Vietnam - China cooperate in water resources management for sustainable development goals

Tradition of Vietnam-China cooperation in irrigation development

On March 24, Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy received and worked with China’s Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying. 

At the meeting, Minister Do Duc Duy expressed his appreciation for China's achievements in the field of irrigation. He expected China to continue supporting Vietnam in developing and managing irrigation systems, especially as climate change has posed new challenges.

“Thanks to geographical factors, the two countries have many similarities in history, culture, ideology, and politics, and share common values ​​of the early wet rice agricultural civilization. In modern times, many irrigation and hydroelectric projects in Vietnam built by China 50-70 years ago are still operating effectively today,” said Minister Do Duc Duy.

Regarding the tradition of cooperation in irrigation, Minister Li Guoying affirmed that this visit is not only an opportunity for the two ministries to review past achievements but also to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

“The common goal of the two countries is to serve the people and ensure social security. Since ancient times, China has always adhered to the principle of harmonious community sharing in managing water resources,” said the Chinese Minister of Water Resources.

Mr. Li Guoying shared his impression when he first visited Vietnam's Water Resources University, which was designed and built by engineers from the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power. He was a student at North China University, so he felt very familiar when visiting Vietnam’s Water Resources University.

Exchanging with retired Vietnamese irrigation officials, Minister Li Guoying was moved when reminiscing about the irrigation collaboration across many generations of Vietnamese and Chinese people. 

Irrigation for sustainable agriculture

China's Minister of Water Resources stated that sustainable development is an important task in delta regions. 

“If the irrigation system is well managed, especially in the delta regions, it will ensure stable agricultural development. Therefore, irrigation will help to manage both groundwater and surface water use,” Mr. Li Guoying analyzed. 

Agreeing with this comment, Minister Do Duc Duy proposed establishing a cooperation mechanism on water discharge and management of floating structures during the flood season, updated in real-time. This mechanism will help ensure the circulation of water flows, protect riverbeds, and maintain the operation of cross-border waterways in the Red River basin. 

For the Mekong Delta, Vietnam is developing a project to prevent land subsidence, landslides, flooding, drought, and saltwater intrusion. The leader of the Agriculture and Environment sector of Vietnam hopes that the two countries can coordinate to research effective solutions in agricultural irrigation and develop freshwater and brackish water aquaculture models, thereby optimizing the use of water resources and improving the livelihoods of people in the region.

Minister Li Guoying agreed that the two countries need to strengthen research cooperation to find practical solutions to help minimize the impact of climate change on water resources and agricultural production.

He highly appreciated the early warning model of saltwater intrusion developed by researchers at the Vietnam Institute of Water Resources. This model is suitable for the characteristics of the delta, and covers a wide scale of data collection, so it is very successful in forecasting and warning of the risk of freshwater shortage in production. 

Sharing Mekong - Lancang hydrological data

Appreciating the importance of co-management and governance of water resources, Minister Do Duc Duy commented that China’s sharing of hydrological data will help Vietnam improve the quality of flood forecasting and warning on transboundary river systems. 

To proactively respond to unusual situations and ensure equitable water use, Minister Duy suggested that China continue to share information and meteorological and hydrological data on the Mekong and Red rivers, especially at important monitoring stations near the two countries’ borders.

He proposed that China provide information on hydropower projects near the Vietnam border; establish a cooperation mechanism on water discharge and management of floating structures during the flood season in real time, ensuring flow circulation and limiting damage caused by landslides.

Referring to the recent Typhoon Yagi, Minister Do Duc Duy said that hydrological indicators in river basins in the northern mountainous provinces exceeded extreme levels, with some places being 3 meters higher than the previous record. After this disaster, data shared by Vietnam with neighboring countries helped supplement information on water resource management in the region.

Minister Do Duc Duy commended China's pioneering role in establishing the Mekong - Lancang cooperation mechanism.

“Sharing hydrological data among countries in the basin has brought about practical results. I hope that China will continue to maintain and expand the information sharing mechanism,” the Minister suggested, emphasizing the need for a unified river basin management model. Along with a regional consultation mechanism, this channel will ensure that irrigation and hydropower projects are exchanged and unified among countries.

Agreeing with Minister Do Duc Duy’s proposal, Minister Li Guoying affirmed that a comprehensive water management mechanism is key to ensure the well-being of the entire basin. China is willing to cooperate closely with Vietnam and other countries in the region to minimize the negative impacts of disasters and ensure harmonious hydrological management. 

Minister Li Guoying promoted the spirit of equal cooperation between the two countries, affirming that data sharing is not a “give-and-take” situation but a progress in traditional cooperation with the goal of sustainable development.

Leaders of the country's irrigation sector affirmed that China also has the responsibility to issue warnings about natural disasters, regulate water discharge and store water reasonably. Conversely, hydrological information from Vietnam also helps China analyze and regulate water effectively. 

The Ministers agreed to closely coordinate to effectively co-manage and regulate the Mekong - Lancang River water resources, contributing to mitigating disaster risks and ensuring water safety for the entire region.