Progress of Water Environmental
Governance/Management and Future
Challenges in Vietnam
The Second International Workshop and the Sixth Annual Meetingfor Water Environmental Partnership in Asia (WEPA)
23‐24 February 2011
Tokyo, Japan

Hoang Duc Hanh1, Nguyen The Dong2*
1Da Nang Environmental Technology Center‐Institute of Environmental
Technology‐VAST
2* VietNam Environmental Admistration

Content
 State of water quality
 Changes of Organisational Arrangement related toWater Quality Management (changes in duringJanuary 2004 to March 2011)
 Water Quality Management Policies
 Changes in Laws, Regulations, Standards (in January
2004 ‐ March 2011) Goals of Water Quality Management Policy in short‐/mid‐term (2‐10 years) to follow after April 2011
 Challenges

I. State of water qualily Vietnam has a dense river network. Rivers with a length ofover 10 km total about 2,372 comprising 13 large riversystems with a total area of 10,000 km2. The 13 river basins,
10 of which are trans‐boundary systems, cover 80% of thecountry's territory. Basins of the 9 largest river systems,
which include Red, Thai Binh, Bang Giang ‐ Ky Cung, Ma,Ca La, Thu Bon, Ba, Dong Nai and Cuu Long, account for
90% of the total river basins nationwide.

An introduction to Cau, Nhue-Day river-Cau river has 6.230 km2, and 288 km long,passes through Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Vinh
Phuc, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong provinces
and Hanoi before it merges with Thai Binh river.

The Day/Nhue sub-Basin covers some
7,958 km2, 2.4% of the area of Vietnam. Itcovers Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh,
Hanoi city and Hoa Binh

Cau river basin
Table 1. Some typical craft villages in Bac Ninh province

Villages

Number of production
est/households

Phong Khe paper
production village

64Phu Lam paper
production village
Da Hoi steel and ironproduction village
Van Monleadandvillage

450

aluminium 80-120
casting

Waste
volume m3/day

water BOD
kg/day3.500

1.000-1.500

2.000-2.500

260-330

15.000600-675

500-1.000

5-25

content

Source: Bac Ninh DONRE, 2006

Cause of pollution
The main wastewater in thai nguyen
13.9%

Mining

0.7%

Minerals

2.5%
0.3%

22.1%

1.5%

Mechanics
Material construction
production

59.0%

Food processing
Hospital
Domestic

Proportion of wastewater volumes discharged toNhue-Day RiverProportion of industries discharging wastewater to rivers in the Day/Nhue• Source: Institute of Geography, 2005, SOE Report 2006

Estimating the discharge of domestic wastewater in Hanoi city
Item2005

2010

2020

2,230,300

2,666,240

3,011,163

140

180

200

365.702431.930542.000

kilo/day

1,281,875

1,620,000

2,218,750

tonne/year

467,884

591,300

809,844kilo/day

1,085,000

1.360.000

1.850.000

tonne/year

396,025

496,400

675,250

kilo/day

888,125

1,100,000

1,481,250

tonne/year

324,166

401,500

540,656

Hanoi population in Nhue River catchment
Water supply standard for urban people(average litre/person/day)Domestic water volume (calculated at 90%
reliability of water supply for domestic) (m3/day)

BODCODSSSources: The water supply decisive planning of Hanoi & Hanoi drainage project period (2003 – 2010)

Current water quality
Very goodGood
AveragePollute
High pollutedThủ Dầu MộtBien hoa
TP.HCM

Vung tau2. Changes of Organisational Arrangement related to Water Quality
Management (changes in during January 2004 to March 2011)
Responsibilities relating to the water resources of some ministriess relating to the water
resources of some ministries
Management of water resources, water quality
MinistryofNatural
Make plans on the use, overall management andResources
andprotection of water resources in the principle river
Environment
basins
Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, flood and storm prevention, rural watersupply, management of hydraulic engineering andRural Development
dykes
Ministry of Planning andInvestment
Ministry of Industry
MinistryofTechnology

Give guidelines to, and check, ministries and sectors
on the preparation and implementation of theStrategy on socio-economic development
Hydropower development via Vietnam Electricity
CorporationScience& Appraise the drafts and publicize the water quality
standards prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment
Manage the urban public works; design and build up theMinistry of Construction
urban water supply and discharge works.
Manage and develop the transportation on water;
Ministry of Transportation
manage aquatic engineering and port system
Ministry of Fishery
Ministry of Health
Ministry of FinanceManage the water for aquaculture and aquatic products
processing
Manage drinking water quality; be responsible forpreparing and supervising the water quality standards
Prepare the policy on tax and fees for water resources

3. Water Quality Management Policies
On 13/2/2006, MONRE issued the Decisions approving thepreliminary Projects and total estimates for water resource
planning in Dong Nai river basin, the southern central region ofVietnam (Trung Bo) and the key economic zones of North
Vietnam (Bac Bo).
These planning projects have purposes as follows:
1. Establishing the general framework for water resource
protection, exploitation, development and utilisation; prevent,minimize damage caused by water.
2. Develop the principles and activities necessary for thesustainable and overall management and utilisation of water
resources in the river basin.
(source “Environment report of Viet Nam 2006”)

4. Changes in Laws, Regulations, Standards (inJanuary 2004 ‐ March 2011)
The National Water Resources Council shall be responsible for advising Government and the Prime
Minister on important decisions on water resources; decisions on ensuring the proper coordination ofactions and activities of concerned ministries, sectors and localities in the implementation of this National
Water Resources Strategy towards the Year 2020, in an effective manner.
 The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has the following duties:‐ Organising and directing the implementation of the measures and objectives of this Strategy; providing theconcerned ministries, sectors and localities with guidance and supervision in development andimplementation of programmes.
‐ Directing reviews, inventories and assessments which are to be carried out and directing and coordinatingwith the concerned ministries, sectors and localities in the implementation of the projects of high priority(specified below).
‐ Taking the lead and coordinating with the concerned ministries, sectors, localities and authorities in carryingout monitoring and inspection; carrying out periodic (annual, five‐year, etc.) reviews and assessments of
the Strategy implementation and drawing experiences and lessons for improvements and/ormodifications in next period; submitting for the Prime Minister's approval regarding the amendment
and/or modification of objectives and contents as required.
 The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance take the lead and coordinate with
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other concerned ministries and sectors inallocating and balancing annual investment budgets for effectively achieving the Strategy
objectives. Ministries, sectors and localities, as per their assigned functions and duties, are responsible
for the implementation of the high priority projects of this Strategy (listed hereafter)

List of High Priority Projects for Implementation of theNational Water Resources Strategy in the Period 2006‐2010

 Inventory, assessment of the national water resources and establishment of nationalwater resources information and data system
Implementing agency: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;
Participating agencies: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry ofIndustry, Ministry of Construction; concerned ministries and sectors and people'scommittees of provinces, cities under Central Government management (hereinafterreferred to as provincial people's committees).
 Water resources sharing with priority given to domestic uses and securing water for
power generation of key hydropower plants in cases of drought occurrence
Implementing agency: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;
Participating agencies: Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Ministry of Construction; concerned ministries, sectors and provincial
people's committees.
 Water allocation and regulation for water security for provinces of severe water
shortageImplementing agency: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;
Participating agencies: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, people's
committees of the Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Central Highlands provinces.

5. Goals of Water Quality Management Policy in short‐/mid‐term (2‐10 years) to follow after April 2011
 Master Plan on the Protection and Sustainable Development of theLandscape and Ecological Environment of Cau river basin Guidance viewpoints:+ Protection of the landscape and ecological environment of Cau River Basin is along‐term and recurring task requiring high commitment and focus ofinvestment resources of local governments and communities along the basinwith support from the state budget.
+ The protection of the landscape and ecological environment of Cau River
Basin should be comprehensively carried out across the entire basin acrossadministrative borders,, integrating water quality preservation together with
sufficient water supply.
+ Overcome the practice of unplanned sand and gravel exploitation within the riverand protect the stable natural cross section of the river.
+ Protect alluvial deposits and forests to achieve regulated quality in order toovercome water short‐ age in dry months and preserve, restore and develop aclean natural environment and conserve bio‐ diversity in the entire basin.
+ Develop and gradually complete the basin environmental organization andmanagement model; develop necessary mechanisms and policies to create
favorable conditions for strengthening state management; promote thesocialization of environmental protection in the basin.

 The main tasks are:+ Complete assessment of the status and basic prevention of theincreased rate of environmental pollution in Cau River Basin.
+ Strengthen state management efficiency and effectiveness in theentire basin.
+ Diversify investment resources to attract and effectively utilise
resources with appropriate incentive mechanisms to overcome andtreat pollution, in order to protect, restore and develop natural
resources and environment in Cau River Basin.
+ Promote international cooperation in terms of multilateral andbilateral cooperation with different nations, internationalorganizations and non‐governmental organisations for thecooperation, experience sharing, advanced technology; and encourageand create favorable conditions for Ministries, sectors and provinces tomobilize international bilateral and multi‐lateral donor sources andODA funds to quickly promote the implementation of this Master Plan.

6. Challenges

 Staff is lacking and Limited capacity
 Financial investment
 Environmental monitoring and information
 Databases and information system Conflict Resolution

THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION