Principles of Functional Zoning for Water Resources from July 1, 2024

Principles for Functional Zoning of Water Resources from July 1, 2024

- Ensure systemic consistency within river basins, appropriate to provincial administrative boundaries.

- Align with current conditions of water resource exploitation and usage, and the identified needs for water exploitation and usage as determined in water resource planning, regional planning, provincial planning, and technical and specialized plans with content related to water resource exploitation and usage.

- Functional zoning of water resources must be comprehensively considered in terms of the values and benefits brought by the water source, prioritization of protection, and feasibility of implementing water source protection requirements.

- Harmonize benefits in water resource exploitation and usage, wastewater discharge among regions, localities, upstream and downstream areas, and among water exploitation and usage entities; ensure effective water resource exploitation and usage, maintaining the normal development of aquatic ecosystems.

More details can be found in Circular 03/2024/TT-BTNMT, effective from July 1, 2024.

From July 1, 2024, the following Circulars will cease to be effective:

- Circular 24/2016/TT-BTNMT stipulating the identification and announcement of protective hygiene zones for water extraction areas for domestic use;

- Circular 31/2018/TT-BTNMT stipulating the content and forms of water resource reporting;

- Circular 64/2017/TT-BTNMT stipulating the determination of minimum flow on rivers, streams, and downstream reservoirs and dams;

- Circular 75/2017/TT-BTNMT stipulating the protection of groundwater in drilling, exploration, and exploitation activities;

- Circular 27/2014/TT-BTNMT stipulating the registration of groundwater exploitation, document templates for granting, renewing, adjusting, and re-issuing water resource licenses;

- Circular 40/2014/TT-BTNMT stipulating the groundwater drilling practice;

- Circular 56/2014/TT-BTNMT stipulating capacity conditions for organizations and individuals conducting basic water resource investigations, consulting on water resource planning, and preparing plans, and reports in applications for water resource licenses.

Annul the Chapters and Articles of the following Circulars from July 1, 2024:

- Article 20 of Circular 04/2020/TT-BTNMT stipulating technical planning for integrated inter-provincial river basin coordination, and inter-provincial water sources;

- Articles 3, 4, 16, Chapters III, and V of Circular 17/2021/TT-BTNMT stipulating the monitoring of water resource exploitation and usage.

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