Capacity Building for Assessing, Managing Water Resources under New Model

The Water Resources Department under the Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment, the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam and the Belgian Development Agency (BTS) gathered for a meeting in Hanoi to review the capacity building for assessing and managing Vietnam’s water resources (CAPAS) project in Vietnam after four years of implementation (November 2008 - December 2012). The project has been carried out in seven provinces of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen.

 

The project has been synchronously implemented under the new national executive model (NEX). It has helped set up information systems and databases on water resources, drawn up plans to protect remaining resources, put together a communications strategy to improve public awareness, and increased the capacity of employees at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment involved in water resources management.

 

Currently, the project has evaluated all surface water and ground water, collected the data base on water resources, institutional framework, regulations on the use of water resources and building systems monitoring of water resources in seven provinces, contributing to improving the management capacity, awareness and a sense of community in the use of water resources.

 

The project has assessed the amount of surface and underground water supplies, built a database of water resources, drawn up a legal framework on how to utilise said resources, introduced a monitoring system in all seven provinces, and helped raise public awareness of how to use and safeguard existing water resources.