Trippers explore the nature of Cat Tien Park in Dong Nai province (Photo: VNA) WWF-Vietnam said the programme would strengthen water resources management inthese critical areas.
The partnership programme for ‘Water conservation in Xuan Son National Park ofthe northern Phu Tho province; Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve in the southernDong Nai province and Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) Ecological Reserve in TienGiang province’ will be conducted over four years, with funding of 30 billion VND(1.3 million USD) from HEINEKEN Vietnam.
According to the plan, the ecosystems in these river basins will be restored,and forests replanted to maintain and improve their ability to regulate andsupply water to local communities and support agricultural activitiesdownstream.
The programme is part of HEINEKEN Vietnam’s efforts to protect watersheds andan essential step toward the company's goal of 100% water balance by 2025 –whereby the company seeks to return the amount to the environment of water thatgoes into its beers.
It also aims to restore the integrity of the ecosystem and the biodiversity inthe basin of these rivers, which is high on WWF-Vietnam’s agenda.
The Red, Dong Nai, and Tien River basins have high biodiversity and economicvalue to the local communities.
However, the overexploitation of water, forest and land, the ineffectivemanagement of waste sources, and the impact of climate change have reduced theamount and the quality of water in these regions.
“Protecting water is one of the top priorities in HEINEKEN Vietnam’ssustainability strategy, especially when beers are 95% water,” said HollyBostock, Corporate Affairs Director, HEINEKEN Vietnam.
“In our production, we are constantly increasing our water efficiency andimproving water circularity. However, beyond this, we also have the ambition tobalance the water in our products fully.
"The partnership program with WWF-Vietnam will improve water quality andrestore water management mechanisms in three critical river basins, which feedinto where three of our breweries are, in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and TienGiang. With its positive and comprehensive impacts on the environment andcommunity, this programme will be a crucial part of our ‘Brewing A Better Vietnam’sustainability strategy.”
Hoang Viet, Freshwater Lead at WWF-Vietnam, said: “The programme is designedwith a comprehensive approach to address water security issues withnature-based & community-based solutions.”
“With a strong commitment and close cooperation of the Department ofInternational Cooperation, the Department of Water Resources, the GeneralDepartment of Irrigation and the Department of Special-Use Forests Management,the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment and local partners, as well as the funding from HEINEKEN Vietnam,WWF-Vietnam believes that the ecosystem in these critical water basins of thecountry will be protected and developed sustainably, improve water supply inthe area, and address a shortage in the lower rivers, especially in the dryseason.”
By 2025, the program aims to have the freshwater ecosystem in Xuan Son NationalPark, Dong Nai Nature Reserve - Cultural Heritage, and Dong Thap Muoi EcosystemReserve restored and protected.
Local communities will form new habits and contribute to the goal ofreplenishing a total of 3 billion litres of water every year, of whichapproximately 2 billion litres are expected to be increased through the nurturingand enriching of 1,100 hectares of natural forest in all three river basins.
Two hundred million litres of water will potentially be added by planting 32.3hectares of extensive timber forests and native trees.
Nearly 800 million litres of water are planned to be explicitly replenished in DongThap Muoi Ecosystem Reserve through water management programmes in wetlands.
Additionally, communities living in the core and buffer zones of Xuan SonNational Park and Dong Nai Nature & Cultural Reserve will receive trainingto adjust their living and farming habits to help reduce the negative impact onwater resources.
The partnership program between WWF-Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development and HEINEKEN Vietnam, if implemented successfully, can becomea public-private cooperation model for forested watersheds protection and waterresources conservation; and a showcase of collaboration to reverse biodiversityloss in Vietnam./.
VNA
