**6. Conclusions**

54 Novel Approaches and Their Applications in Risk Assessment

The Water Balance Tool identifies hot spot WMUs regarding the available water quantities and possible shortcomings during dry seasons. The tool is a strong instrument for decision

Table 2 gives an overview of the combinations leading to the quantitative water risk assessment and the resulting available maps. These maps are compiled in a planning atlas (together with additional maps, tables and text). A web-viewer version of the atlas is

Table 2. Aggregation of water resources and water demands into the risk of water deficits.

The project area Upper Dong Nai basin features a mere quantitative deficit risk. In contrast, the water resources are abundant in the delta regions (project areas Cuu Long part basin and Red River part basin). Nevertheless, the delta regions hold a certain deficit risk due to temporary high local demands (e.g. agriculture) and water quality limitations (e.g. salt water intrusion).

The Ranking Tool processes the results of the Contamination Risk Tool and the Water Balance Tool (aggregated on a WMU basis) in order to prioritize the problem intensities of WMUs within a river basin regarding their water quality and quantity issues. Based on this information, decision makers can effectively prepare decisions, recommend closer inspections and coordinate measures for WMUs with priority need for IWRM measures. Figure 15 is showing an example for the ranking of a contamination risk (here ranking the

Table 3 gives an overview of the ranking. These resulting maps are compiled in a planning atlas (together with additional maps, tables and text). A web-viewer version of the atlas is

Table 3. Ranking of the Contamination Risk Tool and the Water Balance Tool results. The

makers to analyze water resources quantities and the mixture of water users.

available on the internet (www.iwrm-atlas-vietnam.de).

The "X" mark available maps for the three project areas.

available on the internet (www.iwrm-atlas-vietnam.de).

"X" mark available maps for the three project areas.

**5.3 Ranking tool** 

contamination source: settlements).

The developed Planning and Decision Support Tools are instruments for a sustainable water management along the principles of IWRM as defined by the Global Water Partnership and others. The integrated approach facilitates a consideration of water resources quantity and quality leading to a risk assessment. The result of the risk assessment is the identification and prioritization of areas (Water Management Units) with higher problem intensities regarding the water quantity and / or quality and thus a priority need for IWRM measures. The prioritization of WMUs helps decision makers to efficiently plan water management and funds in order to optimize the impact of IWRM measures.

In order to effectively communicate Planning and Decision Support Tools in Vietnam, it was necessary to develop a transparent, well documented and transferable method. An important aspect of the Planning and Decision Support Tools was to develop a method that fits the needs of Vietnamese water managers and decision makers. Thus, IWRM-Vietnam paid close attention to engage authorities and stakeholders into the process of developing the method in order to make the task of implementation as easy as possible.

Planning and Decision Support Tools for IWRM on River Basin Level in the Southeast-Asian

**8. Acknowledgments** 

cooperation.

**9. References** 

Region on the Example of Vietnam – Tools for Water Quantity and Quality Risk Assessment 57

The German-Vietnamese joint R&D project IWRM-Vietnam would like to thank the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the funding of an important input to the Vietnamese IWRM process. IWRM-Vietnam also thanks the project managing agency Karlsruhe (PTKA-WTE) at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) for their support. Finally, eE+E would like to thank all partners of the R&D project for their input and

Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2006). *Water Financing Program 2006-2010. Helping to* 

Cuddihy, W. & Frederiksen, H. (1996). Viet Nam Water Resources Sector Review, 1st ed.;

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1998). Guidelines for Ecological Risk

European Commission (2011). Environmental Impact Assessement, 09.11.2011, Available

Government of Vietnam, Prime minister (2008). Government Decree on River Basin Management, No: 120/2008/NĐ-CP dated 01.12.2008, Hanoi, Vietnam Greassidis, S.; Borgmann, A.; Führer, N.; Jaschinski, S.; Jolk, C.; Stolpe, H.; Zindler, B.;

GWP (Global Water Partnership) (2000). Integrated Water Resources Management. *TAC* 

Jolk, C.; Greassidis, S.; Jaschinski, S.; Stolpe, H.; Zindler, B. (2010). Planning and Decision

Kiemstedt, H. & Bachfischer, R. (1977). Zur planerischen Operationalisierung der

(Hrg.): *Arbeitsmaterial*, vol.2, ISBN 978-3-88838-357-1, Hannover, Germany MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (2009). *National Target Program on* 

(2011). Überschlägige Wasserbilanz zur Planungs- und Entscheidungsunterstützung auf Einzugsgebietsebene für das Integrierte Wasserressourcen-Management in Vietnam. In: *Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung. Hydrology and Water Management*, Vol.55, No.2, (April 2011),

*background paper; no. 4*. Stockholm, Sweden, 09.11.2011, Available from http://www.gwptoolbox.org/images/stories/gwplibrary/background/tac\_4\_eng

Support Tools for the Integrated Water Resources Management in Vietnam. In: *Water*, ISSN 2073-4441, 09.11.2011, Available from www.mdpi.com/journal/water,

ökologischen Risikoanalyse. In: Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung

*the improvement to the effectiveness of water resources management, protection and use*

http://www.adb.org/water/wfp/IWRM-25-River-Basins.pdf

World Bank: Washington, USA, 09.11.2011, Available from http://www.vnwatersectorreview.com/detail.aspx?pid=107&r=5#4

Assessment. EPA/630/R-95/002F, Washington D.C., USA

from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/

pp. 68 – 74, Koblenz, ISSN 1439-1783

vol.2, pp. 711-725, Basel, Switzerland

(NTP-WR), Hanoi, Vietnam

lish.pdf

*introduce IWRM in 25 river basins in the asia-pacific region*, 09.11.2011, Available from

The results of the developed methods for the analysis of the water resources on the river basin scale were documented in several reports:


The application of Planning and Decision Support Tools will enable Vietnamese stakeholders to base decisions regarding measures to improve the situation of Water Management Units on a scientific basis. The identification process enables decision makers to effectively attend to the issues with high priority ratings first. The close cooperation between the project and the Vietnamese authorities ensures a holistic implementation of the tools and a close interaction between the method and the legislative framework in Vietnam. The early participation of the responsible water agency on national level guarantees a sustainable adjustment and a nation-wide transferability of the method to Vietnamese conditions. The overall concept developed by the R&D project IWRM-Vietnam is an important step towards the implementation of IWRM principles in Vietnam. Thus, the application of the Planning and Decision Support Tools allows for the improvement of water resources management along the principles of IWRM which will be essential for further development in Vietnam on a sustainable basis
