Workshop features community involvement in rural clean water supply

A workshop on increasing community involvement in clean water supply and rural sanitation in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia was held in Hanoi on October 2.

Nguyen Van Tinh, Deputy General Director of the Directorate of Water Resources, said the National Target Programme for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation was divided into three stages, starting in 1999 and ending later this year.

By late 2014, 84.5 percent of rural residents had access to clean water, up 28 percent from 1999 when the programme started. As many as 63 percent of households had hygienic toilets, up 37.5 percent.

Later this year, it is estimated that 85 percent of rural residents will have access to clean water and 65 percent of households will have sanitary toilets.

Vietnamese delegates at the workshop shared their experience in getting women’s associations and youth unions involved in the endeavour.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Nhung from the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee said as the VWU has chapters in all villages, the union’s members can be trained to assist with raising local community’s awareness about clean water and sanitation issues.

The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Australian embassy.-VNA