JICA aids central region in urban water supply

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide technical assistance to a project on human resources development for the urban water sector in the central region of Vietnam.
The Japan International CooperationAgency (JICA) will provide technical assistance to a project on humanresources development for the urban water sector in the central regionof Vietnam.

An agreement to this effect was signed in Hanoi on March 19 between the Ministry of Construction and the JICA.

The project will enhance regional water supply companies’ awareness ofhuman resource management, work out short-term training courses for thesector’s officials and workers, and deploy the pilot application ofoperations handbooks at a number of companies.

JICA Chief Representative Motonori Tsuno said at the signing ceremony,under Vietnam ’s National Target Development Programme, Japan isjoining hands with the nation to carry out many projects, especially ininfrastructure.

The newly-signed project will both upgrade water supply systems andimprove the quality of human resources for the central region’s watersector, he added.

Deputy Minister of Construction Cao Lai Quang said Vietnam now has morethan 440 water supply systems, which have a total designed capacity of5.9 million cu.m per day.

However, there remain various shortcomings in urban water supply suchas high loss rate (30 percent), low service coverage (70 percent) andunstable quality of water, the deputy minister said./.

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