BACKGROUND

A joint initiative to set up a flagship research centre on the topic of water in South East Asia.

• Vietnam’s current industrial growth and economic development have largely increased the country’s requirements of natural resources and are posing new environmental challenges.
• Only 50% of industrial wastewater and 10% of domestic wastewater are currently treated in the cities of Vietnam.
• In the course of the 21st century, the Mekong Delta region (Vietnam) will face unprecedented challenges related to climate change and anthropogenic pressure.

IMPACT/GOALS

Under the North-South partnership, the project aims to contribute to the sound and sustainable management of water resources in the Mekong Delta region by undertaking research, training and transfer actions.

• Research: building research capacities on the Mekong Delta region and the Saigon River.
• Training: providing support on topics related to global challenges linked to climate and human-induced changes, based on the most innovative technologies (web 2.0, MOOCS, etc.).
• Transfer:developing tools tailored to environmental monitoring, assessment of environmental changes and the associated risks, while adapting international discoveries to regional specificities. This transfer will be intended equally to serve governmental, industrial, institutional and community levels.

ACTION PLAN/OUTPUTS

• Setting up the CARE research centre in Ho Chi Minh City; implementing international research projects and exchange programs focused on fundamental water resources issues, such as: industrial and domestic waste treatment, regulation of saline intrusion, estimation of flows of sediments and contaminants, urban development plans and urban networks of water distribution.
• From 2015, increasing international expertise to provide local support.
• Fostering the emergence of technological innovations and supporting their transfer to the local industry.