The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has asked provinces in the Mekong Delta region to prioritise funding for clean water projects to ensure access for all rural residents at affordable costs.
A clean water plant in Thai Nguyen Province.
Specifically, regional provinces need to combine their local budgets with the central budget and official development assistance to build water supply facilities in areas with difficult access to water and susceptibility to drought, saltwater intrusion and water contamination.
Water supply facilities should also be constructed in coastal, border and island areas.
The MARD requested provincial authorities to specify the ratio of households with access to clean water in accordance with their specific conditions and socio-economic development needs.
For its part, the Department of Water Resources was asked to accelerate the relevant procedures so that the Government can soon introduce a decree on rural clean water supply.