Vietnam and Finland Exchange Insights on Groundwater Management

On December 11, the Department of Water Resources Management, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, along with the Finnish Embassy in Vietnam, hosted a workshop in Hanoi to share experiences in groundwater management.
December 12, 2024 | 10:01
Vietnam And Finland Boost Meteorology Cooperation
Enhancing Education for Vietnamese, Finnish Preschoolers
Vietnam and Finland Exchange Insights on Groundwater Management
Participants at the workshop. (Photo: VNA)

At the event, Deputy Director of the Department of Water Resources Management, Ngo Manh Ha, highlighted that recent socio-economic development has led to increased groundwater extraction. Concurrently, urbanization has caused surface cementation, reducing the infiltration of rainwater and surface water into groundwater. This has led to a decline in water levels and the degradation of groundwater aquifers.

Ha noted that signs of groundwater aquifer degradation have been observed in the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, and various urban areas across Vietnam.

He mentioned the longstanding cooperation between Vietnam and Finland in the water sector and noted that the workshop served as a platform for both countries to exchange experiences in groundwater management, especially in light of the 2023 Law on Water Resources, which took effect on July 1, 2024. This new law includes provisions for protecting groundwater resources and artificial recharge to restore groundwater in areas experiencing degradation and depletion.

Sharing insights from Finland, Maija Seppala, Development Policy Counsellor at the Finnish Embassy in Vietnam, explained that Finland has made significant strides in managing groundwater resources by developing a comprehensive groundwater management framework. Seppala highlighted that Finland has established a groundwater monitoring network to track water quality and quantity, identifying trends in water levels, pollution, and depletion. This system ensures early detection and prompt addressing of issues like pollution or over-extraction.

Additionally, Finnish experts at the workshop shared experiences from groundwater recharge projects implemented in Vietnam and suggested adopting global best practices in groundwater management and artificial recharge.

Finland Considers Vietnam Most Important Economic Partner in ASEAN

Finland Considers Vietnam Most Important Economic Partner in ASEAN

Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-Aho affirmed that Finland considers Vietnam to be the most important economic partner in ASEAN and wishes to ...

Vietnam, Finland Look Forward to Hosting More People-to-people Exchanges

Vietnam, Finland Look Forward to Hosting More People-to-people Exchanges

The special meeting aims to activity to promote and connect cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Finland in the new period.

Amy Nguyen