The Chinese Minister of Water Resources and the Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment agreed to closely coordinate to effectively manage and regulate the water of the Mekong - Lancang River.
Tradition of Viet Nam-China cooperation in irrigation development
On the afternoon of March 24, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy received and worked with Chinese Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying.
At the meeting, Minister Do Duc Duy expressed his appreciation for China's achievements in the field of water resources. He hoped that China would continue to support Viet Nam in developing and managing its water resources system, especially in the context of climate change posing many 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 water resources and hydroelectric projects in Viet Nam built by China 50-70 years ago are still operating effectively today," said Minister Do Duc Duy.
Regarding the tradition of cooperation in the field of water resources, Minister Li Guoying affirmed that this visit is not only an opportunity for the two ministries to review past achievements in cooperation but also to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
The Chinese Minister of Water Resources expressed: “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 sharing in water resources management.”
Mr. Li Guoying shared his special impression when he first visited Viet Nam'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 Viet Nam’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.
Bilateral meeting between the Chinese Minister of Water Resources and the Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment on March 24. Photo: Quynh Chi.Irrigation for sustainable agriculture
China's Minister of Water Resources believes that protecting and sustainably developing delta regions is an important task.
“If the irrigation system is well managed, especially in delta regions, it will ensure stable and developed agricultural production. This further affirms the essential role of irrigation in the rational exploitation of both groundwater and surface water,” Mr. Ly Quoc Anh 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, Viet Nam is developing a Project to prevent and combat land subsidence, landslides, flooding, drought, and saltwater intrusion. The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment hopes that the two sides can coordinate to research effective solutions in agricultural irrigation, develop freshwater and brackish water aquaculture models, thereby optimizing the use of water resources and improving livelihoods for people in the region.
Minister Ly Quoc Anh agreed with the view 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 for saltwater intrusion developed by researchers of the Viet Nam Institute of Water Resources. This model is suitable for the characteristics of the delta, covering 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
Highly 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 Viet Nam 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 meteorological and hydrological information and data on the Mekong and Red Rivers, especially at important monitoring stations near the border between the two countries.
Along with that, providing information on hydropower projects near the Viet Nam border; establishing 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 (Typhoon No. 3), Minister Do Duc Duy said that hydrological indicators in river basins in the northern mountainous provinces exceeded extreme levels, in some places 3 meters higher than the previous record level. After this storm, the data shared by Viet Nam with neighboring countries helped supplement information on water resource management in the region.
Minister Do Duc Duy highly appreciated 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 mechanism will ensure that irrigation and hydropower projects are exchanged and agreed upon among countries.
Agreeing with Minister Do Duc Duy’s proposal, Minister Ly Quoc Anh said that the overall water management mechanism is a key factor in ensuring security for the entire basin. China is willing to cooperate closely with Viet Nam and countries in the region to minimize the negative impacts of natural disasters and ensure harmonious hydrological management.
Minister Li Guoying highlighted the spirit of equal cooperation between the two countries, affirming that data sharing is not a matter of “giving and receiving” but rather a traditional cooperation with the goal of sustainable development.
The head of the country’s irrigation sector affirmed that China is also responsible for issuing warnings about natural disasters, regulating water discharge and storing water reasonably. In return, hydrological information from Viet Nam also helps China analyze and regulate water effectively.
The two Ministers agreed to closely coordinate to effectively carry out the task of managing and regulating the Mekong - Lancang River water, contributing to mitigating natural disaster risks and ensuring water safety for the entire region. |