A national meeting to mark World Water Day 2011 will be held in Phan Rang city in the central province of Ninh Thuan on March 22.

This was announced at a press conference in Hanoi on March 10.

There will also be a seminar, talks on World Water Day and a documentary film on water resources to be aired on central and local TV channels.

World Water Day 2011 will focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialisation and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems.

Through the event, the UN wants to encourage governments, organisations, communities and individuals to actively engage in addressing the difficulties of urban water management.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the degradation in water resources in Vietnam’s urban areas is attributable to population increase, rapid urbanisation and poor community awareness of water resources and water saving./.