April 27, 2024

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K-water CEO Yun Seog-dae (tenth from left) and officials from Vietnam's National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation pose for a photo at a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony, in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 15. (K-water)

Korea Water Resources, the state-run water management agency, announced Monday that it has partnered with Vietnam’s National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation to address the country's water concerns and mitigate against climate change impacts.

The collaboration was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed at the International Conference on Water held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 15.

Vietnam grapples with water scarcity as it is located downstream of the Mekong River. Relying heavily on aquifers for water supply, the country faces water challenges such as pollution, flooding and frequent storms.

Under the partnership, the parties agreed to exchange K-water's advanced technologies and develop a decision support system for water management in Vietnam. Additional plans include establishing a working group to enhance collaboration on digital twins for water management, AI water purification plants and smart water management solutions.

“This partnership presents an opportunity to collectively address Vietnam’s water challenges and devise effective collaboration strategies. We are committed to fostering water cooperation between South Korea and Vietnam with advanced technologies to mitigate climate change impacts,” said Yun Seog-dae, CEO of K-water.

K-water established the Asian Water Commission in 2016 to tackle water challenges across Asia. The agency has collaborated with Vietnam multiple times, including on the Water Project on Hanoi's Nhue River.

During his visit last week, Yun also met with the Vietnamese vice ministers of natural resources and environment, and science and technology to bolster ties between the two countries.

By Heo Yu-jeong (yjheo@heraldcorp.com)
The Korea Herald