Project Summary:

Following the request from the Viet Nam Water Partnership, as part of the overall UNDP GoAL-Water Programme initiative, this proposal aims to undertake a collaborative research to support the Viet Nam Water partnership and their network to enhance understanding on the options to strengthen the water governance and water management frameworks and processes in the Mekong Delta region of Viet Nam.

The applied research will focus on a comparative analysis on the existing water management strategies (business as usual) and future proposed measures that are being formulated in the Mekong Delta Integrated Master Planning process. It will assess local perceptions on how they can be empowered and coordinated to better manage water resources when pursuing long-term sustainable development pathways given a set of climate scenarios.

Project Objectives:

Effective water governance systems are crucial to address the challenges of water ecosystem management and poverty reduction in the context of climate change. Responding to the gap, this project aims to improve the understanding of local water governance systems, their success and pitfalls, and explore their relevance in the future.

Based on this understanding and in-depth consultations with stakeholders, it will identify specific options for UNDP and partners to actively enhance local water governance participation onto the policy-development process in the Mekong Delta Masterplan.

Expected Results:

• Result 1: Current and proposed alternatives local water governance practices in the Mekong Delta are synthesized in a thematic report
• Result 2: Effectiveness of local water governances’ practices in a set of future scenarios assessed
• Result 3: Practical recommendations to enhance local roles in water governance identified
  

Key Achievements:

The project has just started.

• A team of international and national consultants are working on the research plan
• An inception plan for the project has prepared
• On-line consultation with National stakeholders is planned in Sep 2020
• Tentative plan for a draft report by end of 2020