Friday and Saturday, December 6-7, 1996
Common Room, University House,
and J G Crawford Building, National Centre for Development Studies,
Australian National University
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Seminar on Environment and Development in Vietnam
Friday and Saturday, December 6-7, 1996 Common Room, University House,
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A Water Quality Monitoring Project in Vietnam - July 1996
Neil McLaren and John Morrison
Environment Research Institute
University of Wollongong
Tel: +61 (42) 21-4450
Fax: +61 (42) 21-3892
Email: Neil_McLaren@uow.edu.au
Abstract
In July 1996 a water quality monitoring project took place in Vietnam that involved technical training and workshop presentations. The project was funded under the Federal EPA's Environmental Cooperation with Asia Program (ECAP). It was conducted in cooperation between the University of Wollongong's Environment Research Institute (ERI), Sydney Water's 'Streamwatch' group and the National Environment Agency of Vietnam (NEA). The key contact person in the NEA has been Dr. (Mrs.) Nguyen Hoang Yen, Head SOE & Monitoring Division, Hanoi.
The members of the Australian group that visited Vietnam in July were: -
- Professor John Morrison, Director, Environment Research Institute, University of Wollongong
- Professor Paolo Ricci, Department of Public Health and Nutrition, Environment Research Institute, University of Wollongong
- Neil McLaren, Faculty of Education, Environment Research Institute, University of Wollongong
- Renato Ramsay, Manager, Streamwatch, Sydney Water.
Subsequent to this visit and as part of the overall project, staff from the NEA visited the ERI at the University of Wollongong in August, 1996. This group included Dr Yen plus the following people:-
- Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, Director, The Institute of Oceanography, Hai Phong
- Dr. Lam Minh Triet, Director, Center for Environmental Technology and Management (CEFINEA), Ho Chi Minh University of Technology
- Eng. Nguyen Anh Hieu, The SoE & Monitoring Division, NEA, Hanoi.
During this visit, the NEA group met with staff from across the University and with both government and business organisations with regard to environmental management and monitoring.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Poor water quality, especially in urban areas, has been identified as one of the most pressing environmental problems in Vietnam. As a result of 30 years of war, and 15 years of political isolation, much of the water infrastructure was destroyed or failed because of inadequate maintenance programs. Increasing populations have also placed great pressures on the water resources. Water-borne diseases represent a continuing threat to the local populations. One of the key issues for staff of the National Environment Agency (NEA) of the Ministry of Science Technology and Environment (MoSTE) is the development of monitoring programs and related activities to assess the quality of water supplies. There is also an urgent need to quantify the health impacts of poor water quality.
The Environment Research Institute (ERI) of the University of Wollongong was awarded funds under the Environmental Cooperation with Asia Program (ECAP) to undertake a cooperative project with the NEA to address some of these issues. The main aims of the ECAP project were to assist NEA with the establishment of a system for community monitoring of water quality, skills upgrading in water quality data management, and health impacts assessment. The project, which has also been supported by Sydney Water Corporation, involved staff from ERI and Sydney Water going to Vietnam to trial and develop a program to establish community participation in water quality monitoring along the lines of Sydney Water's Streamwatch program. The program also included training workshops on water quality monitoring, data management and assessment, and environmental health impacts. Following the activities in Vietnam, four key NEA water quality staff undertook a study tour in Australia to look at water operations and to develop collaborative programs with relevant Australian agencies and companies.
The project was considered to be a critical component of Vietnam's social and economic development. As Vietnam develops its industrial and urban infrastructure from its largely rural base at present, environmental problems, especially water quality, are likely to intensify - requiring a well trained and resourced NEA. If such environmental problems are not planned for and regulated, the pace of economic and social development may well be severely hindered.
The outcomes of the project included: an improved capacity of NEA staff to undertake monitoring of water quality programs and health impact assessments; initiation of a process for local communities to participate effectively in State managed environmental programs; an improved understanding by NEA staff of environmental health consequences of poor water quality management; improved understanding by NEA staff of decision making processes with regard to environmental planning and management; and, a wider knowledge in Vietnam of current Australian techniques in water quality monitoring, regulation and management.
Future work recommended as a result of the project includes the development of plans for a pilot 'Streamwatch' type program for 2 provinces in the Red River catchment of Vietnam, collaborative work on the expansion of the teaching of environmental education in schools and other education organisations in Vietnam, and assistance to NEA with staff training in environmental monitoring, environmental risk assessment, GIS, legal issues (upgrading of legal staff, drafting of standards, etc.) and EIA activities. ERI (through its Centre for Maritime Policy) will develop with NEA (through the Institute of Oceanography, Haiphong), a program to develop monitoring and management of coastal areas and ports for Vietnam.
The level of assistance which ERI will be able to provide will depend on the funding that can be secured. Programs will be jointly developed by ERI and NEA, and approaches to funding agencies made on a collaborative basis.
Commercial opportunities for Australian organisations which are related to this project include: the sale of water quality monitoring field kits for use by community groups including schools and provincial councils; computer software sales, with the Vietnamese looking into much greater use of modelling for a number of water related situations and software to assist with risk assessment analysis will also be in demand; consultancy work in all parts of the water sector as the Vietnamese Government has identified water resources management as a very high priority; the provision of hardware such as water treatment units, both large and small scale, for upgrading of water supplies.
BACKGROUND
Poor water quality, especially in urban areas, has been identified as one of the most pressing environmental problems in Vietnam. As a result of 30 years of war, and 15 years of political isolation, much of the water infrastructure was destroyed or failed because of inadequate maintenance programs. Increasing populations have also placed great pressures on the water resources. Water-borne diseases represent a continuing threat to the local populations. One of key issues for staff of the National Environment Agency (NEA) of the Ministry of Science Technology and Environment (MoSTE) is the development of monitoring programs and related activities to assess the quality of water supplies. There is also an urgent need to quantify the health impacts of poor water quality.
The Environment Research Institute (ERI) of the University of Wollongong was awarded funds under the Environmental Cooperation with Asia Program (ECAP) to undertake a cooperative project with the NEA to address some of these issues. The project was considered to be a critical component of Vietnam's social and economic development. As Vietnam develops its industrial and urban infrastructure from its largely rural base at present, environmental problems, especially water quality, are likely to intensify - requiring a well trained and resourced NEA. If such environmental problems are not planned for and regulated, the pace of economic and social development may well be severely hindered.
Aims
The main aims of the ECAP project were:
* To assist NEA with the establishment of a system for community monitoring of water quality
* To facilitate skills upgrading in water quality data management
* To provide training in health impacts assessment, particularly in relation to poor water quality
* To provide training in risk assessment
* To give NEA staff the opportunity to review environmental monitoring procedures and programs in Australia
* To assist NEA staff in the development of legislative mechanisms for the management of air and water pollution by exposing them to practices in Australia
Activities
The project, which has also been supported by Sydney Water Corporation, involved staff from ERI and Sydney Water going to Vietnam to trial and develop a program to establish community participation in water quality monitoring along the lines of Sydney Water's Streamwatch program. The program also included training workshops on water quality monitoring, data management and assessment, and environmental health impacts. Four key NEA water quality staff then undertook a study tour in Australia to look at water operations and to develop collaborative programs with relevant Australian agencies/companies.
1. Training in Water Quality Monitoring
Aims of the Training Activities
The training program undertaken was the result of detailed negotiations with the NEA preceding the event. The training took place over 5 days in Hanoi. The aims of the training were as follows:
* To train 20 NEA personnel in the use of field laboratory resources to assess water quality and to train them as trainers
* To train an additional 10 NEA personnel in the use of field laboratory resources to assess water quality and to test the skills of the original 20 personnel in train-the-trainer skills
* To plan with NEA personnel for the use of locally sourced laboratory materials
* To initiate the process of establishing a network of community based water monitoring groups across Vietnam
Water Quality Monitoring Tests Included in the Training
Water quality tests were selected to provide internationally accepted criteria for water quality assessment and utilised procedures in the Sydney Water Corporation's 'Streamwatch' water testing kits. The parameters included the following : 1) dissolved oxygen (DO), 2) microbial, i.e. faecal coliform, 3) pH, 4) biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), 5) temperature, 6) phosphates, 7) nitrates, 8) turbidity, 9) total solids, 10) macro invertebrates.
Comments on the Training
The initial 20 NEA staff who participated in the training, were drawn from the Hanoi central office and the regional environmental monitoring stations. They were both very capable and very receptive to the training received. Most of the staff had a science background, usually from Russia or eastern Europe. The additional 10 staff, who participated in days four and five, were apparently less qualified, but again very capable and receptive to the training.
While the 'lecture' part of the training took place at the Le Thanh Tong Street Campus of the National University of Vietnam, much of the training took place in the field on two lakes in Hanoi (Ho Hoan Kiem and Ho Tay), with field work in the afternoon on four of the five days. This enabled the training to have relevance to local situations and problems. It also allowed the NEA personnel to see how the work of training others might continue and therefore be the key to enabling other communities to undertake monitoring.
The participants appeared to have an expectation of listening without questioning. The morning lecture and demonstration sessions had little participation in the form of questions or replies to questions. Where the participants were directly asked to be active they were very cautious and this approach was only accepted by the more able. There are probably two underlying attitudes that exist in most cultures, but are more strongly held in Vietnam. Firstly, to question the teacher implies a criticism. This is difficult to overcome if the over-riding attitude is that the teacher is a higher authority to be respected. Secondly, for the student to ask a question implies that they are not capable of understanding the content being presented. Thirdly, there was a language barrier, even though very competent translators were used. By directing the students to work with each other these problems appeared to be reduced. Given relevant local tasks to work on as a group, they were more responsive to each other and required less prompting to participate.
Much of the participants thinking is subject based, which presents problems when you have a complex environmental problem that cuts across the sciences. The scientific training in Russia and eastern Europe has a narrow discipline base from the beginning of the first year of study. The understanding of the participants of other areas of science, was often quite limited.
There are usually social problems to consider when addressing an environmental problem. An example encountered is one relating to a famous lake in the very centre of Hanoi where some of the field work took place, Ho Hoan Kiem. It is moderately polluted but contains turtles which have a cultural significance in national legends. The water flowing into and out of the lake is controlled by six different government bodies (national and provincial government agencies and Hanoi City Council). The caretaker of the pagoda, a cultural site of national significance, located on an island in the lake, has attempted unsuccessfully for several years to arrange a meeting of these bodies. People still fish out of this lake although they have been warned by local authorities not to allow animals to drink from the lake.
This example highlights the importance of the need for an integration of all objectives and interested parties. This is an impossible task for individual field staff. The solutions must come from all groups within the community and with the consent and assistance of government. The training of interested people from communities in the use of field monitoring equipment to survey water quality will enable informed actions. This project has been the initial step to allow this process to proceed.
2. Workshop Activities
Presentations
The workshops were attended by senior staff from a number of monitoring organisations involved in the current NEA national program, and by senior NEA staff. The purpose was to introduce these senior personnel to current activities and practices in water quality in Australia and internationally.
Six workshop presentations were made on July 8-10. These were:
* Water Quality Monitoring Programs I - Objectives, Design, Sampling, Operation (J. Morrison)
* Water Quality Monitoring Programs II - Quality Control and Water Quality Data Management (J. Morrison)
* Health Impacts of Poor Water Quality (P.Ricci)
* Risk Assessment with Regard to Problems Associated with Water Quality (P.Ricci)
* Use of Computers and Computer Modelling in Water Quality Studies (P.Ricci)
* Water Quality Guidelines and Standards - mechanisms for selection, establishment and implementation (J. Morrison)
Each workshop consisted of a presentation by the ERI team member, followed by questions and discussion of the topics. Opportunities were taken to illustrate computer models, monitoring equipment, guideline documents, during both the formal sessions and in the lunch and coffee breaks.
Comments on Workshops
The workshops were extremely valuable as they allowed senior staff from a number of agencies involved in water quality monitoring in Vietnam to meet together and to receive information on current developments elsewhere. It was obvious that the opportunity to meet together and discuss issues of common interest was appreciated and the involvement in discussion showed that many were facing common problems in attempting to enhance and expand their programs.
Apart from finance, problems of staff training were identified, as were issues involving the relationship between the monitoring, legislation, and the development of new national guidelines. The problems of quality control had been recognised, but no national strategy was in place to address this issue. During the workshops attempts were made to put in place a scheme of sample exchange and better communication between laboratories to improve data quality at minimal expense to the cooperating agencies.
It was clear that there is considerable interest in NEA in environmental economic instruments, criteria and methods to guide decisionmaking, under scarce resources. The participants clearly recognised that the combination of risk-cost-benefit analysis would be the appropriate framework to use to justify alternative choices. The use of economic instruments, coupled with these instruments, can reduce environmental exposures, based damage functions that are relevant to specific regions in the country.
In discussion, proposed follow up activities suggested included: some demonstration/pilot projects involving the multimedia aspects of a specific problem; a workshop to familiarise the decisionmakers with the tools available for improving their decisionmaking capabilities; training activities in environmental law, including economics and decision theory, and a workshop to instruct the analysts in the details of the simpler methodologies available at no cost for risk-cost-benefit assessments. It was also recognised that aspects of health risk assessment must be included in the proposed Red River Provincial pilot study (see Outcomes section).
3. Visit by NEA team to Australia
Four key NEA staff were invited to visit Australia as part of this project. The team members were:
Dr. Nguyen Hoang Yen, Head, Monitoring and SOE Unit, NEA
Professor Dr. Lam Minh Triet, Director of CEFINEA, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, Institute of Oceanography, Haiphong
Eng. Nguyen Anh Hieu, Expert, Monitoring Division, NEA.
The aims of the visit were:
* to conduct a study tour for key NEA water quality officers to review current techniques in Australia (NSW) and state and national environmental policy and legislation (NSW & ACT)
* to meet industry and government bodies involved in on-ground environmental management through the study tour
Excellent support was obtained from all the agencies and organisations who agreed to meet with the visitors. This enabled the NEA team to overview a wide range of water quality and related environmental practices, policies and operations in Australia.
OUTCOMES
Hanoi, the main focus of the work, is undergoing rapid changes like the rest of Vietnam as it moves from a third world country to a modern economy. Understandably there are substantial environmental problems to overcome. The quality of water has direct affects on the quality of life and Vietnam is no exception. Where possible, reticulated water in Vietnam is boiled, before drinking, to destroy the pathogens. Bottled water is available but is beyond the income of many.
Although this project has been competed, this was only the initial step in a project that needs to be continued for the long-term interest of Vietnam. A considerable challenge still exists on how to establish a viable national water quality monitoring system that is both reliable and cost effective. The system will need to enable corrective action to be taken in response to environmental problems. The solutions to this challenge will result from the participation of all groups of people within Vietnam. The next step proposed by the NEA staff is for two case studies in two separate provinces. The intention is to fully integrate water quality objectives with the needs of the community. It is intended to include risk assessment and cost/benefit analysis to enable justification of the work to continue to a national basis. Approval from the government of Vietnam will only result if information on the associated risks of poor water quality and the cost/ benefits of action to improve water quality can be strongly argued.
The outcomes of the project included:
* an improved capacity of NEA staff to undertake monitoring of water quality programs and health impact assessments;
* acquisition by NEA staff of skills to integrate water quality activities with environmental health programs;
* wider knowledge in Vietnam of current Australian techniques in water quality monitoring, regulation and management;
* institutional strengthening for NEA to manage a community water quality monitoring program;
* improved capacity in NEA for introduction of water quality components in State of the Environment reporting in Vietnam;
* an improved understanding by NEA staff of environmental health consequences of poor water quality management;
* improved opportunities for increased knowledge of potential water quality problems through effective monitoring;
* improved understanding by NEA staff of decisionmaking processes with regard to environmental planning and management;
* initiation of a process for local communities to participate effectively in State managed environmental programs.
A number of potential commercial opportunities for Australia will result from this project. The major one will arise when a system of community water quality monitoring is established in Vietnam. The groups responsible for such monitoring will have to have equipment to carry out the monitoring. The present Streamwatch kits are excellent and have been shown to work well under Vietnamese conditions. Costwise (a full setup costs about AUS$2500), they are, however, probably beyond the present budget of most Vietnam communities. Sydney Water's Streamwatch team has developed a smaller and much cheaper kit which could be available for about AUS$100. This uses only liquid reagents and would also be easier to service and maintain than the original kit. The smaller kit will not be able to carry out microbiological tests or total phosphorus analyses.
A second commercial opportunity is in computer software with the Vietnamese looking into much greater use of modelling for a number of water related situations. Software to assist with risk assessment analysis will also be in demand. There will also be significant opportunities for consultancy work in all parts of the water sector as the Vietnamese Government has identified water resources management as a very high priority. Given the extensive water technology skills base in Australia, there would appear to be many opportunities to increase the export of such skills to Vietnam.
The upgrading of water supplies will also involve the provision of hardware such as water treatment units both large and small scale. Australian is a world leader in such technology and there will be increased opportunities to provide these facilities to Vietnam. When the team from NEA visited Australia they were given the opportunity to see some aspects of the technologies in operation. They were impressed with what they saw and will, undoubtedly, report on these observations on their return to Vietnam.
International Seminar Support Scheme