Ministry of Environment to Assist in Solving Water Issues in Vietnam and Cambodia

Announcement of Selected Projects and Support Plans for the '2021 Water Project' at the 13th Asia Water Council Board Meeting

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The government has decided to support a project to establish a smart water management system in Vietnam, a strategic target country of the New Southern Policy, and a project to develop a comprehensive water-related master plan in Cambodia.

On the 31st, the Ministry of Environment will participate in the 13th Board Meeting of the Asia Water Council (AWC), Asia's largest water cooperation organization, to announce support plans for the selected projects of the '2021 Water Project.'

The Water Project differs from the existing international development cooperation projects (ODA) driven mainly by donor countries by supporting feasibility studies and master plan development to solve water-related issues directly requested by recipient countries. It provides practical assistance in resolving water problems in recipient countries, including support for follow-up project implementation. Additionally, it aims to establish friendly cooperative relationships with recipient countries and lay a stable foundation for Korean water companies to expand overseas.

Over the past five years, 11 out of 29 projects proposed by member countries have been selected for follow-up implementation. Among these, two projects targeting Bangladesh and Mekong River basin countries (worth approximately 9.7 billion KRW) will be promoted as Ministry of Environment ODA projects in 2022.

The 2021 Water Project, scheduled to be approved at this board meeting, will sign advisory contracts with domestic water companies in April. Subsequently, the projects will be launched in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, international organizations, and multilateral development banks.

Kim Dong-jin, Director of the Water Resources Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, "The Ministry of Environment will appropriately and effectively support projects directly proposed by Asia Water Council member countries to improve water welfare in Asia," adding, "By expanding opportunities for Korean water companies to participate in the Water Project, we will contribute to establishing a foundation for the overseas expansion of the domestic water industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.