New water system boosts rice production

A nine-year pilot project deploying an integrated water management system has proved its efficacy and has the potential for much wider application, experts said at a workshop in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang Province last week.

The workshop brought together local authorities, officials and experts in irrigation, agriculture and rural development in the Mekong Delta provinces, seeking to exchange experiences and lessons learnt from the pilot project.

The North Vam Nao Water Control Project, the first of its kind with a modern and unified water management model, was built and operated on An Giang’s North Vam Nao Island between 2002 and 2010 with support from the Australian Government.

The first phase of the project which ended in 2007, cost 35.7 million AUS (29.7 million US$), with 17.5 million AUS granted by AusAID and the remaining taken from the State budget.

Five old sluices were upgraded or replaced and 11 new sluices built during the first phase of the project. It also upgraded a 100-km ring dyke system to meet set safety standards, increasing its height to 5.7m. Within this system, a further 300km of dykes in the 24 compartments that the project area was divided into were upgraded to reach a height of 4m.

Roads, power lines, solid waste collection and clean water supply stations were also built during the period.

Vietnam+

Tags: Vietnam agriculture, Vietnam Nrice production, Vietnam water system