Comprehensive and effective solutions to reduce water shortages during sustainable development have become a pressing need in many countries in the world, including developing ones like Vietnam.
Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate with an annual average rainfall of 1,960 millimetres, reaching 3,000 to 4,000 millimetres or standing well below 1,000 millimetres in some areas.
According to researchers, domestic water capacity could drop by 10-20 percent in the next 50-60 years due to rapid climate change.
Like many other Asian countries, Vietnam used water resources for daily activities, agricultural production and the industry and service sector. The country uses about 80.6 billion cubic metres of water every year.
The figure is expected to increase to about 120 billion cubic metres by 2020, up 48 percent. Water for irrigation is forecast to escalate by 30 percent;for industry 190 percent; for urban areas 150 percent; and for aquaculture 90 percent.
Understanding the significance and condition of water resources, the Vietnamese Government has set forth solutions on water usage and water resources development such as the Law on Water Resources and sub-law documents, as well as worked to increase community awareness of water resource protection.
However, planning and managing water resources in Vietnam overlap with many sectors, hindering the efficiency of the work.
The managing and development of water resources are a prominent issue not only in Vietnam but also in advanced countries around the world.
Water resources management should focus on planning management activities and policy making; minimise the impacts of climate change, and introduce suitable solutions to cope with climate change.-VNA
