Integrated river basin and coastal zone management sub-project to be implemented soon
The sub-project ‘The Integrated Management of the Vu Gia-Thu Bon River Basin and the Quang Nam-Da Nang Coastline’ will take place in the 2018 – 2020 period.
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| A section of the Vu Gia-Thu Bon River |
Implemented on a trial basis, the sub-project will be jointly organised by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), and the Viet Nam Environment Administration.
Aiming at ensuring the sustainable development of the Vu Gia-Thu Bon river basin and the Quang Nam-Da Nang coastline, the sub-project is expected to apply research works into the management of other river basins in Viet Nam, and the ASEAN region as a whole.
The sub-project will be divided into 4 different stages.
The 1st stage will attach the importance of conducting the general assessment of the source-to-sea management at the Vu Gia-Thu Bon river basin and the Quang Nam-Da Nang coastline.
In the 2nd stage, the integrated river basin management will be tightened and enhanced.
As for the 3rd stage, certain pilot projects will be carried out in both Da Nang and Quang Nam Province for developing innovative strategies, financial mechanisms and partnerships in order to improve water quality, minimise water pollution, manage solid waste, recycle plastic trash, preserve environmental flows, and manage water resources.
With regard to the 4th stage, emphasis will be placed on publicising the knowledge to national and municipal/ provincial relevant agencies, including offering training courses on specific skills for those involved in integrated river basin and coastal zone management.
The river basin, which has more than 10,300m2 with water volume of 20.22 billion m3, covers on total 225km length on Quang Nam Province and Da Nang, and provides valuable resources to a population of 2.5 million in total in the 2 localities.
However, a series of problems - including illegal destruction of riverhead forests, over-exploitation of mineral resources, decentralised management of rivers, and faulty development of hydropower plants - have threatened to destroy the river.
The sub-project has been chosen as a part of the large-scale regional project ‘Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management in ASEAN Countries’.
The main focus will be on improving integrated water resources management, reducing pollution loads from nutrients, sustaining freshwater environmental flows, and minimising climate vulnerability through demonstrations and replications, planning and strengthening of integrated river basin management in selected countries in the East Asian Seas.
The project is being implemented in 7 ASEAN nations, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos and Viet Nam.
The 6th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and related meetings will take place at the Da Nang-located Furama International Conference Centre from 23 - 29 June.
The GEF Assembly will review and adopt directions and solutions to current global environment issues, and allocate resources for environment projects during the GEF’s 7th cycle (GEF 7) from 2018 – 2022, including the sub-project mentioned above.