The Vietnamese and German governments will enhance cooperation in managing water resources, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said at a conference in Hanoi on Oct 27. The conference, which is part of German Year in Vietnam 2010, is aimed to raise capability in protecting and managing water resources sustainably, improve the public health and maintain ecosystems. The ministry also emphasized the necessity of reasonably using and managing water resources which are likely to be affected by climate change and industrial wastewater in the coming years. Vietnam may have to face a severe shortage of water soon due to its rising population and degraded water resources, Deputy Head of the Water Resources Management Department Le Huu Thuan under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment attributed. Surface water sources are being polluted seriously due to wastewater from companies and mining industry, especially in cities, industrial parks, craft villages and rural areas. Vietnam’s water resources are limited and getting more degraded if strong measures are not timely adopted as two third of Vietnam’s water volume come from foreign countries, Thuan added. Also at the event, MARD officials and the German Water Partnership (GWP) signed a cooperation deal on water source management. (vovnews.vn Oct 27)
