Vietnam, Japan Cooperate in Irrigation Management

Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Nguyen Xuan Cuong and Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ishii Keiichi inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on irrigation management in Hanoi on Aug 8. The MoU on irrigation management will be carried out within a number of activities involving the operation of irrigation projects, natural calamity management and climate change adaption. Accordingly, the cooperative areas include irrigation planning; construction, operation and maintenance of irrigation constructions; natural disaster prevention and mitigation; and climate change adaption. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will conduct surveys to improve infrastructure in Vietnam in response to climate change, address the damage caused by drought as well as reduce natural disasters, Mr. Keiichii said. In the coming time, the two sides will enhance dialogues, exchange information, share experience and discuss to handle drought and coast erosion, he added. Vietnam has a coastline of 3,260 kilometers, one third of which is seriously damaged by erosion. The Southeast Asian nation has to re-organize the production structure and objects in the Mekong Delta region, Mr. Cuong said, adding that the MARD hoped to study from Japan’s experience as well as strengthen exchange information cooperation in the field of climate change adaption in order to promote the potentials and limit possible negative consequences to the economy and people's lives. (chinhphu.vn Aug 8)