Vietnam Faces Many Challenges to Water Security: NA Vice Chairman
Vietnam faces many challenges to water security, including water pollution, impacts of climate change, ineffective water coordination, uneven water distribution, and high water demand, said Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai.
At a water security and insecurity workshop held in central Binh Dinh province on September 11, Mr. Hai informed the guests that Vietnam’s water demand has tripled over the past 50 years. While the annual surface water volume in Vietnam is about 830 billion cubic meters, 63% of it is generated by river basins outside the Vietnamese territory.
He also cited the World Bank’s data as saying that Vietnam’s water use value is about one-tenth of the global average, while the rate of water loss from urban and rural living water supply is still high at 20%-25%, and the figure recorded in irrigation is about 30%.
Concluding the event, the NA Vice Chairman called on experts and scientists to contribute solutions to these matters, expecting to promote cooperation with the regional and international community in ensuring national water security and reducing disagreements on sustainable exploitation and use of water.