoff accounts for 59% of the total national runoff, followed by the Red River with 14.9%. VN has about 2,378 rivers over 10 km long which have a perennial flow, and 15 basins with an area of more than 2,500 km2 of which 10 river basins are of over 10,000 km2 in area. These account for 80% of the total area of Vietnam.

Main river systems in VietNam Basin over 10.000 km2 Basin 2.500 – 10.000 km2 Bang Giang - Ky Cung Thach Han Hong (Red) and Thai binh Huong Ma Tra Khuc Ca Kone Vu Gia - Thu Bon Gianh Ba Srepok Se San Dong Nai Cuu Long

The density of Water Utilization of 9 major river basins in Viet Nam

The density of Water Utilization of 9 major river basins in Viet Nam (continue)

The density of Water Utilization of 9 major river basins in Viet Nam (continue)

Water resources Management in Viet Nam In the past: - Promote of water demand - Investment focus on water resources infrastructures development Present: Management of water utilization requirement: include of: - Water quality management - Water quantity management

Legal documents on water resources The law on water resources(20/Aug/1998) Secondary legal documents: The Decree on stipulating the implementation of the law on water resources (30/Dec/1999) The Decree on Water resource information management (19/Dec/2003) The Decree on Licensing for exploitation, utilization, use and discharge waste water (27/july/2004) The Decree Integrated river basin management (submitting) The Decree on sanctions against administrative violations of water resources management regulations (17/march/2005) The National strategy on water resources to 2020 (14/Apr/2006) …..

Challenges and Proposed measures on IWRM There are still many shortcomings in terms of planning, management, utilization and protection of water resources in comparison with country development needs A number of water-related challenges have increased in recent times, water quality is deteriorating in many areas due to urban and industrial activities and saline water intrusion is increasing as dry season river flows are reduced, local and seasonal shortages are increasing, causing impacts on water users and environment. The recently established DWRM operating in a complex policy environment attempting to bring a strategic approach to water resource management but has limited experience in development policy and planning activities for water resources Proposes National Water Resources Strategy National goals for water Water resource economics tools to river basin planning; policy development, and water resource protection, management and allocations, etc...

Background, issues, challenges (next) Issues, challenges - Population increasing and Industrialization - Policies and secondary legislation under the Law on Water Resources are not complete. the capacity to develop strong policy and secondary legislation is limited. - Some overlap of responsibilities among Government’ Agencies. - Lack of integrated river basin planning and management - Low Institutional and capacity - Ineffective in Inspection and enforcement and conflict resolution activities. - Water resources data and information is still scatted, Monitoring networks are insufficient, data quality is not high - Level of awareness, skills and technology for integrated water resources management fairly low at both the national and provincial level. - Budget for water resources development and management is limited and has not met the demand of the sector. - Lack of long term financial strategy including state budget, international assistance, private investment and using fees.

Vision and concrete action - Developing National Strategy for Protection and Sustainable Development of Water Resources of which the National Goals for Water Resources is one of the leading component of the National Strategy. - Inventory appraisal for Water resource - Review and update the Law on Water Resources other By-law to create legal corridor for water resources management. - Priority policy in the water sector - Developing and upgrading water Resources monitoring network - Integrated river basins planning and Management, - Long term financial investment strategy - Information exchange network among the water resources coordination and management agencies for international rivers. - Water resources information system and provide timely and accurate information for the water resources users. - Effective operation of water resources inspection.

Achievements - Legal documents on water resources management - Development of National water profile - International cooperating on water resources with many other countries and international organizations such as: China, Norway, Australia,... ADB, World Bank,...; Participating on Mekong river Commission; Development of water quality rules on Mekong river - Participation of people on water resources protection - Scientific and technological research has been conducted in the field of water resources - Development of water resources monitoring network - Investment on water resources management such as: improvement of water quality in some main rivers; application of technology on production.....

Achievements (cont) Water development works: such as: Reservoir Catchments (km2) Volume (bill.m3) Irrigated Area (ha) Hydropower (MW) Hoa Binh 51,700 9,450 1,920 Thac Ba 6,100 2,940 108 Tri An 14,600 2,760 4200 Dau Tieng 2,700 1,580 72,000 Thac Mo 2,200 1,370 150 Yaly 7,455 1,037 720 Phu Ninh 235 414 23,000 Song Hinh 772 357 66 Ke Go 223 345 17,000

Priority order action plans (according to National strategy on water resources to 2020) 1. Program of national water resources inventory, assessment and development of water resources database, information system. 2. Program of water resources sharing (priority for domestic water) and ensuring of power generation for the important hydropower works in drought case 3. Program of water resources allocation and regulation for ensuring security of water resources for water scarcity provinces 4. Program of plants structure conversion for utilizing effectively water resources 5. Program of development of inter-reservoirs regulations in these important river basins 6. Program of ground water protection in the major cities

Priority order action plans (according to National strategy on water resources to 2020) 7. Program of implementation of water service socialization, development of the multi-sectors water economic for matching the market economic and socialist orientation 8. Program of protection of the valuable aquatic species 9. Program of definition and ensuring of environmental flow, maintaining aquatic ecosystems for reservoirs, water resources, water works. 10. Program of protective forests reservation and recovery in these river basin of the major reservoirs 11. Program of development of hydropower reservoirs management mechanism for developing the economic, tourism, environment protection and for improving people life around reservoir entrails

Priority order action plans (according to National strategy on water resources to 2020) 12. Program of bilateral cooperation with these neighbor countries in water survey; water resources information and data sharing; trans-boundary water protection, utilization and exploitation 13. Program of dykes-ocean, dykes-estuary systems consolidation, upgrading and modernization. 14. Project of water resources law reform 15. Program of economic instruments on water resources management 16. Program of water resources education, communication and awareness 17. Program of compilation of water resources education, training for school 18. Program of the whole people in participating water resources protection