What is included in surface water protection activities in Vietnam? What are the main contents of the surface water quality management plan in Vietnam?
What is included in surface water protection activities in Vietnam?
Pursuant to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 8 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection in Vietnam as follows:
Surface water protection activities
1. Surface water protection shall focus on:
a) Statistically reporting, assessing, minimizing and treating wastewater discharged into surface water;
b) Monitoring and assessing quality of surface water, sediment and aquatic environment and publishing information in service of management, extraction and use of water surface;
c) Investigating and assessing carrying capacity of surface water; announcing areas where the surface water has reached its carrying capacity; assessing quotas for discharge of wastewater into the surface water;
d) Eliminating pollution, remediating and improving polluted surface water;
dd) Monitoring and assessing quality of surface water and sediments of international rivers and sharing information in accordance with regulations of law on environmental protection, law and international practice.
Thus, surface water protection is carried out through 05 activities mentioned in the above regulations.
What is included in surface water protection activities in Vietnam? What are the main contents of the surface water quality management plan in Vietnam?
What are the main contents of the surface water quality management plan in Vietnam?
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 9 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection in Vietnam stipulating as follows:
Surface water quality management plan
1. The surface water quality management plan for inter-provincial rivers and lakes must be conformable with the national environmental protection planning.
The surface water quality management plan for the water sources mentioned in Point a Clause 3 Article 8 of this Law must be conformable with the national environmental protection planning and environmental protection contents specified in the regional and provincial planning.
2. Contents of the surface water quality management plan include:
a) Assessing and predicting trends in changes in surface water quality; objectives and targets of the plan; determining domestic water safeguard zones and water source protection corridors; determining aquatic areas;
b) Current distribution of point source pollution, and non-point source pollution with pollutants released into the water in the affected area; risk of transboundary surface water pollution;
c) Types and total amount of pollutants discharged into the surface water;
d) Assessing carrying capacity, zoning and quotas for wastewater discharge; determining objectives and roadmap for reducing wastewater discharge into the surface water that has reached its carrying capacity;
dd) Measures to prevent and reduce surface water pollution; solutions for cooperation in, sharing of information and management of transboundary surface water pollution;
e) Solutions for protecting and improving surface water quality;
g) Organizing implementation.
3. The surface water quality management plan is formulated for 05-year periods.
4. The Government shall elaborate contents of, sequence and procedures for promulgating a surface water quality management plan.
Thus, the contents of the surface water quality management plan include 7 main contents:
- Assessing and predicting trends in changes in surface water quality; objectives and targets of the plan; determining domestic water safeguard zones and water source protection corridors; determining aquatic areas;
- Current distribution of point source pollution, and non-point source pollution with pollutants released into the water in the affected area; risk of transboundary surface water pollution;
- Types and total amount of pollutants discharged into the surface water;
- Assessing carrying capacity, zoning and quotas for wastewater discharge; determining objectives and roadmap for reducing wastewater discharge into the surface water that has reached its carrying capacity;
- Measures to prevent and reduce surface water pollution; solutions for cooperation in, sharing of information and management of transboundary surface water pollution;
- Solutions for protecting and improving surface water quality;
- Organizing implementation.
What are the responsibilities of the provincial People's Committee in surface water protection in Vietnam?
Pursuant to the provisions of Clause 3, Article 8 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection in Vietnam as follows:
Surface water protection activities
...
3. Provincial People’s Committees have the responsibility to:
a) determine provincial rivers and lakes and other surface water sources in areas that play important role in socio-economic development and environmental protection; determine domestic water safeguard zones and water source protection corridors within provinces; determine aquatic areas;
b) publish information about sources of waste discharged into the surface water within provinces; collect information and data on state of surface water, waste sources and total amount of waste discharged into surface water in inter-provincial rivers and lakes within provinces under the guidance of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; direct organizations to assess damage caused by pollution and remediate surface water pollution within provinces as prescribed;
c) prevent and control sources of waste discharged into surface water sources within provinces; take measures to prevent and minimize surface water pollution, improve surface water quality within provinces according to the surface water quality management plan;
d) organize assessment of surface water and sediment quality, carrying capacity and quotas for discharge of wastewater with respect to the surface water sources mentioned in Point a of this Clause; publish information about areas where surface water has reached its carrying capacity;
dd) promulgate and organize the implementation of the plan for management of quality of surface water mentioned in Point a of this Clause; organize implementation of the surface water quality management plan for inter-provincial rivers and lakes within provinces.
Thus, the People's Committee of the province has the responsibilities according to the above regulations for surface water protection activities.
Nguyễn Thị Hồng Nhung
