In over one hour of considering the amended Law on Water Resources on October 4, the NA Standing Committee discussed many issues, like the impacts of hydro-power plants on water resources and the threat of water exhaustion.
The NA Committee for Social Affairs, Truong Thi Mai, suggested that the draft law should be added with an article that ban hydro power plants from discharging water, causing floods in the lowlands. Mai proposed to have a central agency to coordinate water discharge at hydro power plants because local authorities are incapable to cover this.
Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Ethnic Groups, Ksor Phuoc, cited an example: the natural flows of some rivers in Gia Lai province in the Central Highlands have been changed to serve hydro-power projects in the central region. Gia Lai people have suffered from water exhaustion in these rivers. People in the neighboring provinces will also suffer, he warned.
According to the government’s report, hydro-power plants contribute 40 percent of the total electricity output. However, the development of small and medium-sized plants has caused many consequences, for example causing floods or water exhaustion in the lowlands.
The NA’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment’s Chair, Phan Xuan Dung, said that Vietnam must have serious attitude to the threat of water exhaustion.
He said that in many countries, water is a valuable resource. Many wars broke out for water conflict. But in Vietnam, the law does not stipulate sanctions against violation of water resources, resulted in the gradual exhaustion of water. Dung stressed the construction of hydro-power plants and environmental pollution as major reasons.
Dung cited that previously, water was found in the depth of 15-20 meters in the Central Highlands, but now people have to drill 150-200m deep to have water.
A survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shows that industrial waste water, particular waste water discharged by paper, chemical and galvanizing factories, contains a lot of polluting substances. Vietnam has 154 large-scale industrial zones but only 43 of them have central waste water treatment systems, and these systems only operate at 70 percent of their capacity.
Waste water from seafood processing factories is also the source of pollution in the basins of the Cuu Long (Mekong) river, Gianh River and Red River. Developing aquaculture is also a reason for the reduction of mangrove swamps, the ecosystem for many species, which also plays the vital role in the operation procedures of estuaries.
The report also warns the encroachment of construction works to reservoirs and the waste of clean water in cities.
These threats must be prevented and covered by the law, Dung proposed.
Law may introduce fees for water use
Individuals and organisations will be required to pay for their water use under a draft amendment to the Law on Water Resources aimed at conserving supplies.
"Charging individuals and organisations for their water usage is expected to enhance their sense of responsibility regarding its use and improve the efficiency of water-dependent activities," said Nguyen Van Giau, chairman of the National Assembly Economics Committee.
Other members of the NA Standing Committee agreed yesterday to the draft policy, which will be introduced at the next NA meeting later this month
Some members, however, have expressed concerns over the draft.
"The draft document lacks detailed regulations on water usage charges," said chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Truong Thi Mai.
Giau agreed, saying specific regulations were needed to stipulate who and in which cases entities would have to pay to use water resources.
"There needs to be a regulation that those who use underground or surface water for business purposes in areas facing a water shortage will be charged for the water they use," he said.
However, hydropower plants should not be charged for using water, according to a report by the NA Economics Committee.
The report shows that many organisations believe that hydropower plants do not alter the quality of water resources and they already have to pay a natural resources tax.
Chairman of the NA Committee for Finance and Budget Phung Quoc Hien also raised the question of whether water resources ownership could be transferred in the same way that many other types of ownership can.
"This needs to be clarified in the amended law," he said.
The Law on Water Resources, which took effect in 1999, has demonstrated some weaknesses, particularly in terms of river bed management, appropriate water resources allocation, maintenance of minimum river water flow, limits of underground water exploitation and efficient use of water.
Viet Nam suffered from severe droughts last year and in the early months of this year while international and domestic experts have claimed that water has been considerably wasted in this country.
In an earlier interview with Viet Nam News, Koos Neefjes, climate change policy advisor for the United Nations Development Programme, said the lack of water was now a "fact of life" and improving the efficiency of water usage was "more urgent than ever" for the country.
Dr Tran Hong Thai, deputy director of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment, said income from water in other countries usually made up 7-10 per cent of the gross domestic products (GDP), whereas in Viet Nam that figure was only 1 per cent.
Le Nhung
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment