Nguyen Minh Khuyen, Deputy Director General of the Water Resources Management Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, announced that the ministry will soon submit a comprehensive proposal to the Prime Minister focused on restoring degraded, depleted, and polluted water sources - prioritizing efforts to bring life back to Vietnam’s “dead rivers.”

On August 16, the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD-VCCI), part of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), hosted a media session on sustainable development, focusing on improved governance and water resource conservation.

Nguyen Quang Vinh, Vice Chairman of VCCI and Chairman of VBCSD, emphasized that water governance is vital for economic growth, energy security, and social stability. However, many small and medium-sized enterprises still lack financial resources, technology, and regulatory support to adapt to sustainable practices.

Over the past 50 years, global water demand has tripled due to population growth, agriculture, industrialization, and urban expansion. According to Nguyen Minh Khuyen, Vietnam now faces mounting challenges, including water pollution and resource conflicts.

International assessments indicate that Vietnam’s national water security currently scores just 2 out of 5, placing it in a high-risk category. For comparison, Indonesia scores 3 out of 5, while South Korea and Australia reach the highest level at 4 out of 5. Khuyen warned that water security remains severely underappreciated in Vietnam.

To address the issue, Khuyen outlined a set of key strategies that the ministry will coordinate with other ministries and localities. These include combating drought, saltwater intrusion, and water pollution - especially in the Mekong Delta - building a national water database, and developing basin-wide tools to regulate and allocate water resources.

Starting this year, Vietnam will publish annual water availability scenarios by river basin to help provinces proactively plan their water use. The plan prioritizes ensuring clean water access for residents and explores regional linkages to enhance water storage, regulation, and supply for both household use and economic development.

A major highlight is the ministry’s forthcoming proposal to restore degraded and depleted water sources, with special focus on reviving “dead rivers.” The plan also calls for investments in major infrastructure projects, including water storage, salinity regulation, freshwater reservoirs, clean water supply systems, flood prevention structures, and modern monitoring and early warning systems.

Vietnam will also promote public-private partnerships (PPP) in the water sector to mobilize social resources, with priority given to wastewater treatment, river restoration, upstream forest regeneration, and building a national water data and monitoring network.

Incentives such as tax breaks, green credit programs, and gradual adjustments to water pricing and service fees aligned with market principles will also be included in the strategy.

Tien Phong