Danida Support Advances Vietnam Water, Sanitation Plans

A workshop, as part of the process of formulating the nature of the coming support was opened in Hanoi March 2 by Mr. Torben Nilsson, Counselor, Embassy of Denmark (Danida) and Mr. Laurie Dunn, Counselor, Australian Embassy (AusAid).
The workshop was aimed at fielding comments on the proposed support. Government ministries, representatives of nine pilot provinces, NGOs and development partners were invited to participate.
Mr. Torben Nilsson presented the procedures and the status of the proposed AusAid-Danida support expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Meanwhile, according to the Danish Embassy website in Hanoi, drainage works in Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot have been largely completed, reducing flooding and bringing immediate benefits. Sewerage lines and treatment plants have also been constructed, but house connections have yet to be completed despite efforts to establish effective enterprises to manage the systems.
The expected degree of financial and managerial autonomy is thus unlikely to be reached, as the enterprises will continue to be subject to government budgeting and personnel norms.
The Water Sector Program Support (Water SPS) is the umbrella for Danish – Vietnamese Development Co-operation in the water sector. The first phase of the Water SPS was implemented between 2000 – 2006, and a second phase is under preparation.
The main aim of the Water SPS is to invest in water supply and sanitation that will achieve tangible improvements of living conditions in the short term, and institutional capacity building that will sustain these improvements and support further investment in the long term.