Use water efficiently, take a circular approach

In order to manage water resources safely and effectively, Quang Ngai province has implemented many solutions for economical and effective use, focusing on circulating and reusing water in daily life and production.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung - Acting Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quang Ngai province.

Regarding this issue, TN&MT Newspaper reporter had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung - Acting Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quang Ngai province.

PV: Could you tell us how climate change is affecting surface water and groundwater resources in Quang Ngai province?
Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung: Quang Ngai province is a coastal province with diverse and complex terrain and a dense river system. The climate is in the transition zone between oceanic and continental climates, located near one of the five largest storm centers in the world , so Quang Ngai is one of the places greatly affected by changes in climate conditions.

Climate change has a direct and profound impact on water resources in Quang Ngai, changing the natural water cycle, thereby causing extreme weather events, reducing water quality, degrading water resources, increasing saltwater intrusion and rising sea levels. Prolonged saltwater intrusion, lower than average rainfall for many years, while demand for use increases, causing groundwater levels to drop.

In Ly Son island district, excessive exploitation of groundwater has caused salinization of the aquifer. According to the latest inspection and assessment by the professional agency of Quang Ngai province, the groundwater level in Ly Son has decreased by 10 - 12m compared to before, leading to saltwater intrusion. Depletion of groundwater has affected agricultural activities and domestic water of the people, especially in coastal areas - where there are tourism and aquaculture activities.

PV: In the face of the impacts of climate change, in recent times, how has Quang Ngai province implemented a strategy to use water resources economically and effectively for daily life and production, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung : Faced with the situation of decreasing water levels in some rivers along with the depletion of groundwater resources... which is requiring more economical and efficient use of water, in recent times, Quang Ngai province has implemented measures to economically and efficiently use water resources such as: approving the List of water sources requiring the establishment of protection corridors in Quang Ngai province; approving the list of restricted areas and areas permitted for exploitation and use of groundwater in Quang Ngai province; implementing groundwater resource monitoring from the handover results of the Project "Strengthening capacity for planning and investigating groundwater in urban areas of Vietnam" and the project "Drilling wells to monitor and control groundwater reserves and quality in Ly Son district". Deploying the establishment of a list of lakes, ponds, lagoons and estuaries that cannot be filled in Quang Ngai province. These are important tasks of the sector in managing groundwater resources in the province.

Falling groundwater levels are affecting farming, production and people's lives.

In addition, the locality also focuses on disseminating laws on water resources through World Water Day and World Meteorological Day every year; regularly organizes inspections of organizations and individuals engaged in large-scale exploitation and use of water resources and promptly handles and corrects the situation of wasteful exploitation and use of water.

To date, the locality has built and installed 14 automatic rain gauge stations, adding to the rain gauge system to serve the work of warning and forecasting rain and floods on major rivers: Tra Khuc River, Ve River, Tra Bong River, Tra Cau River and Phuoc Giang River, contributing to forecasting surface water resources on rivers. Developing regulations for operating single reservoirs (irrigation, hydropower), inter-reservoirs according to approved procedures, contributing to limiting floods and retaining water for effective use in the dry season in the face of increasingly complex developments of climate change.

Quang Ngai province has also deployed a monitoring system in Ly Son district and Quang Ngai city, contributing to monitoring the exploitation and use of water resources as a basis for better protection of water resources.

PV: Water recycling and reuse are considered an effective water resource management model, contributing to ensuring economic development. What plans and solutions have localities had for water recycling and reuse in production to save and use water effectively in the context of climate change, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung: Circulating resources in general, and water resources in particular, is a policy encouraged in the Law on Environmental Protection 2020. Transforming the water resources management model towards a circular direction, contributing to ensuring economic development and protecting natural resources, and reusing wastewater is also one of the important local solutions to protect water security.

In recent times, Quang Ngai province has always encouraged production and business establishments in the province to recirculate and use wastewater in production activities. Some establishments have recirculated and used treated wastewater that meets permitted standards for watering plants, washing industrial floors, etc.

Enterprises have gradually realized the importance of using water resources and moving towards using water circulation for appropriate purposes. Typical examples include Quang Ngai Sugar Joint Stock Company, livestock farms, Hoa Phat Steel Factory, etc.

PV: Thank you very much!

According to the results of building a groundwater potential map using GIS application to determine areas with potential groundwater resources for Quang Ngai province by the Central Region Water Resources Planning and Investigation Federation, the area of the group with high and very high groundwater potential or groundwater resources accounts for 22.3% (1132.4km2). The area of the group with low and very low groundwater potential or groundwater resources accounts for 60.7%. The area of the group with average groundwater potential or groundwater resources accounts for 17.0%.

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