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.

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 of human resource management, work out short-term training courses for the sector’s officials and workers, and deploy the pilot application of operations handbooks at a number of companies.

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

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

Deputy Minister of Construction Cao Lai Quang said Vietnam now has more than 440 water supply systems, which have a total designed capacity of 5.9 million cu.m per day.

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