A wide range of latest products and services applied in urban water supply management, drainage, environmental hygiene, irrigation, wastewater treatment and water filtering technology are on display at an international exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.

The 6th Vietwater 2014 Expo & Forum that opened on November 12 drew the participation of 300 businesses from 32 countries worldwide, including the US, Israel, France, Nrway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Construction Cao Lai Quang said the country’s water industry has been facing a number of obstacles to achieve greater coverage of water supply services and better wastewater treatment.

The obstacles range from water source pollution, climate change, funding, management, technology to public awareness, he noted.

Within the framework of the three-day event, a number of several seminars are held to address the industry’s issues.

The event offers a platform for international professionals, entrepreneurs and decision-makers to discuss and seek solutions for potential challenges in the sector, notably limited access to ODA funding in the coming time, said M. Gandhi, Managing Director of UBM Asia.

Transactions worth millions of US dollars are expected to take place at the event, he added.

On the same day, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) held a meeting for over 100 Vietnamese businesses and 37 Japanese enterprises to seek cooperation in wastewater treatment. The meeting was also part of the expo.-VNA