Directive No. 487/TTg on Strengthening State Management of Water Resources

DIRECTIVE

ON ENHANCING STATE MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

Economic growth, urbanization, and population increase have led to a growing demand for water in quantity and quality for agricultural production, industry, and domestic use.

Unplanned exploitation of water, wasteful use of water, and indiscriminate discharge of toxic substances have caused a significant decline, depletion, and severe pollution of water sources (including underground water), particularly in large cities, industrial zones, and concentrated residential areas.

The causes of the above situation are due to the lack of effective and comprehensive measures in state management over the exploitation, use, and protection of water resources; current water resource management is still fragmented and overlapping; propaganda and education of the people on the exploitation, use, and protection of water resources, and prevention of water pollution are not regular and effective enough; local authorities at all levels have not fully recognized the importance of water resource management and have not taken proactive and strong measures; coordination among ministries, sectors, and localities on this issue is insufficient.

To enhance the effectiveness of state management over water resources (excluding mineral water and natural hot water) in terms of exploitation, use, protection, and prevention of water pollution, ensuring sustainable national development, the Prime Minister instructs ministries, sectors, and People's Committees at all levels to perform the following tasks according to their functional and managerial responsibilities:

1. Take immediate measures to address and correct the arbitrary management of water exploitation and use; promptly organize unified management of water resources exploitation, use, and protection (excluding mineral water and natural hot water), prevent losses, and combat water pollution; strictly direct the construction and improvement of drainage and wastewater treatment systems for cities, industrial zones, and concentrated residential areas.

2. In the exploitation, use, protection of water sources, and prevention of water pollution, attention must be paid to the following issues:

- Ensuring the integrity of water sources within regions or river basins, without dividing them along administrative boundaries.

- Using water resources rationally and economically according to planning, technical procedures, while combining with water source and environmental protection.

- Water use for agriculture or land reclamation must be economical, preventing pollution of water sources and the environment from fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals.

- Industrial water use must comply with regulations on water supply, researching and applying recycling methods and other advanced techniques to save water, reduce waste, and minimize water pollution to permissible limits.

- Water exploitation and use for transportation, aquaculture, tourism, recreation, health care, sports, scientific research, etc., shall not cause water pollution.

- Drainage and wastewater disposal for cities, industrial zones, and concentrated residential areas must not exceed permitted pollution levels. Domestic water supplies must have sanitary buffer zones as specified by competent authorities.

- Organizations and individuals conducting underground water exploitation and use must have a business license and follow technical procedures and standards prescribed by the State.

3. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

- Develop a strategy and policy for water resource management to be submitted to the Government in 1996, and accelerate the drafting of the Water Law.

- Establish a unified water resource management model based on river basins, closely coordinating between ministries, sectors, and localities, ensuring sectoral management combined with regional and territorial management.

- Conduct surveys and assessments of water resources by river basin, comprehensively evaluate the potential of water resources nationwide.

- Guide localities in performing state functions regarding water resource exploitation, use, and protection. Establish databases on water resources by river basin, region, territory, and nationally.

- Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors in developing standards, quotas, procedures, and norms for water exploitation, use, and pollution prevention.

Organize inspections and checks on the implementation of these regulations, initially focusing on key areas with serious environmental water pollution problems, unreasonable exploitation and use causing water depletion, and inadequate safety for water conservancy projects.

4. Ministry of Industry: Carry out basic geological investigations of underground water resources according to the State plan, establish a network of groundwater monitoring stations; coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Provincial People's Committees, and Municipal People's Committees under the Central Government in formulating plans for underground water exploitation, use, and protection.

5. Ministries: Construction, Health, Transport, Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, Fisheries, Industry, General Department of Land Administration, General Meteorological and Hydrological Service... Coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in drafting joint circulars guiding water resource management; inspect, direct, and coordinate with localities in handling violations that negatively impact water resources.

6. People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities:

- Organize surveys and statistics on the current status of water resource exploitation, use, and protection in the locality according to guidance and classification by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

- Organize inspections and checks, and handle violations within their authority that negatively impact water resources. Strictly manage water resource exploitation, use, and protection in the locality.

7. Central and local mass media agencies shall be responsible for organizing regular and extensive propaganda and education among the people on the importance of water resources, on measures and experiences in the rational exploitation and utilization of water sources, prevention of water source pollution, and the harms caused by the lack of protection of water sources.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under the central government shall strictly implement this Directive. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall be responsible for monitoring, inspecting, urging, compiling the situation, and regularly reporting to the Prime Minister.