Vietnam has abundant water resources from surface water like rivers and reservoirs as well as groundwater. However, water availability and quality varies significantly by region. The Mekong River Delta and Red River Delta have the most plentiful water resources but also face issues like floods and overexploitation of groundwater for agriculture. Many regions experience seasonal drought and flash floods, and water scarcity is a problem in some northern mountainous areas. Sustainable management of water resources is needed to address regional imbalances and ensure sufficient quality water for all sectors.

1. Vietnamese German University
WATER RESOURCES IN VIETNAM
Ho Chi Minh City, October 04, 2011

2. OUTLINE
1. Vietnam Overview
2. Natural Water Resources
 Surface Water
 Ground Water
 Water Availability & Quality
3. Water Resources Usage
4. Natural Water Resources – Major Issues
5. References
Page 1 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

3. VIETNAM OVERVIEW
 Area : 331,690 km2
 Population (2011) : 87,375,000 – the
13th most populous country
 Coastline: 3,444 km (excluding islands)
 Land boundaries: 4,639 km
 Laos 2,130 km
 China 1,281 km
 Cambodia 1,228 km
 Climate: tropical monsoon
 Rainfall:
- Annual average rainfall 2,050 mm
(highest 2,640mm and lowest 1,600mm)
- 90% in summer
Page 2 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

4. SURFACE WATER – OVERVIEW
River run-off per Region (bill.m³/year)
Source: National Water Sector profile, 2002
 The total average annual surface water
discharge is about 830 bill.m3 per year;
 More than 60% of Vietnam’s surface
water generated outside the country;
 Only 309 bill.m³ per year generated
within Vietnam;
Source:www.ask.com/wiki/Regions_of_Vietnam
Page 3 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

5. SURFACE WATER – OVERVIEW
 Uneven distribution, not only spatially, but over the year
 Low water availability per capita in Southeast Asia: 4,170m³/person
(4,900 m³/person in Southeast Asia and 3,300m³/person in Asia);
5% 3%
11% Irrigation
Aquaculture
Industry
Urban
81%
Surface water usage by sector
Page 4 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

6. SURFACE WATER - RIVER
 Dense river network with 2,360 rivers more
than 10 km length;
 Red River: The largest river in
Vietnam
 Mekong River: The longest river in
Southeast Asia
Mekong River
Source: www.chinapage.com/river/river.html
Red River Basin
Source: www.wikipedia.org
Page 5 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

7. SURFACE WATER - RIVER
 13 major river systems with the area over 10,000km²
 2% of the total river flow in the world
 Providing an abundant supply of water – 255 bill.m³ annually; low utilization of
only 53bill.m³ per year;
NO. River Total volume (km³) Percentage (%)
1 Me Kong 500 59
2 Red 126,5 14,9
3 Dong Nai 36,3 4,3
4 Ma, Ca and Thu Bon 20 (for each river) 2,3 – 2,6
5 Ky Cung, Thai Binh and Ba 9 (for each river) 1
6 Others 94,5 11,1
Water resources from river (per year)
(Source: Department of Water Resources Management)
Page 6 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

8. SURFACE WATER – LAKE, LAGOON
 Having 460 lakes with large and
small size;
 Having several major natural lakes;
Ba Be lake- Ba Be National Park (Bac
Kan Province)
 The largest natural lake
 Surface area : 4.5km²
 Water volume : 90 million m³
Cau Hai Lagoon:
• Area: 52 km²;
• Length: 24km;
Source: Internet
Page 7 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

9. SURFACE WATER – RESERVOIRS
 Having about 3,600 reservoirs and dams with various sizes;
 The total reservoir active storage volume is about 37,000 million m3
(about 4.5% of the total average annual surface water discharge)
 Most are more than 20-30 years old;
 Purposes:
 Hydropower
 Flood control
 Agriculture irrigation
 Water supply
 River flowa management
Hoa Binh Reservoir
Page 8 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

10. SURFACE WATER – RAIN WATER
 Annual average rainfall 2,050 mm - 90% in summer (from July to September)
 which is the abundant supply source of fresh water added to rivers and
groundwater.
 Some areas with less water accessibility, rainwater is the main water supply:
Arid area, Saline water, Polluted groundwater (Arsenic pollution)
Storing rainwater in Vietnamese rural areas
Page 9 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

11. GROUND WATER
Exploitable Ground Water (bill.m³/year)
Source: National Water Sector profile, 2002
The total potential exploitable reserves of the country's aquifers
estimated at nearly 60 bill. m³ per year
Page 10 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

12. GROUNDWATER (cont.)
 Having abundance of groundwater reserves;
 Less than 5% of the total reserves are exploited, for the country as a
whole;
 The abstraction of groundwater also varies in different regions;
 Providing 35 – 50% of total water supply for urban;
 The groundwater is generally of good quality, suitable for drinking with little
or no treatment;
Although less than 5% of the
total ground water reserves
are extracted, in some areas
is causing problems of falling
water tables, land subsidence
and salinity intrusion.
Source: ADB Water Sector Report
Page 11 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

13. GROUNDWATER (cont.)
 RURAL AREA:
Handle Pumping well The commune well
 Multi purposes:
 Washing
 Drinking
 Cooking
Well in rural areas
Page 12 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

14. GROUNDWATER (cont.)
Small diameter size
No. Provinces
Small well Volume (m3 /per day)
1 Northern mountainous regions 8,080 45,331
2 Red River Delta 551,157 1,634,399
3 North Central Coast 21,125 61,100
4 Central Highlands 2,592 9,003
5 Central Coast 60,835 245,609
6 Northeast of Mekong 136,363 1,308,941
7 Mekong River Delta 62,798 302,164
TOTAL 842,950 3,606,547
The number of small wells of Vietam
Source: ADB Water Sector Report
Page 13 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

15. WATER RESOURCES AVAILABILITY
Surface Ground
Region Issues
Water Water
Northwest Flashfloods, floods, seasonal drought
+++++ +++
Region Reservoir siltation and construction
Northeast Region ++++ +++ Flashfloods, floods, seasonal drought
Floods, Cross-sectoral water allocation and use
Red River Delta +++++ +++++
Intensive agriculture, groundwater over-exploitation
North Central Flashfloods, floods, Seasonal Droughts
+++ +++
Coast Low river flow during prolonged dry season in South of region
South Central Flashfloods, floods, Severe Seasonal Droughts
++ +++
Coast Low river flow during prolonged dry season entire region
Central Flashfloods, Seasonal droughts
++++ ++++
Highlands Groundwater over-exploitation for irrigation, Reservoir construction
Floods, Seasonal drought.
Northeast of
++++ +++++ Sector wise water allocation and use, Groundwater over-exploitation
Mekong
(HCMC)
Mekong River Flood, cross-sectoral water allocation and use
+++++ +++++
Delta Intensive agriculture/aquaculture, groundwater over-exploitation
(A high score (+++++) means water is abundant or good quality, a low score (+) they are
scarce or the water quality is unacceptable and out of range of standards.)
Source: http://www.wepa-db.net/
Page 14 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

16. WATER QUALITY – OVERVIEW
 SURFACE WATER:
 The upstream water quality
remains good;
 The downstream pollution mainly
from urban areas and industries;
 Most lakes and canals in urban
areas are fast becoming sewage
Exploitation of mineral along river
sinks;
Source: Vietnam State of Environment 2010
 Evidence of pollution from:
 Mainly from industrial waste
water
 Untreated municipality water;
 Garbage dumping;
Discharged directly into river basin
Source: Vietnam State of Environment 2010
Page 15 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

17. WATER QUALITY – OVERVIEW
 GROUND WATER:
 The quality of ground water
remains good;
 There are some pockets of
contamination;
 Having some salinity intrusion;
 Evidence of pollution from:
To unclog the flow
 Poorly maintained septic
Source: Vietnam State of Environment 2010
tanks;
 Garbage dumping;
 Industrial effluent;
 Over-exploitation;
Garbage dumping
Page 16 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

18. WATER QUALITY – BY REGIONS
Rivers
Ground Coastal
Region Up- Down- Issues
Waters Waters
stream stream
Northwest Region +++++ ++++ +++++ – –
Urban pollution, Saline intrusion, Marine
Northeast Region +++++ ++ ++++ +++
transport pollution risks.
Urban and Industrial pollution, Saline
Red River Delta ++++ ++ +++ +++ Intrusion Agrochemical pollution, transport
pollution risks
North Central Coast ++++ +++ +++ ++++ Urban pollution, Saline intrusion
South Central Coast +++++ ++ ++++ ++++ Urban pollution, Saline intrusion
Central Highlands +++++ ++++ +++++ – –
Urban and industrial pollution, Saline
Northeast of Mekong ++++ + +++ ++
intrusion
Saline intrusion, Low pH in rivers (Acid
Mekong River Delta ++++ ++ +++ +++ soils) Agrochemical pollution, transport
pollution risks
 Water quality deterioration is probably the greatest environmental issue
facing Vietnam;
Source: http://www.wepa-db.net/
Page 17 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

19. WATER RESOURCES USAGE
Domestic
Irrigation
Fisheries
Services
Industry
Distribution of Water Usage by Sector
Source: State of Environment 2010
In Vietnam, 70% of water for daily life
comes from surface water and 30%
from ground water.
Source: ADB Water Sector Report
Page 18 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

20. WATER RESOURCES USAGE
Urban Water Requirement to 2020
Page 19 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

21. MAJOR ISSUES - OVERVIEW
 Population increase;
 Rapid urbanization and industrialization;
 Climate change;
 Monitoring the resource & extractions
 Sustainable levels of extraction
 Impacts assessment of projects (eg. hydro power projects)
 State water management capacity;
 Inadequate physical infrastructure;
 Budget for water resources development and management is limited
Page 20 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

22. MAJOR ISSUES (cont.)
 SURFACE WATER:
 To be susceptible to water resource
decisions made in upstream countries;
 Dams built at the upstream
problems;
 Climate change (natural disaster risks
of floods, typhoons, coastal attack and
drought)
 Drought in dry season;
 Flood in rainy season;
 GROUND WATER:
 Lacking ground water protection plans;
 Lacking ground water drilled plans;
 Over-extraction;
 Due to polluted surface water;
Dams on the Mekong River
Page 21 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

23. REFERENCES
 Vietnam State of Water Environment Issues, Water Environment
Partnership in Asia, http://www.wepa-db.net/
 Vietnam State of Environment 2010
 ADB Water Sector Review – Sector Status Report, 2008
Page 22 ▌Natural water resoures in Vietnam

24. Vietnamese German University
THANK YOU!