Vietnam moves towards smart governance of water resources
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has said it will step up digital transformation and maintain the operation of the online surveillance system over water exploitation and use for about 600 works licensed by it in 2024.
Hanoi (VNA) ✤– The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has said it will step up digital transformation and maintain the operation of the online surveillance system over water exploitation and use for about 600 works licensed by it in 2024.
This move aims to ensure the effective management, exploitation and protection of water resources online based on smart governance.
Chau Tran Vinh, Director of the ministry’s Department of Water Resources Management, said that this year, the department and related units will build and submit for approval three decrees and four circulars guiding the implementation of the Law on Water Resources 2023, organise the implementation of a project on the overall assessment of impacts of other countries' development of hydropower plants on the main stream of the Mekong River along with response solutions, and build a draft water resources scenario for early 2025 to submit to the ministry for announcement, helping ministries, sectors and localities to develop water use plans.
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
The department will work with the Pollution Control Department to submit to the MoNRE the load capacity of inter-provincial water sources and a plan for surface water quality management in the basin of Ky Cung, Ma, Ba, Tra Khuc, Kon, Se San and Srepok rivers.
Water resources management has gradually come into order, creating a large source of revenue for the State budget, with about 7.5 trillion VND (306.18 million USD) a year collected from water resources tax, and around 1.5 trillion VND a year from water exploitation right license.
The Departments of Natural Resources and Environment of provinces and centrally-run cities also actively advised their People's Committees in the promulgation of 122 legal documents and guiding documents to strengthen water resources management in the localities./.
National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue suggested reviewing provisions on water resources management, while addressing the 25th session of the NA Standing Committee in Hanoi on August 14 during which the draft revised Law on Water Resources is among the documents tabled for discussion.
Climate change has and is deeply affecting Vietnam's water resources, changing the water cycle in nature and causing extreme phenomena such as flooding, drought, and saline intrusion, thus prompting the urgent need for strengthening management of water resources.
Six countries along the Mekong River – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand - have committed to working together to tackle climate change issues, according to Surasee Kittimonthon, Secretary-General of Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR).
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
Transitioning to a circular economy not only offers a sustainable development path for Ho Chi Minh City but also serves as a pivotal step toward establishing a fully green economy.
An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
