Attending the world's largest water event (the 7th World Water Forum – WWF), which was be held in South Korea, the leaders from over 100 countries have declared commitment to jointly overcome the water challenges and promote water cooperation on a global scale.
Strengthening cooperation
At the 7th World Water Forum, the World Water Council (WWC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have called on governments, businesses to provide financial support for the construction of water infrastructure, aiming to ensure water security to meet the needs of people as well as the global economy.
According to these organizations, since the water demand in agricultural, industrial, and energy activities increases sharply, the infrastructure of water supply needs to be replicated. However, there is a sad fact that investment in water projects has not been focused in comparison with other areas.
President of WWC Benedito Braga acknowledged that in previous years, governments had focused more on water security in their agenda. However, this investment should be adjusted and enhanced more to be consistent with reality, which requires dealing with the challenges of climate change, the increase in population and urbanization rate.
Attending the forum, leaders from over 100 countries reaffirmed that water played the core role in sustainable development, undertook the effort to overcome the water challenges and support water targets in the Development Agenda after 2015. The forum participants also called for strengthening the scientific - technical initiatives and sharing water knowledge, while emphasizing the importance of the application of information technology and communication in the management and planning of water resources.
The reality and efforts of Vietnam
As a populous country, the demand for water is growing in Vietnam. According to experts, only 1/3 of the water in Vietnam is endogenous, the rest is from outside flows into Vietnam; therefore, Vietnam is basically lack of water.
Currently, Vietnam is facing many water challenges. One of the challenges is that 2/3 of the water in the river system of Vietnam forms outside the territory, while the mechanisms and policies of cooperation to share water between countries are not effective. Moreover, the state of wasting water is common, leading to depleting this precious and important resource.
The government of Vietnam evaluates that water is the key to ensure economic and social development; is fundamental to poverty reduction, affecting the livelihoods of billions of people. The government is always interested in appropriate and effective management, exploitation and use to promote strengths, and limit weaknesses. Each locality, industry, and individual saves water and works together to exploit the water resource efficiently.
Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment – the State management body of water resource is setting up the corridor of water, watershed forest and groundwater exploitation and protection; combination of planning and inspections, handling water violations; implementing water use efficiency through mechanisms and policies on finance; building the system to monitor pollution treatment, primarily in the Central Region, Tay Nguyen and trans-boundary rivers.
Evaluation of the water management, Mrs. Victoria Kwaka - World Bank Director in Vietnam said that to solve the water problems, Vietnam needed interdisciplinary cooperation from the international to national and local level.
Therefore, the Vietnam delegation led by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources & Environment Nguyen Thai Lai to participate WWF expresses the interest as well as the determination of Vietnam together with the international community to solve this global problem.