In Ho Chi Minh City, on November 9, 2016, the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association (VWSA) in collaboration with the German Industry Cooperation Association (GWP) and the German Development Cooperation Organization GIZ organized the Forum. Water industry Germany – Vietnam.
Mr. Gunther Adler, Deputy Director of Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) of Germany and Ms. Phan Thi My Linh – Deputy Minister of Construction Ministry of Vietnam delivered the opening speech and Welcome at the Forum.
The purpose of the Forum is to update delegates of the trends and developments in the water sector of Germany and Vietnam, the cooperation of the two countries in this field at the present and future, and to facilitate exchanging and connecting organizations and companies operating in the field of water.
Currently, Vietnam has 800 cities nationwide and the urbanization rate is about 36.5%. It is forecasted that the number of people living in urban areas will reach 44 million by 2020 and 52 million by 2050. Along with rapid urbanization, climate change, urban inundation is increasing in frequency and Severity and pollution are creating great challenges for the water supply and drainage sector in Vietnam.
To contribute to addressing these challenges, GIZ, through the Wastewater Management Program and the Drainage and Flood Control Program in the medium-sized cities in coastal areas of Vietnam in response to climate change, has and is assisting central and local governments to develop and improve the legal and policy framework for drainage and urban flood control. The two programs aim to build cities that can adapt to the negative effects of climate change.
Mr. Gunther Adler said: “For economic, social and ecological reasons, we must increase the efficiency of our resources. Smart and interconnected water supply infrastructure, as well as sustainable urban planning, are particularly important factors ”.
The forum attracted 120 participants from BMUB, Ministry of Construction, German Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Embassy of Australia, Belgium, GWP, GIZ, VWSA, businesses, operating companies. in the field of water supply and drainage in Germany and Vietnam.
At the Forum, the Ministry of Construction and GIZ jointly published the publication: “Adaptive Cities in Vietnam: A Guide to Planning Urban Urban Environment Programs”. This publication reflects experiences gained over many years of working in the urban environment sector in Vietnam.
In recent years, VWSA has focused on activities such as human resource development, technology promotion, and policy support. VWSA continues to strengthen cooperation with GWP through the Vietnam Water Sector Association and GIZ Cooperation Project through the Water Management Program, together with other international donors and organizations showing the objectives of the Association. In particular, VWSA is currently working closely with GWP as part of the DEVIWAS project to enhance cooperation between German and Vietnamese businesses, investment promotion, technology transfer, knowledge and experience exchange…