Hanoi (VNA) - Improvedwater management can help Vietnam tackle the threat of climate change, BelgiumAmbassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen said at a workshop held in Hanoi on May 28.

At the workshop, entitled “Water Management inUrban Areas in Vietnam in the Context of Climate Change”, policymakers andrepresentatives from universities, research institutions, internationaldevelopment partners and private firms shared knowledge and expertisein the field.

Urban resilience has always been a key issue inthe developing areas of Vietnam. And now, with the growing threat from climatechange, improvements to the urban infrastructure are becoming increasingly moreimportant, Jansen said.

Vietnam is one of the countries most affected byclimate change, which also influences the interplay between water and urbanareas and intensifies the risks of both drought and flooding, according toexperts.

In Vietnam’s rapidly expanding cities, increaseddevelopment and increased rainfall due to climate change have createdsignificant flood risks, impacting human lives and theeconomy and creating environmental problems.

Analysis of climate change impact, considerationof increased risk and vulnerability as well as actions for capacity building,awareness raising and infrastructure works were discussed at the workshop.

Prof. Pham Quy Nhan, Deputy Rector of theNatural Resources and Environment University, described the current reality ofwater usage in Vietnam.

At present, 60 percent of the population rely ongroundwater for their water supply while the groundwater resource has been heavilyexploited in some areas, said Nhan.

The high extraction rates are causing a rapidlowering of the water levels in key areas around Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and inthe Central Highlands. The sustainability of these water sources is underserious threat, he said.

Groundwater is very vulnerable to pollution andhas a very poor inventory and information system, he added.

Climate change will increase evaporation,reducing rainfall in the dry season above all river basins, causing irrigationwater demand to increase," Nhan said.

According to the professor, about 8.5 millionurban citizens lack access to clean water while in rural areas, 41 millionpeople do not have a supply that meets the Ministry of Health's clean waterstandards.

Along with insufficient access to clean water, millionsof people suffer regular and massive losses from natural disasters.

Vietnam is one of the most naturaldisaster-prone countries in the world, with about half of the populationliving on the coast and more than 80 percent at risk of directimpacts from natural hazards.

From 1997 to 2006, natural disasters caused morethan 5,000 deaths, and destroyed more than 6,000 fishing boats, nearly 300,000houses and 4 million hectares of paddy rice, with total damage in excess of 50trillion VND (2.1 billion USD).

To prepare for and reduce impacts of climatechanges, the country would need effective measures including nationalstrategic plans, national policy framework, vulnerable community protectionplans, sustainable water development and protection projects, and campaignsimproving people’s awareness on water use, the professor said.

The workshop was held by the Embassy of Belgium,in collaboration with the Vietnam National University’s Institute ofVietnamese Studies and Development Science (IVIDES), the Belgian DevelopmentAgency (Enabel) and Belgian universities.-VNA