Viet Nam Water Action: Sharing Water in Viet Nam

7/31/2019 Viet Nam Water Action: Sharing Water in Viet Nam

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Country water actions are stories that showcase water reforms undertaken by individuals,

communities, organizations, and governments in Asia-Pacific countries and elsewhere.

Coun t ry Wat e r Act ions

V iet Na m : Sh ar i n g Wa te r i n V iet Na mOctober 2004

BACKGROUND

Viet Nam has undergone a major reform and renovation of its economy in the past 20 years - from a centrally plannedcommand economy to a "market economy with socialistdirection. " The country's new economic developmentstrategies and plans aim:

"To bring Viet Nam out of underdevelopment,and improve noticeably the people's materialand spiritual life, to lay the foundations formaking ours basically a modern-orientedindustrialized country by 2020", and

"To achieve a rapid and sustainable economicgrowth … To multiply job opportunities;eradicate basically hunger, reduce the numberof poor households; … stabilise and improvethe people's well-being. To continue enhancingthe socio-economic infrastructures; take amajor step in establishing the institution of asocialist-oriented market economy."

The specific goals for economicgrowth and poverty reductiongoals set by the Government arechallenging. For example, it aimsto double the nation's GDPbetween 2000 and 2010, and toreduce by 75% the number of

people living under theinternational food poverty line by2010.

Although the NationalGovernment has a strongeconomic development focus forthe future, it also sees that thismust go hand in hand withenvironmental protection and enhancement. TheGovernment believes that the "environmental protection …is an indispensable part of socio-economic developmentpolicies and plans at all levels of authorities and sectors,and an important basis to ensure sustainable developmentand industrialisation and modernisation of the country to besuccessfully achieved."

At the highest policy level, therefore, the Government of Viet Nam recognises that water is essential for life - forhuman consumption, health and sanitation, and to supportagricultural and fisheries production and many industrialactivities. Water provides a key source of energy and animportant means of transportation. Adequate water is alsoessential to ensure healthy rivers, lakes, wetlands andaquifers, on which the entire community depends for itsfuture.

The Law on Water Resources also recognises the specialimportance of water for all people - "water for living", for thebasic human needs of drinking, eating and sanitation. Intimes of shortages, "water for living" has the first priority.There are also measures requiring of the protection thequality of water resources.

Careful sharing of water is therefore needed. The way inwhich water is shared and the rights which this willestablish, including for "water for living" and for theenvironment, will determine how well national goals forsocio-economic development, poverty reduction andenvironmental protection are met.

WATER QUANTI TY AND DEMANDS

Viet Nam's rainfall and runoff arehighly uneven. While averageannual rainfall is about 2000millimetres, more than 70percent in most areas comes in a3 or 4 month rainy season.During the dry season the runoff of some rivers may be a smallfraction of total yearly runoff.

About two thirds of Viet Nam'swater originates from catchmentsin neighbouring countries. Despitethe total abundant waterresources overall, the dependencyon upstream countries and theuneven distribution have made Viet Nam's ranking low inSoutheast Asia's water availability per capita (4,170m3/person compared to the average of 4,900 m3/person inSoutheast Asia and 3,300 m3/person in Asia).

About 3,600 dams and reservoirs in Viet Nam now controlthe natural flow of rivers - around 15% are assessed aslarge or medium. They have been constructed for multiplepurposes - flood control, irrigation, hydropower and watersupply.

The availability of groundwater varies across the country,with some regions having access to abundant supplies.Although less than 5% of the total groundwater reserves areextracted, in some areas excessive and concentrated waterextraction is causing problems of falling water tables -leading to land subsidence and salinity intrusion.

In Viet Nam, irrigation makes the largest demand on waterresources. Of the direct water abstraction from groundwaterand rivers nearly 84% are for agricultural purposes. Totalirrigation demand is projected to increase by about 15% by2010.



Supply of clean drinking water to households is nowprovided to 60 percent of Viet Nam's population. Inaddition, sectors such as fisheries (including aquaculture),industries, hydropower, services and transport also makedemands on the country's water resources. Industrycurrently comprises about 6.5% of the extracted water, butthe demand is ever increasing with the rapid economicdevelopment of Viet Nam.

Water is also essential for the maintenance of the natural

environment and for human needs. The freshwaters of VietNam are typically rich in flora and fauna biodiversityincluding species of fish, shrimp, crab, snail, mussels,amphibians, insects and plants. In different fresh watersystems, there are about totally 20 species of freshwaterweeds; 1402 species of algae; 782 of invertebrates; 544 of fish species and 52 species of crabs.

Water resources commonly have a high level of cultural orpersonal significance for all communities, particularly thoseoutside of cities and towns. The importance of natural watersources to the Viet Nam people in rural areas is particularlyhigh, as they frequently provide the focus for economic,social and cultural activities. These are often the poor andpeople affected by poverty.

THE I MPORTANCE OF ESTABLI SHI NG RI GHTS TO

TAKE AND USE WATER

In many areas, the demands on Viet Nam's water resourceshave reached such a level that during the long dry monthsthere is growing conflict between the various human uses.Also, the water requirements to maintain sustainableecosystems have not yet been taken into account.

Formal arrangements for sharing water in Viet Nam arecurrently being developed. The Law on Water Resourcesprovides for priority for "water for living" and for a licensingsystem, but this has not yet been implemented. The Lawalso recognises the rights of people to take and use surfacewater and underground water, without a license, for smallscale family use in living, including for agriculture, forestryproduction, aquaculture, small industry and handicraft

production and other purposes.

There are two implications from not having a formallicensing system. Firstly, water can currently be extractedwith little overall constraint, providing no protection for"water for living," nor for the integrity and health of thedifferent water sources - rivers, aquifers, lakes, wetlandsetc. - on which the people of Viet Nam and so many otherproductive businesses depend.

Secondly, the lack of a sound licensing system provides apoor basis for business investment. Viet Nam is currentlyencouraging new industries and agricultural developments,and is increasingly seeking greater levels of involvement byprivate sector companies in the water sector. However,these developments are taking place without any clearunderstanding of what the rights are in terms of long-term

access to water, which could eventually lead to decreasedor inefficient investments.

This will also be important in relation to resolvingcompetition for water. With greater levels of economicactivity depending on access to a reliable water supply,competition for and conflicts over water in the dry times willonly increase. Defining the shares in the dry season flows(including those for the environment and those for "waterfor living", which have highest priority), ensuring that thethe poor are not marginalized in favor of the new economicinvestments, and then distributing those shares amongcompeting users will be critical for establishing a soundbasis for economic investment.

CURRENT MEASURES TO SHARE W ATER

The overall framework for sharing water will be establishedunder the National Water Resources Strategy, currentlybeing prepared. Viet Nam has already hosted variousworkshops on water rights approaches and is consultingwith a various stakeholders on what approach will be takenin implementing water rights solutions in the country.

It is important that the sharing of water uses occurs in atwo-stage process (see diagram). The first critical decision isthe sharing of water between the environment and otherusers. The second, and subsequent levels, involve sharingwater between these other users.

The provision of water to sustain the health of watersystems (environmental water) is critical. However, indeveloping countries like Viet Nam, this factor is often notconsidered during the initial development phase.

If this share is not properly established, the rivers oraquifers on which the social and economic development of Viet Nam depends will be under increasing threat. Forexample, if an aquifer is destroyed through over-extraction

or pollution, then the people who depend on that aquifer forliving water or for their livelihood will have to find otherwater sources or put in costly treatment facilities. This canhave a devastating effect on local communities, particularlythe poor who so often rely on natural systems for theirwater and livelihoods.

The environmental share must be provided by agreed policydecisions affecting how dams and infrastructure on riversare operated, and how water extraction is administeredwithin rivers and aquifers. Viet Nam has recognised that thisprocess is best determined on a river basin or aquifer basis.

River basin planning will be an important aspect of futurewater management under the National Water ResourcesStrategy. Resolution of competing interests for, or conflictsover, access to water is best addressed on a river basin

basis. Only at that level can the competing interests of theenvironment, water for living, towns, irrigation, industry,power generation, etc be assessed in terms of the highlyvariable natural flow regimes of each river source. The riverbasin plans will also include measures to protect the vital"water for living" requirements.

To give effect to this, the Government is considering moreeffective arrangements to establish and implement riverbasin management.



Once the sharing arrangements are established, then the licensing system will be the means to give effect to the shares -providing businesses and communities with the definition of their rights to access water and the conditions under which this canoccur. The Government is currently establishing the details of its licensing system, again in consultation with stakeholders anddevelopment partners.

CONCLUSI ON

Establishing clear rights to access water is a fundamental task for all countries. However, it is a very complex issue and will oftenhave to be undertaken with little factual information about the current demands for water for all purposes - including theenvironment and "water for living". Therefore, Viet Nam will need to undertake this in an iterative way, making decision on thebest information possible, building in review provisions as the information base improves.

However, the most important thing is to start the process. Water sharing and establishing clear rights to access water is critical tothe socio-economic development of the country and to the maintenance of basic human rights and poverty reduction.

_______________________________

This Water Action reflects the views of Viet Nam's Department of Water Resources Management under the Ministry of Natural Resources and

Environment toward sharing water resources in the country. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian

Development (ADB), or its Board of Directors or the governments they represent.

*This article was first published online at ADB's Water for All website in October 2004: http://www.adb.org/water/actions/VIE/VIE-sharing-water.asp.

The Country Water Action series was developed to showcase reforms and good practices in the water sector undertaken by ADB’s member countries. It

offers a mix of experience and insights from projects funded by ADB and those undertaken directly by civil society, local governments, the private

sector, media, and the academe. The Country Water Actions are regularly featured in ADB’s Water for All News, which covers water sector developments

in the Asia and Pacific region.

http://www.adb.org/sectors/water

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Viet Nam Water Action: Sharing Water in Viet Nam