Addressing urban flooding issues.

Recently, prolonged heavy rains have caused widespread flooding in major cities. To mitigate and ultimately resolve this problem, relevant parties need to boldly implement comprehensive and decisive solutions, gradually improving the effectiveness of drainage systems.

Motorbikes have to be pushed along the road in Binh Quoi Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

The technical infrastructure in general, and drainage systems in particular, of cities nationwide have not kept pace with the rate of urbanization; the inadequate rainwater drainage systems and the collection and treatment of domestic wastewater are the fundamental causes of this situation.

Many inherent obstacles

In general, the majority of urban drainage systems are still old, long-established systems, resulting in uneven drainage capacity. Recently, new urban development and housing projects in some localities have been planned and constructed synchronously; the rainwater drainage system has been separated from the domestic wastewater collection system, but this separation is still limited to the project area and has not been extended to the entire urban area, thus limiting drainage efficiency.

As of the end of 2024, there were 83 urban wastewater treatment plants operating nationwide in more than 50 cities, with a total designed capacity of over 2 million m3/day, but the actual capacity only reached about 1.1 million m3/day. Many centralized wastewater treatment plants did not reach their designed capacity due to the low rate of household wastewater connection or the lack of synchronized investment in the collection network (on average, they operated at only about 50% of their designed capacity).

Although the coverage rate of drainage pipes is quite high (approximately 90% in urban areas), only 18% of domestic wastewater is collected and treated to meet environmental discharge standards. Currently, there are two models of drainage management at the local level: centralized and decentralized. This creates difficulties when the two-tiered local government model operates, as the management capacity of the commune-level People's Committees is insufficient for large-scale wastewater treatment projects. Furthermore, the ratio of drainage pipes per capita in Vietnam is still low, averaging just over 1 meter/person, only about half of the world average (2 meters/person).

According to Ta Quang Vinh, Director of the Construction Infrastructure Department ( Ministry of Construction ), in addition to inherent unresolved obstacles, the investment capital for constructing drainage systems according to the plan does not meet the needs of localities (approximately 300,000 billion VND by 2030). Drainage service fees are still low; previously, only 25 localities (before mergers) issued prices at four different levels, ranging from 700 VND/m3 to 2,600 VND/m3, and mainly applied environmental protection fees for wastewater.

Urban development, high population density, and the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events have overloaded the existing drainage system. The government lacks sufficient resources to invest in all wastewater treatment plants and collection pipeline networks, while the existing pipelines in urban areas are already degraded and damaged.

The field of drainage and wastewater treatment is a public service provided by the State, and private sector investment or transfer of this service is impossible due to legal obstacles. The fact that localities (except for centrally-governed cities) are not allowed to develop specialized drainage plans also makes it difficult to propose and develop investment projects for drainage infrastructure construction…

Director of Construction Infrastructure Department (Ministry of Construction) Ta Quang Vinh

Develop integrated solutions

Experts assess that the general urban development plan has addressed solutions to prevent flooding; however, the implementation phase still faces many obstacles and requires a practical approach to develop appropriate investment plans. Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Hoc, Chairman of the Vietnam Irrigation Association, stated that the main obstacle currently lies in the drainage phase (collecting water from the drainage system into the river and then to the pumping stations). For example, in Hanoi, the approved capacity for pumping stations is 504 m3/second, but investment is currently too slow, incomplete, and some completed pumping stations lack wastewater treatment facilities.

For localities experiencing flooding due to rising river levels and tides, relevant sectors need to coordinate closely in reviewing and replanning the river network to maximize the effectiveness of flood and inundation drainage. For localized flooding, flexible methods such as using prefabricated underground tanks or utilizing space within buildings to store rainwater and wastewater can be applied, contributing to minimizing the impact of flooding.

According to Director Ta Quang Vinh, based on an assessment of the current state of the national drainage system, as well as a review of legal documents and an evaluation of state management, it is evident that improving legal documents is absolutely necessary. This is especially important because there is currently no single, unified specialized law regulating activities in the drainage sector, including: rainwater drainage, wastewater and sludge collection and treatment, flood prevention, and climate change adaptation, etc.

Therefore, developing specialized laws on water supply and drainage is one of the key solutions for overall management and addressing existing problems, especially investment mechanisms to attract resources for building drainage systems. The Ministry of Construction is expected to revise and finalize the draft Law on Water Supply and Drainage, submitting it to the Government in 2026 and to the National Assembly for early approval and promulgation.

Experts recommend that, while awaiting the law's approval, localities should immediately promote the conversion of environmental protection fees for wastewater into service fees for drainage and wastewater treatment; develop a roadmap for increasing drainage and treatment service fees; and supplement local budgets for reinvesting in drainage and wastewater treatment projects. Authorities should boldly research and issue an urban flood control program, similar to the social housing development program, to develop appropriate policies and promptly address this situation.

In addition, it is necessary to develop specific mechanisms for localities in investing in urban flood control projects; build a database on urban flooding; and pilot the PPP mechanism in attracting and mobilizing private investment capital to participate in drainage and wastewater treatment projects, ensuring the financial efficiency of the projects and making them attractive enough to investors and credit institutions.

nhandan.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/khac-phuc-tinh-trang-ngap-ung-do-thi-post886664.html