Pilot and Demonstration Activity
Initiating Integrated Water Resources Planning in the Vu Gia Basin
| Proponent |
Pieter Smidt, VRM/ MKRD |
| Region |
Mekong Region |
| Country |
Viet Nam |
| Cost Estimate |
$50,000 |
| Partners |
Vice-Chair of the Quang Nam People's Committee |
| Type |
Institutional Development |
| Category |
Basin Management |
| Approval Date |
16 June 2005 |
| Status |
Ongoing |
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This pilot and demonstration activity (PDA) reflects initial discussions on the concept of establishing a Water Resources Review Committee for the Vu Gia Basin in Vietnam. The committee aims to promote integrated water resources management. The project has received positive feedback from both the People's Committee of Quang Nam Province and ADB.
The Vu Gia Basin faces the following water resources concerns:
- Major expansion plans for approximately 1,200 MW hydropower in the Vu Gia- Thu Bon basins
- Highly sectoral approach to water resources planning, hydropower, irrigation, environment, etc.
- Interaction between operation of hydropower projects and downstream uses - fluctuating water levels, impacts on fish resources and agriculture, potential for flood management, salinity management and increased dry season irrigation in coastal areas
- Concerns over deteriorating water quality
- High incidence of poverty in upper basin and majority of population are ethnic minorities
- Institutional vacuum for river basin management
- Concerns raised over centralized and unsustainable approach to river basin organizations (RBOs) in Viet Nam to date
- Scope for benefits to all sectors through an integrated system approach
- Potential to introduce payments for environmental services under the new Forestry Law
An integrated approach to basin management is consistent with ADB's support to institutional reforms in the water sector and investment portfolio in energy and water sectors.
Although the Vu Gia and Thu Bon basins are interconnected, the former can also be considered relatively independent. It will be the focus of the PDA since seven of the eight proposed hydropower projects are in Vu Gia, and their influence will be most felt there.
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- Introduce to relevant government agencies and community representatives the principles of IWRM and the importance of coordination among sectors
- Provide a forum for considering alternative operation modalities of the proposed hydropower projects
- Develop recommendations for operationalizing IWRM within the basin
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Output from the PDA will include but not necessarily be limited to:
- Functional cross-sectoral committee for optimizing water resources management
- Recommended options for hydropower operation in the basin
- Raised awareness of the benefits of IWRM
- Initial steps towards RBO establishment (if deemed necessary)
- Recommendation addressing critical IWRM issues in the Vu Gia basin
- Provincial linkage to institutional reforms being implemented at national level in the water resources sector
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- participation and commitment of key stakeholders to the working of the Review Committee
- implementation of recommendations for improving operation of water resources infrastructure in the basin
- incorporation (or otherwise) of the institutional design and lessons learned towards the establishment of a formal RBO or alternative initiative for promoting IWRM
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Lessons from the project could be considered and potentially applied to the 15 major river basins in Viet Nam, particularly those with smaller number of provinces involved or sub-units of the larger basin. Also, given current concerns about institutional models for RBOs in Viet Nam, the findings of the PDA could help develop a new institutional structure that is both financially sustainable and responsive to local issues.
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- ADB took the lead in this initiative which was facilitated through financial support from the Water Cooperation Fund.
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