Online conference on irrigation planning for the Red River basin and the Mekong River basin

On the afternoon of March 24, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired an online conference on irrigation planning for the Red River basin and the Mekong River basin for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050. Comrade Lai Van Hoan, member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, and leaders of a number of provincial departments and branches attended the conference at the Thai Binh bridge.

Báo Thái Bình•27/03/2025

Comrade Lai Van Hoan, Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, attended the conference at the Thai Binh branch.

Representatives from the Institute of Water Resources Planning ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ) presented two draft water resource planning documents for the Red River Basin and the Mekong River Basin. Accordingly, the Red River Basin Water Resources Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, and the Mekong River Basin Water Resources Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, are specialized technical plans as stipulated in the Planning Law.

Delegates attending the conference at the Thai Binh venue.

The delegates focused their discussions and contributions on the water resource scenarios for river basins; particularly on the content and planning options for multi-purpose irrigation, ensuring water security, suitability to practical realities, meeting socio-economic development requirements, and feasibility in implementation. They also proposed extending the planning publication period and adding more accurate data on water resource dynamics.

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha highly appreciated the heartfelt and constructive contributions of the delegates, and affirmed that these are important foundations for perfecting the draft plans to ensure quality and effectiveness, contributing to improving the capacity for managing, regulating, exploiting, and protecting water resources in river basins.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the irrigation planning for the Red River and Mekong River basins is a major task that needs to be implemented synchronously and uniformly in terms of flow, policies, technology, and investment resources. The planning process must have a strategic, long-term perspective, adapting to climate change, responding to drought and saltwater intrusion, and ensuring efficient drainage.

The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to incorporate all feedback, promptly revise and finalize the draft plan, and submit it for approval within the deadline. Simultaneously, the Ministry should coordinate with the National Centers for Water Resources Planning and Investigation and other relevant units to thoroughly evaluate the project options on the main river; conduct a detailed comparison of economic, technical, and environmental efficiency to select the most optimal and effective option.

The Deputy Prime Minister also requested that provinces and cities in the Red River and Mekong River basins, within their respective duties and powers, strengthen state management of irrigation infrastructure according to the plan; strictly manage land funds for plan implementation; develop medium-term and annual investment plans for irrigation in accordance with the plan and allocate budget for irrigation infrastructure investment in their areas.

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