Vietnam PM Approves Water Supply Planning for Mekong Delta by 2030

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a planning on water supply for the Mekong delta by 2030 and vision to 2050 as part of the government’s efforts to ensure sufficient water for people in the salinization-hit region. The planning which will cover an area of 40,604 square kilometers in 13 city and provinces is aimed to increase the rate of urban people accessing safe water and lower water loss rate, the government said on its website. Under which, the project aims to raise the rate of beneficiaries in third-grade urban areas to 90%-100% by 2020, in fourth- and fifth-grade areas to 90%-95% by the year, and lower the average water loss rate to 18%. The beneficiary rate is expected to hit 98%-100% by 2030 and the water loss rate to below 12% by the year. To reach the goal, the region will build five interprovincial water supply plants, including Song Tien 1 Water Supply plant to be located in Tien Giang province, Song Tien Water Supply plant located in Vinh Long province, Song Hau Water Supply 1 in Can Tho city, Song Hau Water Supply plant in Hau Giang province, Song Hau 2 Water Supply plant in Chau Thanh district of An Giang province, and Song Hau 3 plant in An Giang’s Chau Doc district. The plants will use water from Tien and Hau rivers, two sanctuaries of the transnational Mekong river. (Baochinhphu.vn Nov 10, Nhandan.com.vn Nov 11)