ADB to Fund $1B for Vietnam Water System Development by 2020

The Asia Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to lend $1 billion to help develop water supply system in Vietnam in the 2011-2020 period, said the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction’s Department of Infrastructure. Of the sum, $250 million will be spent on preventing clean water leakage and loss, while $1.5 million will go to a project this year on raising public awareness and improving management ability of local authorities, the department said.
Under the project, equipping modern devices to prevent water waste will be included, the department added. To make the project more effective, the ministry will join hands with other ministries and agencies to call on more official development assistance (ODA) from the ADB, the World Bank and other organizations.  Water leakage costs Vietnam an estimated VND165 trillion ($7.89 billion) per year, therefore, the country aims to cut the rate in clean water to below 25% by 2015 from 30% in 2009. (vovnews.vn Feb 15, vietnamplus.vn Feb 15)