Vietnam
We focus on rural poor mountain communities in the Tuyên Quang and Hà Giang provinces.
1.9 million rural poor in Vietnam do not have access to safe water
NORTHEAST VIETNAM
Northeast Vietnam is a region with complicated terrain, composed of high mountain plateaus, deep canyons, small deltas and midlands. It is one of 3 natural geographical sub-regions in the north of Vietnam, and is rich in natural resources. 2 of Vietnam’s most important river systems, the Red River system and the Thái Bình river system, flow through the Northeast region from Yunnan, China before emptying into the Red River Delta, the second most important rice-producing area in Vietnam. Northeast Vietnam accounts for nearly 2/3 of the number of Vietnam’s islands.
VIETNAM
Water Woes
Floods and droughts
Groundwater exploitation is difficult in the Northeast region as reserves are scattered and diverse, resulting in only approximately 10% of exploitable potential being utilised. During the dry season, groundwater levels fall very sharply, with many dug wells in the region drying up, while surface water flows also reduce significantly, leading to lack of available water.
Poor design and management of water infrastructure
According to the Provincial People’s Committee (PPC) reports (2015), an average of 30% of centralised rural water supply schemes in Northeast Vietnam are inactive or poorly managed. Operational and financial mechanisms are weak and operators’ technical capacities are low, resulting in poor service delivery, and rapid degradation and failure of infrastructure. In recent years, riverine floods and landslides during the wet season have also led to significant damage of infrastructure.
