Hanoi, 21/11/2024 – On November 6th, the workshop “Exchange of experiences in water resources management and water-related risk reduction” was held at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, MONRE. Officials from the Ministry, CIMA Foundation and AICS Hanoi representatives attended the event together with Vietnamese water sector institutions.
The seminar is part of the project “Technical Assistance on Strengthening the Regulatory Framework of the Water Sector: Real-time Multi-Basin Operations – AID 12866″, funded by the Italian Agency for Italian Development Cooperation and implemented by the CIMA Foundation, a leading institution in the environmental monitoring sector in Italy. The project builds on the fruitful collaboration between the AICS Hanoi office and MONRE in defining the recent Water Law, approved in November 2023. It aims to strengthen Vietnam’s regulatory framework for managing water resources, focusing on flood and drought risks.
The meeting was opened by Ngo’ Manh Ha’, Deputy Director General of the Department of Water Resources Management (DWRM) at MONRE, who emphasized the initiative’s importance for addressing Vietnam’s vulnerability to natural disasters. This is particularly important in light of the recent passage of Typhoon Yagi. Dr. Tran Dien then presented on the technical aspects of the country’s water resources management.
The CIMA Foundation delegation, composed of Drs. Isabel Gomes, Sabrina Meninno, and Lorenzo Alfieri, highlighted Italy’s system for managing river basins, focusing on flood and drought risk and its links to the early warning system for civil protection. They presented the myDewetra platform, a practical tool for impact-based forecasting for risk management in Southeast Asia, showcasing its potential benefits.
“The workshop’s main objective was to identify the points of convergence between the river basin management systems of the two countries, highlighting the similarities and differences in their respective risk forecasting and management strategies, particularly regarding floods and droughts. Furthermore, we identified issues of common interest to encourage an exchange of experiences and good practices within the project and to promote a lasting and reciprocal collaboration between MONRE and CIMA Foundation,” said Isabel Gomes, Project Manager of CIMA.
Mr. Daniele Pittalis, Senior Expert at AICS Hanoi, presented the projects financed by the Italian Government over the years in the water sector, where the Italian Cooperation is now a reference partner of the Vietnamese Government with recognized expertise. He underlined: “AICS Hanoi promotes and supports initiatives in Vietnam aimed at strengthening institutional and technical capacities and improving efficiency and effectiveness in the sustainable management of water resources. These efforts align with the sustainable development objectives of the Planet and Partnership pillars of the 2030 Agenda, aiming to ensure the management of a resource increasingly under pressure due to rising demands from various production sectors and the country’s exposure to climate disasters. To this end, collaboration among all the actors involved and greater sharing and accessibility of data are essential”.