Decision No. 35/1999/QĐ-TTg on approving the orientation for urban drainage development in Vietnam until 2020

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the orientation for the development of urban drainage in Vietnam

by 2020

_______________

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Construction at the Report No. 35/TTr-BXD dated November 20, 1998.

DECISION:

Article 1. Approve the Orientation for the Development of Urban Drainage in Vietnam until 2020 with the following main contents:

I. OBJECTIVES:

To provide guidance for the development of the urban drainage sector, serving the industrialization and modernization of the country and environmental protection; on this basis, develop plans for investment to stabilize and sustainably develop urban drainage systems in each stage.
A. SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVES (UNTIL 2005):
Prepare well for the development of urban drainage systems, quickly improve the drainage situation in cities:

1. Prioritize solving stormwater drainage:

- Eliminate frequent flooding during the rainy season in cities of type I and type II; first in the capital city of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City;

- Improve the stormwater drainage situation in cities from type III to type V; for cities with favorable topography, it may be studied to improve the stormwater drainage system at a higher level;

- Expand the service range of drainage systems from the current 30-40% to 50-60%; for Hanoi, reach 80%.

2. Renovate and upgrade the wastewater drainage system:

- Prioritize Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other large cities, tourist centers such as Hai Phong, Da Nang, Halong, Hue, Vung Tau;

- Treat wastewater from hospitals and industries locally before discharging into the city's common sewers;

- Eliminate public toilets in cities by 2005 (for Hanoi, eliminate public toilets by 2001); ensure sufficient public restrooms in places with many visitors such as markets, ferry terminals, bus stations;

- Maintain and prevent the deterioration of existing drainage systems in cities;

- Construct drainage and wastewater treatment systems meeting environmental hygiene standards in industrial zones, export processing zones, and new urban areas.

3. Establish a model of public utility enterprises for urban drainage companies:

Gradually overcome the subsidy mechanism; issue drainage fee policies so that urban drainage companies have revenue to cover management and operation costs.

4. Prepare groundwork for long-term and sustainable development:

- Strengthen organization at all levels and bases;

- Develop human resources, train workers;

- Enhance legal systems for managing and using water resources;

- Promote education and raise public awareness;

- Produce equipment, spare parts, and materials domestically.

B. LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES (UNTIL 2020):

Basically solve drainage requirements to protect and improve urban environments, serve people's lives well, and promote rapid and sustainable economic development:

1. Eliminate frequent flooding during the rainy season in cities; each city has a wastewater drainage system with appropriate technology to ensure environmental hygiene.

Expand the service range of urban drainage systems from 50-60% to 80-90%; for Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and cities of type II, cities located in key economic development areas, tourism areas, industrial zones, and export processing zones, reach 90-100%.

2. Establish a financial mechanism to ensure sustainable development of urban drainage systems.

3. Develop science and technology: apply new technologies through technology transfer, modernize urban drainage systems to reach international standards or equivalent to those in the region.

4. Apply advanced standards and regulations, integrate Vietnam's urban drainage field with countries in the region and worldwide.

II. MAIN MEASURES:

1. Strengthen organization, enhance legal framework, and educate the community:

- Organize the urban drainage department of the Ministry of Construction reasonably to coordinate with related ministries and sectors to perform state management functions such as policy formulation, planning, supervision, coordination, training, research, and technology transfer, project management;

- Strengthen the organization and improve the capacity of the urban drainage departments under municipal construction bureaus, municipal transportation bureaus, and urban drainage companies to manage and implement urban drainage planning and plans within their jurisdictions;

- Assign and delegate roles to local authorities at all levels to guide the implementation of urban drainage work within their jurisdictions;

- Enhance legal frameworks to create a favorable legal environment in the urban drainage field;

- Increase inter-sectoral activities in community education and awareness raising, socialize the urban drainage field, strengthen measures to ensure street and public place sanitation, collect solid waste to address sewer blockages and wastewater collection points.

2. Reform financial policies, leverage internal strength to generate funds for developing the urban drainage field:

- In addition to state budget funds, mobilize domestic economic sector funds;

- Seek foreign sources of funding such as loans and grants from international banks, governments, and other international organizations;

- Implement diversified investments, issue drainage fee policies to ensure that urban drainage companies gradually cover management and operation costs;

- Issue tax and credit policies to encourage domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to invest in drainage infrastructure;

- The State stipulates the level of environmental protection investment related to urban drainage for production, business, and service establishments.

3. Study and apply comprehensive technical measures; modernize domestic production technology for materials and equipment:

- Accelerate, improve quality, and reasonably phase the preparation of specialized urban drainage planning consistent with overall and detailed functional urban area planning; ensure reasonable land area allocation for drainage system construction in urban land use planning;

- For new urban areas, must invest synchronously in related drainage and environmental projects from the initial stage.

- Provide strict regulations and management regarding the foundation construction of each area to prevent localized flooding in urban areas;

- Select and apply various drainage solutions and different types of technology, from simple to modern, suitable for each region and city, paying particular attention to cities in the Mekong Delta, lowland areas, mountainous regions, and other distinctive areas;

- For most cities, in the initial phase, apply simple technology, making full use of natural conditions to drain rainwater and treat wastewater, such as: soil permeability, the ability to regulate diluted rainwater and purify wastewater through biological processes in ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, and tidal flows;

- Apply advanced and modern technology for major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, industrial zones, export processing zones, and tourist areas;

Strive to produce approximately 70% of materials, equipment, and spare parts for the drainage system, such as pumps, mixers, various types of pipes and sewers, accessories (valves, elbows, couplings, joints), filtration materials, chemicals, etc., by 2010-2015;

4. Strengthen training and develop human resources:

- Train sufficient staff with specialized knowledge to effectively manage and operate the drainage system and to efficiently utilize modern capital and technology introduced to Vietnam through projects. By 2005, ensure that all levels from central to local and grassroots have adequately trained personnel. Develop a comprehensive training program from leadership and management, science and technology, economics, planning, finance to operational and maintenance workers;

- Create favorable conditions for domestic staff and workers to work directly with foreign experts to enhance their skills. Additionally, implement policies to encourage the participation and contributions of Vietnamese experts living abroad;

- Develop specialized training centers for drainage; establish or expand drainage specialties at universities such as Construction, Architecture, and Technology; develop vocational training centers for skilled drainage workers;

Article 2. The Ministry of Construction shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, Science and Technology, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry, Health, the Government's Organizational and Cadre Affairs Commission, and related ministries and agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to guide the implementation of the Urban Drainage Development Orientation until 2020; specifically detail the contents of Article 1 of this Decision to ensure effective investment and development of urban drainage systems nationwide, establish or review short-term and long-term plans of each locality in accordance with urban development plans as a basis for implementing urban drainage investment projects;

Article 3. THIS DECISION SHALL TAKE EFFECT 15 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF SIGNATURE.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, and Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees are responsible for enforcing this Decision./.