VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam is following two solutions in a national program to save water – developing technologies which allow people and businesses to recycle, reuse and minimize the consumption of fresh water; and developing low-cost technologies which allow conversion of sea water into fresh water.

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Mekong River Delta is facing serious drought

Vietnam has 108 river basins, with 3,450 relatively large rivers and streams and total average annual water volume of about 830 billion cubic meters, of which 300 billion cubic meters, or 40 percent, is inside the country's territory, and over 500 billion cubic meters  outside the territory. 

The area of the river basin accounts for 80% of the country’s territory. The average rainfall is 1,960 mm annually.

The underground capacity is estimated at 63 billion cubic meters a year, but it can be exploited only in some areas including the northern and southern deltas and the Central Highlands. 

According to the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), the surface water volume per head in Vietnam was 3,850 cubic meters in 2015 only, with which Vietnam is listed among countries with water deficiency if compared with the average level of 4,000 cubic meters per head per annum.

Ngo Van Mo, deputy head of the Science & Technology Application Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said using water in a safe and effective way and creating fresh water from sea water are two major solutions to the water shortage problem.

He said these were also the solutions that many countries in the world were pursuing. In Perth, Australia. For example, 20 percent of the water volume provided to the area is processed waste water. 

Meanwhile, Israel has a sea water desalination plant which can provide 600,000 cubic meters of water for daily use, satisfying 20 percent of the total demand.

Vietnam has 108 river basins, with 3,450 relatively large rivers and streams and total average annual water volume of about 830 billion cubic meters, of which 300 billion cubic meters, or 40 percent, is inside the country's territory, and over 500 billion cubic meters  outside the territory. 
“If scientists can help convert saltwater into fresh water, we will have a rice-shrimp cultivation model for sustainable development. If only the salinity decreases to below 1/1000,” said Ut Lo, a farmer in Mekong River Delta.

As one of the countries to suffer the most from climate change, Vietnam has been warned that many areas would face serious water shortage. 

The government, therefore, has outlined important policies to encourage the effective use of water.

The government in June 2015 released Decree 54 stipulating that investors who develop works to collect and treat waste water with capacity of 40 cubic meters per day which can meet the national standard in water quality will receive capital support from the state.

The preferences in investment capital will also be given to projects on collection of rainwater for daily use in remote and mountainous areas, and desalination of water to make fresh water for daily use.


Dat Viet