Guidelines for determining the functions and scope of water source protection corridors in Vietnam from January 10, 2025

Guidelines for determining the functions and scope of water source protection corridors in Vietnam from January 10, 2025​ (Image from Internet)

On November 26, 2024, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam promulgated Circular 23/2024/TT-BTNMT stipulating the technical standards for establishing water source protection corridors.

Guidelines for determining the functions and scope of water source protection corridors in Vietnam from January 10, 2025

The determination of the function and scope of the water source protection corridors in Vietnam is carried out according to the provisions of Article 7 Circular 23/2024/TT-BTNMT as follows:

- Determination of the function of the water source protection corridor.

Based on the investigation results and data collected as specified in Article 4, Article 5, and Article 6 Circular 23/2024/TT-BTNMT, the function of the water source protection corridor in Vietnam is determined as follows:

+ For the function of protecting the stability of banks and preventing encroachment on land along water sources: identifying river, stream, canal, and ditch sections that are eroded or at risk of erosion; sections of inter-district, inter-provincial rivers, streams, canals, and ditches serving as drainage axes for urban areas, concentrated residential areas, industrial zones, and clusters; river, stream, canal, and ditch sections linked to the livelihoods of riverbank communities; sections serving as water supply sources for domestic and production water facilities; lakes, ponds, lagoons in the listed protected areas that are eroded, supply water for domestic and production, regulate, create landscapes, and preserve religious, cultural, biodiversity values, and tourism development; reservoirs for irrigation, hydropower eroded, supplying water for domestic and production, regulating, creating landscapes, and preserving religious, cultural, biodiversity values, and tourism development;

+ For the function of preventing activities that pose a risk of pollution or degradation of water sources: identifying residential areas along rivers; river, stream, canal, and ditch sections serving as water supply sources for domestic and production water facilities; inter-district, inter-provincial sections as drainage axes for urban areas, concentrated residential areas, industrial zones, and clusters; lakes, ponds, lagoons, irrigation, and hydropower reservoirs supplying water for domestic and production; preserving religious, cultural, biodiversity activities, and tourism development;

+ For the function of protecting rivers, streams, canals, and ditches to support the development of aquatic ecosystems, natural flora, and fauna along water sources: identifying river, stream, canal, and ditch sections related to aquatic ecosystem development, natural flora, and fauna along water sources; identifying lakes, ponds, lagoons, irrigation, and hydropower reservoirs related to aquatic ecosystem development, natural flora, and fauna along water sources;

+ For the function of protecting and preserving religious activities, cultural values, biodiversity, and tourism development related to water sources: identifying river, stream, canal, and ditch sections with religious, cultural, biodiversity conservation activities: river sections hosting religious festivals; sections with biodiversity sources linked to the regular or seasonal habitat of endangered, rare species; river, stream, canal, and ditch sections with tourism development activities related to water sources; lakes, ponds, lagoons, irrigation, and hydropower reservoirs linked to protecting, conserving religious, cultural, biodiversity activities, and related tourism development.

- Based on the actual situation of the locality and the water source protection requirements, the function of the water source protection corridor in Vietnam is determined for the entire corridor or specific sections.

- Defining the scope of the protection corridor of each water source.

Based on the investigation results, data collected, determination of the corridor's function per Article 4, Article 5, Article 6, and Clauses 1 and 2 of Article 7 Circular 23/2024/TT-BTNMT and regulations in Articles 22, 23, 24, and 25 Decree 53/2024/ND-CP to specifically define the scope, coordinate the position of boundary points of each water source protection corridor.

- Stipulating the distance between markers of the water source protection corridor for rivers, streams, canals, ditches, hydropower reservoirs, and other bodies of water.

Defining marker distances for representing the water source protection corridor markers on cadastral maps in areas with existing cadastral maps or including in the plan for marking the water source protection corridor for areas without cadastral maps.

Based on the terrain, residential conditions in the proposed area for marking, and management requirements, the distance between adjacent markers should not be less than 200 m. At points where the corridor boundary changes direction or intersects with objects, additional markers must be placed beside that structure.

- Preparing information, data, and schematics of water sources that must establish protection corridors:

+ Preparing information and data for the schematic of water sources requiring protection corridors, including: name of the water source; function of the water source protection corridor; scope of the water source protection corridor; position of boundary points; location of damns, hydropower reservoirs, irrigation structures, ponds, lagoons, water exploitation structures for domestic water supply; drainage points; erosion-affected areas; areas for protecting, preserving religious activities, cultural values, biodiversity, and tourism development; areas with existing cadastral maps.

+ Creating schematics of water sources that require the establishment of protection corridors.

For additional details, refer to the Circular 23/2024/TT-BTNMT, effective from January 10, 2024.

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