Hanoi (VNA) – The Netherlands has committed to promoting the application of its Sand Motor technology and other advanced initiatives in Vietnam to meet economic development needs while protecting natural resources and ensuring sustainable, nature-based growth, Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Kees van Baar told Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at their meeting in Hanoi on August 14.
At the reception, the deputy PM underlined the long-term strategic partnership between the two countries in climate change response and water resources management, and expressed his appreciation for the Netherlands’ long-standing cooperation with Vietnam in related projects, especially in the Mekong Delta.
Given the high demand for construction sand for transport infrastructure and socio-economic development projects, Ha said Dutch enterprises, with their technology and expertise in exploiting and processing marine sand into construction material, could help determine sustainable extraction costs and capacities for Vietnam’s marine sand mines, thereby providing sustainable building materials.
He also hoped the European nation would share its “Sand Motor” model – a method for studying the impacts of waves, tides, and currents on the movement and shape of sand formations in coastal areas, so that Vietnam could apply it directly to both protect the environment and meet development needs.
The Deputy PM further proposed that the two sides strengthen cooperation in water resource management and planning, such as irrigation works in Vietnam’s Red River basin, to retain water during the dry season, prevent saltwater intrusion, and secure freshwater for major urban areas in the Southeast Asian country.
Ambassador Kees van Baar affirmed that the Netherlands will work with several international organisations to support Vietnam in sustainable water resource management, environmental impact assessment, knowledge and experience sharing, and provision of both grant aid and loans./.
source
