PM Approves $286M Japan-funded Water Management Project

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a project on water management in the Mekong delta province of Ben Tre to use $285.7 million from Japan’s official development assistance (ODA). State media reported that the project will aim to protect agricultural production in the locality amid strong saltwater encroachment, giving no timeframe for the project. The project will focus on monitoring salinization and supplying fresh water to cultivation and household use in Ben Tre, benefiting more than 207,000 households. It is estimated that the project will support the irrigation and drainage of 110,442 hectares out of total 137,224 hectares of arable land. Accordingly, 204,000 hectares of the province will be put under control for salinization, tide rise, and drainage. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam – Vietnam Economic Times Dec 8 p3, Baodautu.vn Dec 7)