Vietnam Ministry Oks ADB-funded Rural Water, Environment Project in Central

The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has approved a master plan on a rural clean water supply and environmental sanitation project totaling VND1.04 trillion ($49.52 million) in the central region. Of the sum, VND945 billion come from the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s loan and the rest from the Vietnamese side’s reciprocal capital. The project, is slated to be carried out from now until 2016, will focus on building and improving clean water supply and sanitation services for 350,000 rural residents in six central coastal provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Nam and Binh Dinh. The project is part of a national strategy on supplying clean water in rural areas with an aim to improve health and living conditions of locals. Vietnam targets to help all of its rural population gain access to hygienic fresh water by 2020, compared to the current rate of 40%.  Earlier, the ADB pledged to lend $1 billion to water supply and drainage projects in the Southeast Asian country in the 2010-2020 period. (Ha Noi Moi – New Hanoi Nov 25 p3)