DECISION

APPROVING THE NATIONAL STRATEGY ON WATER RESOURCES TO 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;
Pursuant to the May 20, 1998 Law on Water Resources;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 91/2002/ ND-CP of November 11, 2002, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;
At the proposal of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the national strategy on water resources to 2020 with the following major contents:

I. VIEWPOINTS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

A. Viewpoints

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2. Water resources are under the entire people's ownership and uniformly managed by the State. All organizations and individuals have the right to exploit and use water resources to meet their daily-life and production demands, and have also the responsibility to protect and develop water resources in a sustainable manner, prevent and mitigate harms caused by water in accordance with the provisions of law.

3. Water resources must be managed in an integrated and uniform manner, on the basis of river basins. The water use structure must conform with economic restructuring in the period of accelerated national industrialization and modernization.

4. Water resources must be developed in a sustainable manner; exploited and used thriftily, efficiently, in an integrated manner and for multi-purposes. Water products must be considered commodities; subsidy mechanism must be soon eliminated and the protection and development of water resources and the provision of water services be socialized.

5. To cooperate, share benefits, and ensure equity and rationality in the exploitation, use, protection and development of water resources as well as the prevention and mitigation of harms caused by water in trans-boundary rivers and river basins on the principles of ensuring national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests.

B. Guiding principles

1. The national strategy on water resources must be implemented in a coordinated and incremental manner and with targets. The implementation of the strategy is of urgent and long-term nature, contributing to the realization of national industrialization and modernization from now to 2020 and subsequent years.

2. The management, protection and development of water resources must ensure the systematism of river basins, not be divided by administrative boundaries and concurrently ensure the natural disposition of aquatic systems, water basins and ecosystems, especially of precious and rare aquatic species of scientific and economic value; preserve and develop the diversity and originality of Vietnam's aquatic ecosystems.

3. To enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the state management of water resources; raise the responsibilities of organizations and individuals in the protection, exploitation and use of water resources, as well as the prevention, mitigation and remedying of consequences and harms caused by water.

4. The socio-economic development must be associated with the capacity of water sources, with the protection and development of water resources. The exploitation and use of water resources must be integrated and for many purposes, harmonizing interests of branches, localities and communities in the comprehensive relationship between upstream and downstream, between areas and regions, ensuring balance and concentration for high socio­economic benefits and environmental protection.

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II. OBJECTIVES

A. General objectives

To protect, efficiently exploit and sustainably develop national water resources on the basis of the integrated and uniform management thereof, aiming to satisfy demands for water for people's life, socio­economic development, maintenance of national defense and security and environmental protection in the period of accelerated national industrialization and modernization; to take initiative in prevention, mitigation and minimization of harms caused by water; to step by step create a multi-sector water economy in line with the socialist-oriented market economy; to raise cooperation efficiency, harmonizing the interests of countries sharing water sources with Vietnam.

B. Specific objectives

1. Regarding the protection of water resources

a/ To revitalize rivers, reservoirs, water-bearing beds and submerged areas, which are seriously polluted, degraded or exhausted, giving priority to rivers in the basins of Nhue and Day rivers, Cau river, Dong Nai and Sai Gon rivers as well as Huong river;

b/ To ensure the minimum water flow for maintenance of aquatic ecosystems under plannings approved by competent authorities, focusing on rivers with big and important reservoirs and dams.

c/ To protect the integrity of submerged lands and estuaries and use them efficiently for key rivers and important water-bearing beds;

d/To put an end to the exploration, exploitation and use of water resources and the discharge of wastewater into water sources without permission of competent agencies according to the provisions of law;

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2. Regarding the exploitation and use of water resources

a/ To thriftily and efficiently exploit and use water resources. To ensure that the exploitation of water shall not exceed the exploitation limits, for rivers or the exploitable deposits, for water-bearing beds, paying attention to mainstreams in major river basins and important water-bearing beds of key economic regions;

b/ To distribute and share water resources in a harmonious and rational manner between branches and localities, giving priority to the use of water for daily life and for high economic benefits, ensuring environmental courses; in the immediate future, by 2010, to distribute water resources so as to ensure fruitful exploitation of 10.5 million hectares of land under annual crops or perennial trees to achieve a safe food output of 39-40 million tons/year; ensure a total capacity of around 13,000-15,000 MW for hydroelectric power plants, the freshwater aquaculture area of 0.64 million hectares and blackish water aquaculture area of 0.8 million hectares; to increase water volume supplied for industries by 70-80%, over the 2000 volume;

c/To achieve the comprehensive economic, social and environmental efficiency of the systems of reservoirs and dams throughout the flood and dry seasons, attaching importance to the basins of Hong-Thai Binh rivers, Dong Nai- Sai Gon rivers, and major river basins in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands;

d/ To ensure compatibility of socio-economic development plannings, land use plannings, forest development plannings, and defense and security requirements and tasks with water resource-exploitation and use planning and river basin planning, at national, regional and local levels.

e/ To form a water service market with participation of different economic sectors and a market for transfer and exchange of water resource-related licenses.

3. Regarding the development of water resources

a/ To ensure safety for reservoirs, attaching importance to big reservoirs and those involving concentrated population quarters or important political, economic and cultural establishments and defense and security works in downstream areas;

b/ To basically complete the construction of multi­purpose water reservation works and artificial underground water supplementation works, giving priority to water-thirsty areas;

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d/ To effectively address the drought and water shortage in the dry season, attaching importance to the Southern Central Vietnam, the Central Highlands, the Mekong river delta as well as island and border regions.

4. Regarding the minimization of harms caused by water

a/ To minimize human and property damage caused by floods, flash floods, mud and rock floods, paying special attention to areas frequently hit by floods and storms;

b/ To ensure safety of the Red river - Thai Binh river dike system; raise the anti-flood capacity of dyke systems in coastal areas of Central Vietnam, the Central Highlands and Eastern South Vietnam; consolidate the sea dike system to protect the population and contribute to socio-economic development, maintenance of defense and security in coastal areas; improve the flash flood-warning capacity in mountainous provinces, thereby restricting damage caused by flash floods;

c/ To establish flood-free areas in shallow submerged regions, ensuring living conditions and safety for people in deep submerged regions in the Mekong river delta. By 2010, to control big floods like the 1961 one, with regard to major rivers, and those like the 2000 one, with regard to infield areas; to further raise the flood-control level in the subsequent period;

d/ To ensure the compatibility of development plannings and standards for construction of socio­economic infrastructures and residential quarters in flooded areas with the regional anti-flood criteria.

5. Regarding the improvement of water resource- management capacity

a/ To attain consistency and coordination of the systems of policies, laws, standards and norms in the domain of water resources and develop water services with a view to strictly managing water resources, creating a motive force for sustainable development of a multi-sector water economy in compatibility with the socialist-oriented market economy;

b/ To formulate in a coordinated manner and ensure effectiveness of the system of state management of water resources at all levels; to widely develop service organizations in consultancy, sciences and technologies and water supply; clearly distinguish functions and tasks of state management agencies in charge of water resources from those of agencies managing the operation of works for exploitation and use of water resources and provision of water services.

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III. MAJOR TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

A. Major tasks

1. To enhance the protection of water sources and aquatic ecosystems

a/ To classify surface water quality and identify water quality targets for river basins, giving priority to the basins of Red- Thai Binh rivers, Dong Nai- Sai Gon- Cuu Long rivers and Vu Gia- Thu Bon rivers;

b/ To classify underground water quality and identify water quality targets for all water-bearing beds, first of all in key economic regions;

c/ To work out and organize the implementation of plannings on protection of water resources and aquatic ecosystems, ensuring that the quality of water sources will meet different water supply demands, especially the demand for daily-life water;

d/ To apply coordinative solutions for prevention and fighting of pollution of surface water and underground water sources; ensure the minimum water flow of rivers; prevent and handle the situation of overexploitation of water resources, which leads to the degradation and exhaustion of water sources, protect the integrity of aquatic ecosystems, submerged areas, estuaries and coastal areas;

e/To elaborate and implement plans on protection and restoration of water quality for rivers and water-bearing beds according to water quality targets in service of the performance of the tasks of national socio-economic development and defense and security maintenance in each period;

f/ To strictly control activities of drilling for underground water exploration and discharging wastewater into water sources; to restrict and proceed to ban the use of toxic chemicals in agricultural production and aquaculture, which pollutes water sources.

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a/ To work out river basin plannings and water resource plannings for territorial regions and manage the implementation thereof. To regulate and distribute water sources in river basins, ensuring the rational distribution, exploitation and use of water resources between branches and localities. To give priority to ensuring water sources for daily-life activities, big urban centers, industrial parks, concentrated economic zones and production branches of high economic value. To ensure rational irrigation water for crops;

b/ To concretize the policy of prioritizing the use of water for daily-life activities in water supply, in the construction and operation of water resource exploitation and use works;

c/ To determine water volumes to be maintained in all rivers, reservoirs and water-bearing beds nationwide so as to meet the requirement of daily-life water supply, attaching importance to Central Vietnam, the Central Highlands and water-thirsty areas;

d/ To enhance the control of water resource exploitation and use. To boost coordination in the construction and operation of water resource exploitation works in river basins along the direction of integrated and multi-purpose exploitation and use; to give priority to daily-life water sources; meet the requirements of drought fighting, electricity generation and waterway transport for important reservoirs under regulations;

e/ To combine the exploitation with rational use of surface water and underground water sources; attach importance to the protection and preservation of underground water sources; restrict the exploitation of underground water where surface water is exploitable;

f/ To manage water use demands, encourage thrifty use and reuse of water. To establish legal grounds for the formation and development of a water service market and the transfer and exchange of water resource-related permits.

3. To develop water resources in a sustainable manner

a/ To enhance the protection and development of forests, first of all headwater protective forests. To maintain and develop aquatic resources of rivers and reservoirs;

b/ To raise works' safety level and increase water reservation capacity of the existing reservoirs;

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d/ To develop water sources by raising the value of water resources and building more reservoirs and dams in order to improve the capacity of regulating water flows, attaching importance to development of integrated and multi-purpose water exploitation and use works and preservation works in southern Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, and works for saltwater infiltration prevention and freshwater retention in the Mekong river delta.

e/ To enhance measures for artificial supplementation of underground water, paying attention to water-thirsty areas. To divert water to river basins which are in lack of water.

4. To minimize harms caused by water

a/ To complete, upgrade and modernize the flood observation and warning system; build a warning system against flash floods, mud and rock floods, first of all in the Northern and Central mountainous regions;

b/ To zone off flood and flooded areas in river basins, attaching importance to those basins and areas highly prone to natural calamities;

c/ To work out and implement plannings on prevention, mitigation and minimization of harms caused by water to big river basins and rivers along the Central coast, harmoniously combining construction and non-construction measures in order to ensure safety for humans and minimize damage;

d/ To intensify scientific research and make general evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of floods, thereby working out solutions to tapping floods' benefits. To set anti-flood criteria for flooded areas;

e/ To continue reviewing development plannings and infrastructure construction criteria for flooded areas in compatibility with anti-flood criteria of such areas;

f/ To raise the quality of long-term drought forecasts, classify droughts and water shortage by extent in all river basins; make maps to zone off drought-stricken areas with regard to all water-thirsty areas, attaching importance to coastal areas of Central Vietnam, the Central Highlands and Northern mountainous areas;

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5. To perfect institutions and organizations

a/ To amend and supplement the Law on Water Resources and other relevant legal documents in order to meet the requirement of integrated and uniform management of water resources; shift from the mode of administrative and subsidy management and demand satisfaction to the mode of demand management, considering water products a commodity; adjust specific river beds and riverbanks, alluvia and estuary wetlands; exercise management by river basins, protect aquatic ecosystems and submerged areas;

b/ To enhance the use of economic tools in the prevention and handling of water resource pollution; in the exploitation and use of water resources and the socialization of water service provision and use;

c/ To promulgate policies on charges, fees and taxes; regulations on unit prices and econo-technical norms in the domain of water resources. To ensure that water service-providing organizations have financial self-balancing capacity, take initiative in the maintenance and improvement of water resource-exploiting facilities. To encourage communities, organizations and individuals to invest in the provision of water services, ensuring integrated, multi-purpose and efficient use of water, as well as water security and environmental protection;

d/To boost the administrative reform in the domain of water resources along the direction of amending and supplementing functions and tasks of state management agencies in charge of water resources from central to local levels, clarifying the division of tasks between ministries and branches and enhance the decentralization of the integrated management of water resources to localities.

6. To enhance the investigation, technological research and development capacity

a/ To enhance the investigation and assessment of water volume and quality, the situation of exploitation and use of water resources, pollution of water sources and factors affecting water resources;

b/ To boost scientific and technical research, development of technologies and application of scientific and technical advances in the management, protection, exploitation and use of water resources, the prevention, mitigation and minimization of harms caused by water;

c/ To step by step automate and widely apply digitalized technology to the observation and supervision of water resource exploitation and use and discharge of wastewater into water sources;

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B. Major solutions

1. To conduct communication and education, raise public awareness and encourage participation of communities

To elaborate and implement communication programs with propagation contents and forms suitable to each group of subjects in the society. To promote the role of the mass media in raising public awareness about undertakings, policies and law on water resources. To organize quizzes and art creation contests on water and life.

To launch movements on mass participation in the protection of water resources, first of all in big urban centers, concentrated population quarters and areas where water sources are seriously polluted. To adopt appropriate mechanisms and create conditions for people to participate in or actively support the supervision of the protection of water resources, fighting and preventing acts which degrade or pollute water sources. To build up and popularize good individual, collective, community models in the protection of water resources.

To enhance the participation of social organizations in elaboration, inspection and supervision of the implementation of river basin plannings and projects on water resources.

To include educational contents on water resources in teaching programs of the national education system.

2. To enhance legislation

To raise the effect of enforcement of law on water resources. Besides educating the sense of law observance, to enhance the supervision of enforcement of law on water resources.

To build the water resource-specialized inspectorate; conduct periodical and extraordinary inspections and examinations and promptly and resolutely handle acts of violating law on water resources.

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3. To increase investment and boost the socialization of water services

To increase investment and effectively use state budget capital sources for investigation, assessment and forecast of quantitative and qualitative changes in water resources; for river basin plannings and plannings on exploitation, use and protection of water resources, restoration of polluted, degraded and exhausted water sources as well as for scientific research, technological application and development in the domain of water resources.

To make full use of and efficiently use ODA sources for the domain of water resources. To mobilize social investment sources for the protection of water resources.

To soon adopt mechanisms and policies to eliminate subsidy in water supply services, ensuring proper and adequate charges of such services. To implement the policy on sharing of financial benefits and liabilities between organizations and individuals that exploit and use water resources in a number of big and important river basins, based on general socio­economic and environmental efficacy of integrated and multi-purpose water exploitation and use works.

4. To develop human resources, science and technology

To expand the training of human resources for management, protection and exploitation of water resources and prevention and mitigation of harms caused by water. To attach importance to the training of high-quality human resources.

To further develop and perfect the organization and operation mechanism of the system of water resource-research, training and development institutions, including centers, institutes and schools.

To step up scientific and technical research and transfer of technology in the protection, exploitation and thrifty use of water resources; solutions for prevention and mitigation of harms caused by water; wastewater treatment technology; solutions for artificial supplementation of underground water; solutions for combined use of surface water and underground water. To build and perfect a model for integrated management of river basins.

5. To expand and raise the effect of international cooperation

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To further boost international cooperation with countries in the Mekong River Commission within the framework of the Mekong Cooperation Agreement (1995). To enhance cooperation on water resources with countries in the Mekong River Sub-region.

To take initiative in suggesting cooperation with neighboring countries on the Red river basin and other river basins, which share the same water sources with Vietnam, proceed to formulate agreements and regulations on management, exploitation and protection of water resources with regard to trans-boundary rivers.

To enhance cooperation with such international organizations as UNDP, ADB and WB, with governmental and non-governmental organizations with a view to making full use of their supports for the domain of water resources, attaching importance to cooperation in the domains of education, training and research in water resources.

To actively participate in regional and international forums on water resources, including activities of exchanging information and experience, organizing symposiums and cooperation on water resources.

6. To renew financial mechanisms

The state budget's investment in the domain of water resources shall be concentrated mainly on improving the capacity of management, protection and development of water resources and prevention and mitigation of harms caused by water, execution of basic survey projects and projects on river basin plannings, water resource plannings of localities and territorial regions.

To encourage financial institutions to participate in the provision of financial supports for the protection, exploitation, use and development of water resources and prevention and mitigation of harms caused by water.

The State encourages and protects legitimate interests of organizations and individuals investing in the domain of water resources; adopts mechanisms to mobilize enterprises of all economic sectors to invest in the protection, exploitation, efficient and sustainable use of water resources and prevention and mitigation of harms caused by water.

Organizations and individuals benefiting from services of protection, exploitation and use of water resources, prevention and mitigation of harms caused by water shall have to pay charges to the service-providing organizations.

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The cost estimates for performance of water resource-related tasks of ministries, branches and localities shall be incorporated in the state budget estimates in accordance with the provisions of the State Budget Law.

Article 2.- Organization of implementation

1. The National Council for Water Resources shall have to advise the Government and the Prime Minister on making important decisions on water resources; on measures to ensure coordination of activities of ministries, branches and localities for effective implementation of the national strategy on water resources to 2020.

2. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall have the responsibility:

- To organize and direct the implementation of contents of the strategy; guide and urge ministries, branches and localities, on the basis of their assigned functions and tasks, to elaborate and organize the implementation of programs, plans, schemes and projects, ensuring their conformity with the objectives, contents and solutions of this strategy.

To direct the review, inventory, assessment, direct and coordinate with relevant ministries, branches and localities in the execution of priority investment projects and schemes (listed in Appendix I to this Decision), whereby to elaborate specific programs, identify priority contents and define tasks for ministries, branches and localities to perform.

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant ministries, branches, localities and functional agencies in, examining and inspecting the implementation of this strategy; conduct annual preliminary reviews and five-year final review, assessment of, and draw experience on, the implementation of the strategy; submit to the Prime Minister for decision adjustments to objectives and contents of the strategy in case of necessity.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Finance Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and relevant ministries and branches in, balancing and arranging annual  investment capital under the provisions of the State Budget Law for effective implementation of contents of the strategy.

4. Ministries, branches and localities shall, according to their assigned functions and tasks, have to organize the implementation of priority schemes and projects of the strategy (in Appendix I to this Decision) and contents, objectives and solutions of the strategy, which are related to their respective ministries, branches and localities.

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Article 4.- Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of Government-attached agencies, the president of the National Council for Water Resources, and presidents of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to implement this Decision.

PRIME MINISTER




Phan Van Khai

APPENDIX I

LIST OF PRIORITY SCHEMES AND PROJECTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL STRATEGY ON WATER RESOURCES IN THE 2006-2010 PERIOD
(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister's Decision No. 81/2006/QD-TTg of April 14, 2006)

1. The scheme on inventory and assessment of national water resources and establishment of a water resource-information and data system

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

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2. The scheme on sharing water resources, giving priority to daily-life water sources and ensuring electricity generation for important hydro-electric works in case of drought

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The Coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Construction; the relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

3. The scheme on water regulation and distribution to ensure water security for provinces in extreme lack of water

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the People's Committees of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces and the Central Highlands provinces.

4. The scheme on crop restructuring for thrifty and efficient use of water

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

- The coordinating agencies: The provincial People's Committees.

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- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Transport and the relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

6. The scheme on protection of underground water in big urban centers

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Construction, the relevant People's Committees.

7. The scheme on socialization of water services, development of a multi-sector water economy in line with the socialist-oriented market economy

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The coordinating agencies: Ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

8. The scheme on protection of precious and rare aquatic species, which are exposed to the danger of distinction

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- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; the relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

9. The scheme on determination, ensuring of the environmental water flow, maintenance of aquatic ecosystems, with regard to hydroelectric and irrigation reservoirs and dams.

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

10. The scheme on protection and restoration of protection forests in the basins of big reservoirs

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

- The coordinating agencies: The relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

11. The scheme on formulation of mechanisms for management of hydroelectric and irrigation reservoirs for economic development, tourism, environmental protection and improvement, raising of living standards of the population around the reservoir beds

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

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12. The scheme on bilateral cooperation with neighboring countries in basic surveys, sharing of information and data, protection, exploitation and use of trans-boundary water sources

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

13. The scheme on consolidation, upgrading and modernization of the system of sea dykes and river-mouth dykes.

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

- The coordinating agencies: Relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

14. The project on amendments and supplements to the Law on Water Resources

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

- The coordinating agencies: Ministries and branches.

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- The managing agency: The Ministry of Finance;

- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; the relevant ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees.

16. The scheme on communication to raise community awareness about water resources

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Culture and Information;

- The coordinating agencies: The Vietnam Television, the Radio Voice of Vietnam, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

17. The scheme on compilation of education and training contents on water resources at different educational levels

- The managing agency: The Ministry of Education and Training;

- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

18. The scheme on the entire population's participation in the protection of water resources

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- The coordinating agencies: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and socio-political organizations.-