Many challenges arise in water resources management
Faced with increasingly complex and unpredictable impacts of climate change and issues arising in the process of socio-economic development, the management and safe and sustainable exploitation of water resources in the province pose many new challenges.
The decline in vegetation, especially in upstream forests, has increased the severity of natural disasters such as flash floods, landslides, droughts and saltwater intrusion. The exploitation of large volumes of sand and gravel from riverbeds has caused deep erosion of riverbeds and riverbanks, threatening the safety of infrastructure works. Along with that is the pollution and deterioration of water quality due to untreated industrial, craft village, agricultural wastewater and domestic water entering rivers and streams; the system of irrigation infrastructure and natural disaster prevention works that have been invested in for a long time has been damaged, degraded or the scale of the works does not meet the current conditions of climate change, leading to unsafe water exploitation and use activities.
Besides, the management and exploitation of water resources are still overlapping and scattered across many sectors and fields such as: natural resources, environment; irrigation, hydropower; urban and rural water supply... without unity to promote the highest efficiency.
In addition, there are not many mechanisms and policies to attract social resources to invest in water resource management and exploitation. The management model of irrigation systems still has shortcomings in management zoning and management forms; the capacity to safely and sustainably manage water resources in some units and localities is still limited...
Improving water resources management capacity
As a specialized agency under the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province, with the function of advising the Provincial People's Committee on the management of natural resources and environment in the province, in the first 6 months of 2023, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has focused on tightening the management of water resources, bringing practical results.
With the main function of the sector being to manage water resources (including flow, reserves and quality of underground and surface water); exploit and use water economically and effectively; measures to protect water resources and prevent, combat and overcome consequences and harms caused by water in the province, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has appraised and advised the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to organize the appraisal and grant licenses to exploit and use water resources for organizations and individuals in need, in cases where licenses must be granted according to the provisions of law throughout the province; Review and complete project dossiers to establish a list and map of restricted areas for underground water exploitation in the province, and submit them to the Provincial People's Committee for approval.
Pursuant to Decision No. 953/QD-STNMT dated December 30, 2022 of the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on approving the Plan for inspection, examination; receiving citizens; handling complaints, resolving denunciations and preventing and combating corruption in natural resources and environment in 2023. Accordingly, inspect and examine the compliance with the law on water resources in 2023 for 10 organizations and individuals licensed by competent authorities for water resources; inspection period from the second quarter to the fourth quarter of 2023.
Pursuant to the provisions of the 2012 Law on Water Resources and related legal documents, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has guided organizations and individuals in the province that are involved in exploiting and using water resources to implement them in accordance with regulations.
Mr. Le Hung Cuong - Head of the Department of Water Resources (Department of Natural Resources and Environment) said: In the first 6 months of 2023, the Department appraised and submitted to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for issuance of 8 Water Resources Licenses (until June 5, 2023), including: 3 Licenses for groundwater exploration; 4 Licenses for exploitation and use of groundwater; 1 License for exploitation and use of surface water. The appraisal of dossiers requesting licenses for exploitation and use of water resources and discharge of wastewater into water sources for organizations and individuals ensures the correct order and procedures according to regulations and the quality is increasingly improved. There are no cases of exceeding the prescribed time limit.
To continue effectively implementing water resources management in the province, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has identified key tasks for the last 6 months of the year. Specifically:
Continue to effectively implement legal documents on water resources of the Central and the province in the state management of water resources in the province. Improve the quality of appraisal of dossiers requesting the issuance of licenses for water exploitation, use, and wastewater discharge into water sources and the quality of consulting work to resolve arising issues of officials and civil servants working in the state management of water resources.
Advise the Department's leaders to report to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee on the results of the implementation of tidal and salinity measurement work on the Ma River, Yen River and Bang River systems in 2023 according to the approved Plan. Organize the implementation of the task of "Establishing and promulgating the List of intra-provincial water sources in Thanh Hoa province" according to the detailed outline approved by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.
Organize inspection and examination of compliance with water resources laws by organizations and individuals engaged in water exploitation and use in 2023 in the province.
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