WWF Vietnam Program has launched a project aimed at addressing water pollution in the Tri An Reservoir and the lower Dong Nai River to better support environmental management practices in the sectors that effect water quality.
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A busy river port seen from the |
WWF Vietnam Program has launched a project aimed at addressing water pollution in the Tri An Reservoir and the lower
The Danish-funded project focuses on conducting a broad integrated assessment of the water pollution, identifying the pollution contributions from agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, domestic waste, industrial production and transportation.
The assessment will support local partners to find initiatives to reduce the main sources of pollution in each of the sectors, according to the statement released by WWF Vietnam Program over the weekend.
The project also includes investigations into options for sustainable finance and reward mechanisms to ensure the upstream forest and farming communities receive adequate benefits in return for the ecological services they provide for downstream dependants.
Further assessment will be conducted toward the potential for other livelihood opportunities, particularly in ecotourism.
Tran Minh Hien, country director of WWF Vietnam Program, said the Southern Truong Son, which is contained within the
"Our new conservation approach focuses on not only forest and species conservation but also on addressing broader environmental problems and sustainable livelihood of the people," Hien said.
Therefore, the two-year project requires a lot of collaboration among stakeholders, from rural communities involved in agriculture, fish farming and forestry to industries, which are directly polluting the river.
Richard McNally, manager of WWF Vietnam Program, said it was good that the local authorities recognized the problem, though they were still hesitant in responding.
"WWF gives them technical support in expecting that the projects outputs are beneficial for all stakeholders. However, we could not do anything without an active contribution and close cooperation of the local community and the authorities," McNally said.
He stressed that partnership was the actual trend of all projects conducted by the leading international environmental organization.
WWF emphasized one of the top priorities of the project was to understand the linkages between community land use practices in forestry, fisheries and agriculture industries and water pollution in the areas around the Tri An reservoir and the lower Dong Nai.
"The assessment and analysis of water pollution from all relevant sectors will enable us to prioritize and initiate the most cost effective measures to reduce the pollution load in the river," project manager Jacob Fjalland said.
Fjalland added that the project would also advocate for the responsibility of the local government and the private sector to find ways to address these serious pollution problems, which are a real threat to the sustainability of the economic development in the area.
The
(Source: SGT)
