Vietnam faces complex transboundary water challenges, particularly in the Dong Nai River Basin, the largest river catchment in southern Vietnam, an industrial powerhouse.
Covering 15 per cent of the basin area outside of the country, the Basin supports over 10,000 firms employing 1.5 million people, contributing 30 per cent of national GDP, while discharging 4.5 million cubic metres of wastewater daily – only 16 per cent treated.
Dong Nai River Credit: Mapy
Home to 17 million, the Basin struggles to balance water quality, flood control, supply, and saltwater intrusion. Rapid industrial growth has heightened pollution risks, threatening livelihoods and economic stability.
To address these challenges, the Water Stewardship Project (WSAP) engaged with businesses and collaborated with the community to identify shared risks, drive best practices and achieve common goals for sustainable water management and water security.
The Australian Water Partnership (AWP) co-designed and supported the WSAP in Vietnam, drawing on lessons from the Indo-Pacific Water Stewardship Program, which successfully engaged industries in Indonesia and China, leaving a strong legacy of improved water management practices.
Role-play workshop participants in Ho Chi Minh City negotiating for better water outcomes for all. Credit: Water Stewardship Asia Pacific
As a trusted broker, the AWP’s expertise has been pivotal, convening diverse stakeholders, aligning priorities, and connecting WSAP with government and non-government stakeholders.
This facilitation fosters champions, expands networks, supports advocacy, and raises awareness about collective action to address emerging water challenges.
Through WSAP, the AWP strengthens the bottom-up water stewardship by linking businesses and communities managing water at the catchment level to connect with government and international partners. This ensures stewardship models can be applied across Vietnam.
The project engaged all levels of government showcasing Australian examples such as the Renmark Irrigation Trust in South Australia, where strong local government involvement underpinned sustainable business growth. These exchanges highlighted how effective stewardship can drive both economic and environmental outcomes.
In 2024, AWP facilitated a partnership between WSAP and the Business Council for Sustainable Development of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). This collaboration aligned water stewardship practices with Vietnam’s climate commitments and led to an agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to update the national sustainability index at company and industrial site levels, ensuring relevant water indicators are included. This milestone reflects growing government-industry alignment on water security.
WSAP is now building a systemic approach to water efficiency and quality by deepening government engagement, raising awareness, influencing policy, and brokering new partnerships. Central to this effort is AWP’s role in building trust and facilitating dialogue among stakeholders with varying water interests.
By connecting Australian expertise with Vietnam’s urgent challenges, the AWP is helping establish a collaborative framework for sustainable water management that balances industrial growth with the health of vital river systems and the communities that depend on them.
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