(VOVWORLD) - The head of the UN’s Global Commission on the Economics of Water has highlighted Vietnam’s successes in water usage and management for agricultural production. Tharman Shanmugaratnam told the 43rd Session of the Ministerial-level FAO Conference in Rome from July 1-7 that Vietnam’s water projects have greatly benefited its economy and farmers.
 Irrigation system to supply water for agricultural production in Ha Quang district, Cao Bang province. (photo: nongnghiep.vn) |
Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singaporean Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, said Vietnam’s effective management of water resources will help achieve poverty reduction, climate, and global environment goals. Vietnam has helped farmers install water-saving irrigation systems, including drip and sprinkler irrigation, that save them money and time.
Vietnam has more than 4,000 rivers and streams with an annual flow of more than 840 billion cubic meters. Vietnam has a lot of underground water, with estimated reserves of nearly 92 billion cubic meters per year. The total water volume per capita is 8,600 cubic meters per person per year, higher than the regional and global standards.
Although it has abundant water resources, Vietnam is also one of the countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific that suffers most from natural disasters. In the context of global climate change, increasing natural disaster risks have posed numerous difficulties for Vietnam's water resources.
In order to sustainably manage, protect, and develop water resources, last year the Prime Minister approved a water resource plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050. It is an important foundation for sectoral and regional water usage and development planning. It aims to ensure national water resource security and sustainably manage, protect, and use water. The goal is to harmonize and distribute water resources fairly among localities and users according to the master plan.