The event was organized by the Thua Thien-Hue Construction and Water Supply Co., Ltd. (HueWACO), the Yokohama Waterworks Bureau (YWWB) and the Yokohama Water Business Association (YWBA). It attracted 165 delegates from 58 organizations and agencies in Vietnam’s water sector and seven leading water-related agencies of Japan.
They were briefed about water supply services, water leak detection technologies, integrated water resources management systems and manpower training so as to improve the water sector’s business efficiency.
At the workshop. Photo: thuathienhue.gov.vn
Participants also shared experience to help Vietnam’s water supply companies receive advice from and advanced water supply technologies transferred by Japan.
Vice Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Dung lauded the cooperation between the two countries’ water sector, noting that the projects implemented by the YWWB in the province have proved effective and become an example of Vietnam’s international cooperation in the water sector.
The People’s Committee pledges to facilitate business and investment projects of the YWWB and the YWBA in Hue, he stressed.
The province has provided safe water for nearly 1 million people, or 83 percent of its population. However, about 200,000 residents in rural areas haven’t accessed clean water supply sources, he noted, adding that Thua Thien-Hue wants to receive more assistance and cooperation from Japan’s water sector to improve local water supply capacity.
A representative of the YWWB said the bureau will sign a cooperation agreement for 2017-2019 with HueWACO to enhance ties in clean water supply for the province.
Director of the province’s Department of External Affairs Tran Dinh Phu said aside from water supply, Thua Thien-Hue and Japan have also cooperated in many other spheres such as disaster prevention, heritage preservation, transport, education and health care. Japan is currently the biggest ODA provider of Vietnam as well as the province.
Notably, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has assisted Hue city with a project on improving the local water environment. Phase I of the project has a total investment of JPY 20 trillion (USD 220 million) funded by the Japanese Government’s concessional loan.
Source: VNA