Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Water Week 2024 opened in Hanoi on November 6, under the theme: “Developing Vietnam’s Water Sector: Security, Safety, Efficiency and Integration”.

Chairman of the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewage Association (VWSA) Nguyen Ngoc Diep said that the theme presents a multi-dimensional vision and solutions aimed at promoting the sustainable and effective development of Vietnam's water sector, and aiding it to adapt to climate change.

As part of the Vietnam Water Week, four symposiums will be held, focusing discussions on the draft Law on Water Supply and Drainage; management and operation of sustainable water supply and drainage systems adapting to climate change; smart and efficient governance; and gender equality in the water sector.

Notably, the International Exhibition on Water Supply, Drainage, and Environmental Sanitation will take place within the framework of the programme, featuring nearly 150 booths displaying advanced, smart equipment and technologies from countries with developed water sectors such as Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the US.

This is an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to learn from, and share experiences and innovations, especially solutions that best align with the common goal of developing a safe, efficient, sustainable, and adaptable water sector, and enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change, added Diep.

Deputy Minister of Construction Pham Minh Ha stated that, in recent years, Vietnam's water supply, drainage, and wastewater treatment services have improved significantly, creating favourable conditions for achieving socioeconomic development goals.

Currently, there are about 1,000 water supply plants with a total capacity of approximately 13.2 million cubic metres per day, and 82 centralised wastewater treatment plants with a total designed capacity of around 1.79 million cubic metres per day.

However, challenges remain in the management and development of water supply and drainage systems, Ha noted, stressing the need for Vietnam to innovate mechanisms, policies, and business organisational models to enhance proactivity, improve capacity, and increase service quality.

According to Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director of the International Water Association (IWA), Vietnam's journey towards water security and safe water supply has made remarkable progress over the past three decades, adapting to new challenges through resilience and innovation. With international support, the Vietnamese Government has shifted from focusing on essential water resource development to concentrating on resilience and adaptation to climate change, urban wastewater management, and sustainable growth.

With over 75 years of experience in promoting innovation and collaboration in the water sector, the IWA looks forward to building a relationship with the VWSA to strengthen ties with water experts in the region and encourage closer cooperation with IWA’s global network of water leaders, he emphasised.

🀅 At the Vietnam Water Week, a roundtable of the Southeast Asian Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) with the Executive Director of the International Water Association will be held to discuss challenges and difficulties, and propose key issues of mutual interest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)./.