Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung on June 19 received Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director for the World Bank Group's Water Department, and Mariam Sherman, WB Division Director for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, to discuss cooperation in water security, climate resilience and sustainable development.
Dung highly valued the WB’s role as one of Vietnam’s leading development partners over the past three decades. He noted that the bank’s support has made significant contributions to the country’s socio-economic development, ranging from infrastructure development and institutional reform to human resources development, green growth and sustainable development.
In particular, WB-supported programmes and projects in agriculture and environmental protection have helped enhance water resource management, strengthen food security, improve livelihoods and boost resilience and adaptation to the growing impacts of climate change, he said.
The Deputy PM stressed that Vietnam is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta and major river basins. Ensuring water security, therefore, is not only an urgent short-term priority but also a long-term strategic task crucial to food security, social stability, economic growth and people’s livelihoods.
Welcoming the WB’s “Water Forward” initiative, he affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s strong support for the programme and its readiness to work closely with the bank during the implementation process in the country. He expressed his hope that the initiative will serve as a long-term cooperation framework in ensuring water security between the two sides, helping realise sustainable development goals and strengthen climate resilience.
The host also called on the WB to continue providing technical assistance, policy advice, international experience and effective governance models in water resource management.
At the same time, Vietnam hopes to receive support in accessing concessional financing, particularly WB funding, for research programmes and investment projects related to water security, dam and reservoir safety, and climate adaptation.
For his part, Jha said the WB is working closely with Vietnamese agencies, particularly the Ministry of Finance and relevant units, to formulate a new Country Partnership Framework for the next five years. He noted that Vietnam’s priorities in water security, climate change response and sustainable development align closely with the WB’s future cooperation agenda.
According to Jha, the “Water Forward” initiative and water security programmes will be among the key pillars of collaboration between the WB and Vietnam. Beyond financial resources, the bank aims to provide knowledge, international expertise, technical assistance and high-quality advisory services to help Vietnam address emerging development challenges.
Valuing the country’s pioneering role in joining the initiative from its early stages, he said this provides an important foundation for the two sides to further expand cooperation and develop concrete action plans aligned with Vietnam’s development priorities.
He noted the WB's numerous programmes being carried out in the Mekong Delta, with a focus on pressing issues like saltwater intrusion adaptation, livelihood protection, and climate resilience improvement, showing the bank’s wish to work closely with Vietnamese authorities to accelerate the implementation of projects that are largely ready, thereby creating additional momentum for the region’s sustainable development.
In addition, the WB stands ready to accompany the country in considering and mobilising climate finance and other international funding sources to support climate change adaptation, ensure water security and promote green development, the Global Director for the Water Department noted.
For her part, Sherman reaffirmed that Vietnam remains one of the WB’s priority partners in the region. The bank, she said, stands ready to continue supporting the country in achieving its sustainable development objectives, particularly in climate adaptation and water resource management./.
VNA
