Improving Water Security for the future through IWRM and better Water Governance in the Red Thai Binh river basin (Vietnam)

Transcription

1 Improving Water Security for the future through IWRM and better Water Governance in the Red Thai Binh river basin (Vietnam) By Nguyen Thuy Hang, Staff member Division for Science and Technology Institute of Water Resources Planning (Red-Thai Binh RBO Office) I. INTRODUCTION 1. Natural and socio-economic conditions The Red-Thai Binh river system is the second biggest in Vietnam (second to Mekong river system) but it is the biggest in term of area and water availability in Vietnam s territory. This is an international river running through the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, People s Republic of China and People s Democratic Republic of Laos and merges into the East Sea (Tonkin Gulf). The entire basin area is about 169,020 km 2. The part in China covers about 81,240 km 2 or 48% of the total catchment area. The part in Laos is about 1100 km 2 or 0.65% of the total catchment area. The remaining part is the lower basin in Vietnam with an area of about 86,660 km 2 or 51.53% of the total river basin. Hereunder the report addresses the part in Vietnam only. The Red river has three main tributaries (Da, Lo and Thao rivers) and the Thai Binh river also has three main tributaries (Cau, Thuong and Luc Nam rivers). The Red and the Thai Binh rivers are connected through Duong and Luoc rivers forming the Red-Thai Binh river basin. Length of mainstreams is about 556 km. Total average annual runoffs are billion m 3 accounting for 61.1% of total basin runoffs, average annual discharge is 2,620m 3 /s and average annual specific discharge is 30.2 l/skm 2. 60% of the Red-Thai Binh river basin surface is hills and mountains. Forest coverage is 35% (in 2008). Mean temperature is 23.3ºC. There are two distinguished seasons, i.e., rainy season and dry season. Rainy season lasts from November to March and rainy season from April to October. Average annual rainfall is 1900 mm, (80-85% in flood season from May to October). Every year, there are typhoons attacked the river basin and its coastal areas in particular. Floods and droughts are frequent and flash floods in mountainous areas are more serious as consequence of deforestation. Drainage is a problem because 58.4% of the Red River Delta is below +2.0 m of sea level, 72% below m. Many coastal provinces have more than 80% of their lands below +2.0 m of sea level. 1

2 Administratively, the Red-Thai Binh river basins covers 24 provinces and cities (country: 63) in the North of Vietnam. The population is about 28 million out of 87 million of the country s population in Most of them are distributed in the Red River Delta. MAIN RIVER BASINS IN VIETNAM Figure 1. Main river basins in Vietnam and the Red-Thai Binh river basin Agriculture is the biggest water user (75% of total water use) and followed by hydropower, domestic, industry, fishery, navigation and environment. There is a system of multipurpose reservoirs built or being built which serve flood control, hydropower generation and water supply in the basin, notably Thac Ba, Hoa Binh, Tuyen 2

3 Quang and Son La reservoirs with total storage capacity of 24 billion m 3, flood storage capacity of 8.45 billion m³; and total annual energy of 4770 MW. The operation rules of inter-reservoirs for flood season were developed, agreed among water users and have been applying since 1997 (for Thac Ba and Hoa Binh reservoirs) and they are revised to include new multi-purpose reservoirs (Tuyen Quang and Son La reservoirs). However, the operation rules for dry season reservoir regulation are still under preparation. Existing large-scale irrigation and drainage systems meet 77% of irrigation command areas (out of 1.1 million ha) and 75% of drainage command areas (out of 2.4 million ha). There are 37 water plants and numerous small drinking water supply systems at capacity of 1.1 million m 3 per day. 64% of urban population and 54% of rural population have access to drinking water supply. The Red River delta is protected against floods and inundation by an intensive dike system with a length of 2330 km of levees and 380 km of sea dikes. Water availability is reducing in the Red Thai Binh river basin whilst water demands are increasing and more competing resulted from rapid economic development and population pressures. On the other hand, water quality is an emerging problem in the Red-Thai Binh river basins. Water quality is increasingly degraded due to untreated waste discharge and inappropriate water exploitation and as consequence of the industrialization and urbanization process and craft village development. 2. Water management status and legal, institutional, financial and technological arrangements for better water management and security In Vietnam, the National Water Resources Council chaired by a Vice Prime Minister was set up in 2000 as the apex body for water resources and acts as an advising body to the Government in all water-related matters. The Council gathers high-rank leaders or officials of all water-related ministries, meets twice a year and. At river basin level, there are 7 River Basin Plan Management Committees and Sub-Committees set up by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and some River Basin Environment Protection Committees set up by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Water resources management is under responsibility of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (established in 2002) but water use management is assigned to different ministries. For example, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is in charge of managing water supply and use for agriculture and rural communities (irrigation, drainage for cultivation, aquaculture, rural water supply and sanitation), Ministry of Health is responsible for water quality standards and water-related diseases, 3

4 Ministry of Trade and Industry is responsible for water development for hydropower generation, Ministry of Construction is in charge of urban and industrial water supply and sewage, and so on. Water management functions are dispersed in various ministries and agencies but the coordination among them is not good enough for a consistent and effective water management. Irrigation management is decentralized from central to community level. Central government manages large-scale inter-provincial system while provincial government manages inter-district systems, district government manages inter-commune systems and communities (Water Users Association, Agricultural Service Cooperatives) manage on-farm systems. At the Red-Thai Binh river basin level, the Red Thai Binh RBO (RRBO) (exactly called the Red-Thai Binh River Basin Plan Management Committee) was decided to form by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in It was one of the first three RBOs established pursuant to the Article 64 of Law on Water Resources for river basin plan management (the Law was approved and took effect in 1998 and is now under revision). However it took three years for the RRBO officially put into operation in The RRBO gathers representations of all water-related ministries at central level and their respective departments at provincial level for 24 provinces in the river basin. It is chaired by a Vice Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development and budget is funded from the Government. There are two sub-rbos established for Cau and Day sub-basins under the RRBO. CHAIRMAN Vice Minister of MARD THE OFFICE Institute of Water Resources Planning Cau Sub-RBO Day Sub-RBO MEMBERS - Regular members: leaders of Provincial People s Committees, provincial DARDs, DONREs, representatives of water-related departments of ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Construction, Transport, Health, Defense, and leaders of MARD water-related departments. - Irregular members: Government and local representatives and related experts invited by the Chairman in necessary cases. Figure 2. Organizational chart of the Red-Thai Binh RBO 4

5 Tasks of the RRBO: - To prepare and submit for approval the Red Thai Binh River Basin Plan and monitor its implementation to ensure consistent management of the river basin plan within the administrative boundary; - To coordinate with relevant Ministerial, sectoral and local agencies in baseline water resources investigations, inventories and assessment of Red-Thai Binh river basin water resources; and in preparing, submitting for approval, and monitoring the implementation of river basin plans for tributaries of the Red Thai Binh system; and - To propose resolutions for water resources disputes in the basin. In reality, the RRBO activities are somehow the same as those of the Institute of Water Resources Planning (where the RRBO Office is based and 10 of the Institute s staff are working part time for the RRBO Office). Annual budget of the RRBO (same amount of around US$ 40,000 for 2009 and 2010 for the RRBO Office and two sub-rbos) is just enough for two general meetings, field visits, quarterly newsletters and website maintenance. Because there is not any technical working groups in the RRBO, all planning activities as stated in its tasks rely on the Institute of Water Resources Planning and its adviser functions are done on case to case basis when being asked by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The below table indicates state budget investments for water resources in the Red-Thai Binh river basin in Note that the investments are mainly for large-scale multipurpose reservoirs, inter-provincial irrigation and drainage systems and dyke improvements. Region North Region (mainly the Red-Thai Binh river basin) Investments in water resources by state budget (% of the total) Table 1. Funds for water resources investments in the Red-Thai Binh river basin ( ) However, the water sector of Vietnam generally has lived from subsidies and ODA. ADB and the World Bank are two of the most important donors. For the Red-Thai Binh river basin solely, ADB supports the Government of Vietnam with water source protection through improved irrigation and drainage infrastructure development by providing technical and financial assistance for Loan 1344: Red River Delta Water Resources 5

6 Sector Project ($60.0 million in 1994); Loan 1855: Second Red River Basin Sector Project ($70.0 million in 2001); and leads and coordinates institutional development initiatives for legislative and policy development, and strengthening capacity for sustainable water resources management, and administers international development partners contributions in various projects including TA 3892: (Part A) Institutional Development for the Second Red River Basin Sector Project; Most recently in April 2010, ADB approved a US$ 100 million loan for Vietnam for strengthening water management and irrigation system rehabilitation. An important component of the project is to rehabilitate the oldest and largest irrigation and drainage system in the Red-Thai Binh river basin, the Bac Hung Hai (BHH) irrigation and drainage system (built in 1958). The system serving three provinces of Bac Ninh, Hung Yen and Hai Duong and part of Hanoi city (within Cau river basin, a sub-basin of the Red-Thai Binh river basin) plays a very important role in the economy, social welfare, and food security of the Red river delta. The rehabilitation project is expected to generate higher incomes from improved irrigation for 560,000 people in the BHH area and 1.9 million people in the BHH area will benefit from improved drainage that reduces risks of flooding. The indirect benefits will include (i) improving agricultural productivity through upgraded hydraulic structures and equipment for controlling timing and allocation of irrigation water and improving agricultural and non-agricultural drainage conditions; (ii) saving irrigation water which can be allocated for other community livelihood needs; (iii) promoting institutional arrangements that enhance water user participation in irrigation and drainage system management; and (iv) greater protection of populations and their assets from flooding throughout the system. The indirect beneficiaries of the BHH component of the project are 2.8 million women and men living in the three provinces and the city covered by the system. The focus of project investments in the BHH system will be to improve efficiency of existing water resources available in the system. This will be accomplished partly through institutional development with the application of participatory approaches for modernizing BHH systems management by increasing the representation of women in water user groups. Irrigation efficiency will also be addressed through rehabilitation of critical irrigation and drainage infrastructure, which will also adapt the BHH system to the changing land use situation in the area. The Project will finance the construction of 8 new pumping stations and the rehabilitation of 2 existing pumping stations for irrigation, drainage and dual-purposes in the BHH system. The Project will strengthen the capacity of water management organizations throughout the BHH system. Management capacity will be strengthened on a pilot basis through community-based, demand-driven 6

7 approaches including participatory irrigation management (PIM). These institutional development initiatives will facilitate strengthening of Irrigation and Drainage Management Companies and Enterprises through provision of modern management techniques and equipment, and the training to operate and maintain the tools and technologies introduced. In order to realize the objectives of the project, a legal framework for water sharing, water rights and river basin management will be established. This aims to lead to agreements between relevant ministries and agencies on inter-reservoir rules optimizing the use of water resources and ensuring a sufficient water level in the Red River in land preparation period in January and February. In terms of technological arrangements, a rather complete research system has been established within water agencies, notably Water Resources University, Vietnam Academy for Water Resources, Institute of Water Resources Planning and some others. Advanced technologies have been introduced and applied largely in water resources investigation, planning, design, construction and management for water balance, optimal use and protection. Commonly used models applied at the Institute of Water Resources Planning (RRBO Office): Hydrodynamic models: MIKE 11, MIKE FLOOD, SOBEK, VRSAP, MIKE 21, MIKE 21C Hydrological models: SSARR, TANK, NAM, HEC, HYMOS Water balance models: MITSIM, MIKE BASIN, MIKE SHE, RIBASIN Water quality models: MIKE 11 (WQ), MIKE ECOLab, QUAL2E II. IMPROVING WATER SECURITY 1. Challenges for improving water security Population growth in Vietnam in general and in the Red Thai Binh river basin (about 2% per year in long period) in particular is the first factor that contributes to the ever increasing water demands. In line with the process of industrialization and urbanization, industrial and domestic water demands are rapidly increasing in addition to the key water user of agriculture. The needs to meet economic development requirements and environmental protection put more pressures on limited water resources in the Red Thai Binh river basin. In fact, Red river water resources are decreasing as consequence of global warming, increasing water 7

8 extraction in China and ever increasing water use in Vietnam. Environment protection is given more emphasis so maintenance flows are also an important water use that should be taken into account in water allocation. The problem of water allocation to meet increasing and competing water demands is really a headache in dry season when degraded water quality makes the problem more serious. On the other hand, inadequate water legislation and poor enforcement, limited people s awareness on water scarcity and water resources protection, lack of advanced technologies in water management are also important challenges to be addressed on the way to ensure water security for the future. Main challenges are summarized as follows: - Water allocation and sharing - Water disasters (floods, droughts, pollution ) - Economic development and population growth - Management capabilities - Cooperation with China 2. Lesson learned from past activities Over last 50 years, in meeting the needs of agricultural development in particular and reconstruction of the country after wars in general, huge investments were poured in construction of water infrastructures and their performance at first was excellent. The benefits have greatly contributed to help Vietnam become the second largest rice export of the world and a medium-income country from one of the poorest countries before. However, appropriate emphasis has not been paid on proper maintenance of existing water infrastructures that lead to rapid degradation, deterioration and low efficiency of hydraulic work systems. On the other hand, sectoral water management approach instead of integrated water resources management led to a weak, incoherent and ineffective water sector at national level and at river basin level. Moreover, poor public awareness and participation in water management and protection couldn t help maintaining high performance of water infrastructures but partly contributed to reduction of water quantity and quality. IWRM is now recognized as the appropriate approach for water resources and increasingly adopted in water legislation and water management. 8

9 IWRM progress in the Red-Thai Binh river basin using the IWRM spiral model Committee for Red River Water Resources Management and Exploitation (1961) First Red River Water Resources Development Plan (1961) Operation Rules for Interreservoirs (1997) 1. Recognizing & identifying Need for Water for Food and Flood Control (1960 s) Ordinance for Hydraulic Work Management, Exploitation and Protection (1994) 2. Conceptualizing 4. Implementing, monitoring & evaluating Dykes Improvement and Lengthening ( ) 3. Coordinating & planning Large Irrigation and Drainage Systems Bac Hung Hai (1958) Multipurpose Dams Thac Ba (1977) Hoa Binh (1991) [ ] Institutional & Legal Arrangements for IWRM [ ] Water Resources Development Legend Past Activities Future Activities Figure 3. IWRM spiral model of the Red-Thai Binh river basin (1) IWRM progress in the Red-Thai Binh river basin using the IWRM spiral model Legal Arrangements Water Resources Law(1998) Env. Protection Law(2005) Decree on RB Mgmt (2008) Revision of WR Law (ongoing) 1. Recognizing & identifying Need for IWRM (1998) 2. Conceptualizing 2010 Legal Framework for Water Sharing, Water Rights and River Basin Mgmt. Institutional Arrangements National WRC (2000) MoNRE (2002) Red RBO (2004) Red River Basin Integrated Water Resources Use and Protection Plan (2007) 4. Implementing, monitoring & evaluating 3. Coordinating & planning Dykes Improvement and Lengthening ( ) Tuyen Quang Dam (2009) Son La Dam (Ongoing) [ ] Institutional & Legal Arrangements for IWRM [ ] Water Resources Development Legend Past Activities Future Activities Figure 4. IWRM spiral model of the Red-Thai Binh river basin (2) 9

10 Lessons from water resources development and management in Vietnam in general and in the Red-Thai Binh river basin in particular emphasize (i) the need for strengthening capacity to further develop the water resources sector towards IWRM to ensure the success of future investments; (ii) the importance of river basin development approach within an overall system context and addressing key constraints in an integrated manner; (iii) a bottom-up holistic approach to water infrastructures upgrading and development; and (iv) the need for more participatory approach to project design through extensive consultation with primary stakeholders. 3. Plans for the future - In place effective legal and institutional framework and enforcement measures Strong and effective legal and institutional framework is an important basis and tool to enable the implementation of water rights and allocation and ensure the enforcement of water use licensing and wastewater disposal permitting. The legislation should state clearly water rights and coordination mechanism among water users to ensure equitable and appropriate water allocation. A suitable model of river basin management organization is essential to realize and materialize - Integrated approach for water-related disasters Both structural and non-structural measures are needed and may comprise of building mitigation structures, introduction of water saving technology and community-based disaster management, etc. - Public awareness and participation This is an important key for successful implementation of IWRM. Once people are aware of the important of IWRM and their role they can contribute actively and effectively. - Capacity building This is the essential for successful IWRM. Capacity building is required for both institutions and communities for their responsible and effective engagements and enforcement. For institutions, capacity building may involve technical skills (water allocation optimization models for instance), and basic IWRM knowledge and its importance for communities. - Data and information This is the most important input for right and rational decisions on water 10

11 allocation in particular and on water management in general. All data and information relevant to water resources, water users and their development plans are required to be collected and regularly updated. - Cooperation with China (water sharing with China, data and information sharing, coordination in water resources development and management) This will help to achieve more beneficial use, management and protection of Red river water resources. III. KNOWLEDGE NETWORKING AND PARTNERSHIPS Topic for knowledge networking with Spanish organizations: - Water resources/river basin planning Topic for future cooperation with Spanish organizations: - Climate change adaptation o o o o o Structural measures Management of hydraulic system operation Water saving technologies Conflict resolution (conflicts between hydropower generation and water supply, between hydropower generation and flood control ) Drought management - Water environment protection (water pollution control and treatment, in particular for industrial and domestic waste water and agricultural chemicals) - Trans-boundary river basin management 11

12 REFERENCES 1. RRBO annual reports 2008, Red-Thai Binh Integrated Water Resources Use Plan, Institute of Water Resources Planning, th and 6 th NARBO IWRM training materials, Vietnam, 2009 and NARBO IWRM Case Studies A follow-up the 6 th NARBO IWRM training, Thailand, Vietnam Water Sector Review, ADB and other international development partners, Overview of the Red-Thai Binh river basin, Prof. Le Van Truyen, 6. Water Resources Development Strategy towards 2020, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam, Study on the Economics of Adaptation to Climate change: Water Resources, Red-Thai Binh river basin case study, World Bank, Proposed Loan: Strengthening Water Management and Irrigation Systems Rehabilitation Project (Vietnam), Contact person: Nguyen Thuy Hang, Staff member Division for Science and Technology Institute of Water Resources Planning (Red-Thai Binh RBO Office) 162A Tran Quang Khai street, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: Fax: lunevn@yahoo.com or Bui Nam Sach Director of Institute of Water Resources Planning Chief of the Red-Thai Binh RBO Office 162A Tran Quang Khai street, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: Fax: buinamsach@yahoo.com 12