Water resources: Transitioning from administrative management to green development

Amidst climate change, population growth, and socioeconomic development exerting mounting pressure on water sources, Viet Nam faces an urgent need to innovate its thinking and methods for water resource management. Guided by the consistent direction of the Party and State and by concrete implementation steps by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, water governance is shifting strongly toward a modern, digitized, and sustainable development approach.

Renewing governance thinking: From "management" to "creation"

Since the promulgation of the Law on Water Resources in 1998 and 2012, the legal framework has proven effective, contributing significantly to socioeconomic development. However, new challenges, including increasing water scarcity, pollution, and cross-border impacts, have exposed clear shortcomings, such as overlapping management, a lack of data synchronization, and gaps in water economics mechanisms.

Acknowledging this reality, the Party and State have introduced several groundbreaking strategic directions. Conclusion No. 36-KL/TW of the Politburo, dated June 23, 2022, clearly defined the requirements for ensuring water source security, reservoir safety, and reasonable water regulation and distribution. Subsequently, Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated December 22, 2024, emphasized the need to promote national digital transformation, viewing data as strategic infrastructure. Water resources are designated a key area for forming a modern, transparent, and effective governance system.

The revised Law on Water Resources (2023) has materialized the Party's guiding principles, shifting the focus from "administrative management" to "governance using economic tools," linking water management with green development, the circular economy, and ecosystem protection.

The Water Resources Management Department (a core unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) has proactively implemented the Party's directives through practical steps: developing the national water resource master plan; announcing 8 out of 16 water allocation zones; establishing a monitoring system for water exploitation and use; operating inter-reservoir procedures; and gradually building the national water resource database.

Digital technology is regarded as the "pillar" of modern water governance. Building information systems and decision-support tools helps reduce costs, increase operational efficiency, and enable rapid response to natural fluctuations. The Department is also progressively moving from a "monitoring-handling" model to a "forecasting-operating-prevention" model, aiming for smart, automated, and sustainable governance.

Furthermore, regulating and distributing water resources is identified as a central task. Water master plans, source scenarios, and inter-reservoir operating procedures are updated in real-time to ensure a balanced approach to the interests of various sectors, localities, and river basins.

Breakthroughs from digital transformation and social participation

The Water Resources Management Department has set the motto for the 2025–2030 period as: "Today's result is the start of tomorrow." The focus is on promoting the Party's comprehensive leadership in water governance, taking digital transformation as the foundation, science and technology as the driving force, and social participation as the breakthrough solution.

Accordingly, water governance will be modernized and professionalized, aiming for smart management based on Big Data. The State will play a leading role by promulgating policies and strategic orientations, while businesses, communities, and citizens are encouraged to participate in activities to protect, restore, and develop water resources.

The Department also aims to gradually build a national water resource accounting system gradually, quantifying and calculating the "water economy" value consistent with the socialist-oriented market mechanism. This forms the basis for establishing a transparent and fair water market that encourages efficient and conservative use.

Despite numerous achievements, the water resource sector still faces significant challenges: over 60% of surface water originates outside the territory; pollution is increasing; water use efficiency remains low; and the national water security index currently stands at only 2/5 (a low level) within the region.

To overcome these hurdles, the Water Resources Management Department proposes seven key solution groups, emphasizing three breakthrough directions:

- Perfecting synchronous legal policies and institutions suitable for the current reality.

- Modernizing governance on a digital platform, shifting from administrative control to management using economic tools.

- Promoting social participation and inter-sectoral cooperation, mobilizing all resources for the protection, regulation, distribution, and restoration of water sources.

The goal is for Viet Nam to elevate its national water security index to a high level within the region by 2030, moving toward complete self-reliance on water resources in all scenarios.

By promoting comprehensive leadership, the water resource sector is strongly transforming its mindset from "management" to "governance," from "administrative" to "economic," and from "traditional" to "digital" to ensure every drop of water is cherished, managed effectively, and contributes to the widespread value of green, sustainable development for the present and the future.

To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Agriculture and Environment Sector and the First National Emulation Congress, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment organizes a series of events running from July to December 2025.