The Netherlands and Vietnam join forces to address safety in the Mekong Delta
Nieuwsbericht | 08-10-2009
Over the next six years, Vietnam and the Netherlands will work together to improve the efficacy of water management in the Mekong Delta. That is the aim of the agreement signed on Monday, 5 October 2009, in Hanoi by Vice Minister Tineke Huizinga (Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management) and her Vietnamese colleagues Minister Hoc of Agriculture and Rural Development and Minister Lai of Natural Resources and the Environment.
Vietnam aims to apply the expertise developed and experience gained by the Netherlands in the field of water management to protect the Mekong Delta from the effects of climate change.
According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Netherlands and Vietnam are home to some of the most vulnerable deltas in the world. Both countries are densely populated, and a substantial part of these nations is either at or below sea level. Vietnam may be confronted by a one-metre rise in sea levels due to climate change, resulting in more frequent flooding during the rainy season and the occurrence of water shortages during the dry season. It is expected that in 2050, 8.4 million people in Vietnam will face an insufficient supply of water. For the more than 20 million who call the Mekong Delta home, this represents a serious threat to, for example, agriculture and industry, which are sectors undergoing tremendous development. At the request of Vietnam, the Netherlands will make contributions to an action plan for water management in the Mekong Delta to mitigate the impact of climate change. This will involve not only flood protection measures in response to climate change, but also water and food supply, water in terms of ecology and the environment, drinking water and sanitation, and the organisation of the water management chain.
To ensure the success of this collaborative approach to the Mekong Delta, the Netherlands will pursue more than the government level exchange of information and expertise. Equally important is the development of practical joint ventures between universities and other knowledge institutes, as well as the application of knowledge and experience of Dutch companies in the water supply, treatment and management sector. This is the reason why a delegation of more than 30 representatives of pioneering companies and knowledge institutes is in Vietnam to intensify cooperation.
Collaboration between the Netherlands and Vietnam is in keeping with the National Water Plan. As part of the new Delta Approach, the Netherlands aims to pursue international cooperative ventures with five delta regions. In addition to Vietnam, the Netherlands is pursuing expertise and experience exchange schemes in the fields of water management and climate adaptation with Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia and Mozambique.
Vice Minister Huizinga will be in Vietnam from 5 October 2009 to 8 October 2009. The visit will focus on Dutch-Vietnamese cooperation in the fields of water management and climate adaptation. After spending two days in Hanoi, during which official meetings will be held with the various Vietnamese ministers involved, Vice Minister Huizinga will visit the Mekong Delta on Wednesday. She will conclude her visit on 8 October 2009 with a water and climate seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City.
