VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City is set to improve management of its water resources and the efficiency of its water supply system to ensure there is enough water for the growing population and economy.

Addressing a World Bank forum on water management held in the city yesterday, Oct 20, Le Minh Tri, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, said rapid economic growth, a burgeoning population, and the impact of climate change had negatively affected the city's water resources.

"In that context, managing and exploiting water resources efficiently is a challenge for the sustainable development of the city," he said, adding that the city of more than 10 million needed around 2 million cubic metres of water a day.

The need would rise to 2.7 million cubic metres in 2015 and would continue to increase to 3.5 million cubic metres.

However, there were several challenges that affected both the availability and quality of water, sourced mostly from the Sai Gon and Dong Nai rivers, because of pollution, salination and reduction in rainfall.

Low awareness of the exploitation and usage of water resources had resulted in the severe degradation of water resources.

While the city's groundwater had been overexploited, there was huge wastage by the industrial and agricultural sectors and domestic consumers.

A decrepit supply system and poor management were also problems.

Foreign experts told the forum that local authorities had to do much work to create an efficient water management system, which required a clear vision and coherent system.

Marcus Howard, an infrastructure adviser of Australian agency AusAID, said urban development brought with it many challenges to water supply.

He listed 10 things that needed to be right in management of water supply and water resources, including a national policy, strong leadership and good governance, long-term planning, and appropriate technologies.

Tri said the city planned to work with provinces to share water resources from river basins and reservoirs, and with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to strengthen co-operation with neighbouring provinces in water and pollution management.

Besides, city authorities would speed up projects to improve sanitation and launch water conservation campaigns.

They would build reservoirs to collect rainwater and prevent flooding, set up facilities to treat brackish water, and tweak city plans for reducing urban pressure to water resources.

A balance between regulation and a market system would enable rapid improvement in water management, Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, the World Bank's sector manager in China, said.

Experts said high water tariffs could reduce waste by consumers. Howard emphasised the need for reliable water billing and payment services.

Tri said the city was continuing to subsidise water, and this had to be reduced.

Ijjasz-Vasquez said for sustainability, it was necessary to improve management of water used in agriculture where waste and pollution due to pesticides and fertilisers added up to 50 per cent of total volume of water used.

Tri said the city was developing hi-tech agricultural production in Cu Chi District in which water use was four-fifths of that required for traditional agriculture.

But the city could not broaden the application of this model since it required large investments, not something that every farmer could afford.

Experts warned that effective water management was a key to urban development at a time when water was becoming scarce.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News