A view of Thu Bon River (Source: Internet)Quang Nam (VNA) – An international seminar tookplace in the central province of Quang Nam’s Hoi An city on October 27 todiscuss sustainable hydropower development and management of the Vu Gia-Thu Bonriver basin and Quang Nam-Da Nang coastline.
Participants’ discussions revolved around the hydropowersystem’s economic benefits as well as impact on society and environment, the integratedmanagement plans for the present and future, and scenarios related to theoperation of reservoirs in the Vu Gia-Thu Bon river basin.
The river basin, which has more than 10,300sq.km with watervolume of 20.22 billion cu.m and covers a total length of 225 km in Quang Namand Da Nang, provides invaluable resources to the 2.5-million population of thetwo localities.
However, a series of problems – including illegaldestruction of riverhead forests, over-exploitation of mineral resources, anddecentralised management of rivers and faulty development of hydropower plants– have threatened to destroy the river.
A total of 42 hydropower plant projects have been built onthe river, while more than 820 irrigation projects with 72 reservoirs have beenconstructed in its basin.
The operation of hydropower plants on upstream rivers inQuang Nam often causes a clean water deficit during every dry season in DaNang.
Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, former Deputy GeneralDirector of Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands said weak managementover economic activities in the area have hindered growth of both localities.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)and Mangroves for the Future have selected the basin for a pilotinter-provincial integrated management model, Hoi said.
He suggested the model, if proving effective, be replicatedin other areas with similar situations in the country.-VNA
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