Viet Nam faces funding gaps in accelerating rural clean water supply

On October 16, in Ho Chi Minh City, under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), the Department of Water Works Management and Construction, in collaboration with the Viet Nam Agriculture & Nature Newspaper, organized the forum on "The role of Rural Clean Water and Sanitation in Sustainable Agricultural Development and Building a Civilized Countryside". 

At the workshop, Mr. Giap Mai Thuy, Deputy Head of the Rural Clean Water Management Division under the Department of Water Works Management and Construction (MAE), emphasized that rural clean water supply has played an important role in achieving national clean water targets under the National Target Program on New Rural Development (2021-2025).

As of now, about 68% of rural households nationwide have access to water that meets national quality standards, of which 60% use water from centralized supply systems, and 8% are served by household-level water supply systems.

According to Mr. Thuy, the digital transformation in rural water supply management has been implemented systematically from the central to local levels. Various technological solutions have been studied and applied, such as online water quality monitoring, bio-contact filtration technology for treating organic and ammonium-contaminated water sources, multi-layer filtration materials, and the integration of renewable and energy-saving technologies in household water supply systems.

However, he noted that investment resources remain limited. From 2020 to 2024, the total investment capital for rural clean water reached about VND 13.4 trillion, while the estimated need for the 2021–2025 period is VND 29.2 trillion, leaving a shortfall of nearly VND 16 trillion.

Currently, Viet Nam has 18,109 rural water supply facilities, including approximately 7,800 systems with a capacity of 50 m³ per day or more. The operational status shows significant disparities: 32% operate sustainably, 26.3% relatively sustainably, 27% less sustainably, and 14.8% are non-functional. The group of less sustainable and non-operational systems accounting for 41.8%, affects around 200,000 households, or 1.2% of the rural population. These are mostly small-scale systems (capacity below 50 m³/day), managed by commune authorities or local communities, and constructed before 2010.

To date, 41 out of 63 provinces have issued local technical regulations on clean water quality for domestic use. MAE is currently drafting a Circular on maintenance procedures for centralized rural clean water systems and developing technical and economic norms for the management and operation of such systems.

Mr. Thuy recommended that to improve efficiency and sustainability, Viet Nam should complete the legal and policy framework for rural water management and invest in large-scale, modern, and integrated centralized systems, particularly in water-scarce, drought-prone, remote, and island areas.

At the local level, he suggested improving the two-tier administrative management model for rural water supply, while reviewing and adjusting water taxes to better reflect actual operating conditions. He also highlighted the importance of raising community awareness and guiding households in safe rainwater harvesting and storage, which would strengthen water security and support sustainable rural development.

By 2030, Viet Nam aims to: finalize the policy framework for rural clean water supply; ensure 80% of rural households have access to water meeting quality standards; build capacity for 100% of water supply units; and completely resolve water shortages in difficult, polluted, and salinity-affected areas.

To achieve these goals, MAE is developing a comprehensive communication plan to implement the National Strategy on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation. The plan will promote behavioral change toward safe and efficient water use, proper operation and maintenance of water systems, and protection of water sources and facilities. It will also guide communities in storing water for use during dry seasons, droughts, salinity intrusion, and flooding.

Mr. Thuy emphasized that the government should prioritize central budget allocations and ODA resources to support the targeted development of rural clean water systems, ensuring equitable access to clean and safe water for all rural communities.

"Developing household-level models for safe water collection, storage, and treatment in areas that lack access is essential to centralized water supply systems or where investment in such systems is ineffective, such as remote, mountainous, coastal, and low-lying areas", he suggested.