Source: Mae.gov.vn
The bilateral meeting between the Minister of Irrigation China and the Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam on March 24. Image: Mae.gov.vn
Vietnam – China irrigation development tradition
Table of Contents
On the afternoon of March 24, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy continued and worked with Chinese Irrigation Minister Ly Quoc Anh.
At the meeting, Minister Do Duc Duy expressed respect for China’s achievements in the field of irrigation. He expects that China will continue to support Vietnam to develop and manage the irrigation system, especially in the context of climate change, which is posing new challenges.
“Thanks to the geographical factor, the two countries have many similarities in history, culture, ideology and politics, sharing the common values of the wet rice civilization very early. The modern period, many irrigation and hydroelectric works in Vietnam built by China from 50 to 70 years ago still operate effectively to this day,” Minister Do Duc Duy said.
Regarding the tradition of cooperation in the field of irrigation, Minister Ly Quoc Anh affirmed that this visit was not only an opportunity for the two ministries to look back on the achievements of the past, but also to tighten the relationship between the two countries.
“The common goal of the two countries is to serve the people, ensuring social security. From past, China has always followed the principle of community sharing in the management of water resources.”
Mr. Ly Quoc Anh shared her special feelings when she first visited Vietnam’s Irrigation University, which was supported by the Vietnam Hydroelectric University engineers (China). Personally, he was a student at Hoa Bac University, so he felt extremely familiar when visiting Vietnam’s irrigation university of Vietnam.
Exchanging with retired Vietnamese irrigation officers, Minister Ly Quoc Anh touched when remembering the irrigation works built through many generations of Vietnam – China.
Irrigation for sustainable agriculture
The Chinese Irrigation Minister said that protecting and sustainable development of the plains is an important task.
“If the irrigation system is well managed, especially in the plains, it will ensure a stable and developed agricultural production. This has confirmed the essential role of irrigation in rational exploitation of groundwater and surface water,” Mr. Ly Quoc Anh analyzed.
Agreeing with this comment, Minister Do Duc Duy proposed to establish a cooperation mechanism for water discharge and manage floating structures in the rainy season, updated in real time. This mechanism will help ensure the flow of the flow, protect the river bed and maintain the operation of the cross -border waterways in the Red River basin.
For the Mekong Delta, Vietnam is developing a project to prevent and control land subsidence, landslides, flooding, drought and saline intrusion. The head of the agriculture – environment expects the two sides to coordinate the study of effective solutions in agricultural irrigation, develop the model of freshwater and brackish aquaculture, thereby optimizing the use of water resources and raising 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, help minimize the impact of climate change on water resources and agricultural production.
He appreciated the early warning model of saline intrusion that has been developed by researchers of the Vietnam Institute of Irrigation Science. This is a model suitable for the characteristics of the Earth, wide -scale collection of data, so it is very successful in forecasting and warning the risk of lack of fresh water in production.
Sharing Mekong Hydrology – Lan Thuong
Appreciating the importance of co -management and management of water sources, Minister Do Duc Duy commented that China’s sharing of hydrological data will help Vietnam improve the quality of forecasting and warning of floods on cross -border river systems.
In order to proactively respond to abnormal situations and ensure the use of fair water, Minister Duy suggested that China continue to share information, meteorological and hydrological data on the Mekong River and the Red River, especially at important monitoring stations near the border of the two countries.
Along with that, providing information about hydropower projects near Vietnam border; Establish a cooperation mechanism for water discharge and manage floating structures in the rainy season in real time, ensuring flow circulation and limiting damage due to landslides.
Referring to the recent Yagi storm (typhoon No. 3), Minister Do Duc Duy said that the hydrological indicators in the river basin in the northern mountainous provinces have exceeded the extreme level, some places higher than 3 meters higher than the previous record. After this storm, Vietnam’s data shared with neighboring countries helped supplement information about water management in the region.
Minister Do Duc Duy highly appreciated China’s pioneering role in establishing the Mekong – Lan Thuong cooperation mechanism.
“The sharing of hydrological data among countries in the basin has brought practical effects. Hopefully, China continues to maintain and expand information sharing mechanisms,” the Minister suggested and emphasized the need for the Thong Nhat river basin management model, accompanied by regional consultation mechanism. This mechanism will ensure irrigation and hydroelectric projects with exchange and unity among countries.
Agreeing with the proposal of Minister Do Duc Duy, Minister Ly Quoc Anh said that the overall water management mechanism is a key factor to ensure the safety of the basin. China is ready to cooperate closely with Vietnam and countries in the region to minimize the negative impact of natural disasters, ensuring harmonious hydrological management.
Minister Ly Quoc Anh promoted the spirit of equal cooperation between the two countries, affirming that the sharing of data is not the “given side – the side” but the traditional cooperation with the goal of sustainable development.
The head of the irrigation industry of your country affirms that China is also responsible for giving warnings about natural disasters, regulating the rising water and storing water properly. In contrast, hydrological information from Vietnam also helps China analyze and regulate water effectively.
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The two ministers agreed to coordinate closely to well perform the task of managing and regulating the Mekong – Lan Thuong River water, contributing to mitigating disaster risks and ensuring water safety for the whole area. |
