I. Introduction

 Ensuring water for life, environment and ensuring food security and energy in the context of climate change is a particularly important issue of Vietnam in the current period. However, the protection, exploitation and use of water resources - the foundation of food production and energy has not been properly focused and harmony of interests, thus in recent times, water resources of river basins are seriously declining in both quantity and quality of water. Meanwhile, water sources are strongly affected by climate change so the movements are increasingly complex, the most obvious manifestation is the decline of total water resources, increasing the frequency of major floods and droughts in many regions of Vietnam. Due to the nature of Vietnam, water is the key source to ensure food security, energy, and sustainable development. Currently, in most of Vietnam river basins (river water, river cross-border and international river), the management of water resources, especially in the exploitation and use of water resources is not rational; many water reservoirs are overexploited or unreasonable used that result in increasing risk of water insecurity, this is clearly reflected in the annual dry season, sometimes even in the rainy season.

Strengthening policy, institutional management and operation of water reservoirs in the river basins, especially in management and operation of reservoir in large river basins in Vietnam in the dry season to exploit and use of water resources effectively, multi-purpose and safely, simultaneously execution combined with specific policies for integrated management of river basin water resources are integrated solutions, effective to maintain, protect water source, a prerequisite to secure water resources for socio-economic development.

II. Workshop objective

Assessing the current state of river basin management; mining and use of water in the reservoir system on large river basins to form the scientific and practical basis to propose mechanisms, policies and appropriate measures to strengthen financial management water resource and river basin management and operation of reservoir in large river basins in order to ensure water resources in terms of climate change impacts.

III. Results of the workshop

3.1. Workshop was held on 07/10/2015, in Hanoi

3.2. Workshop participants

• Total: 60 delegates
• Composition:

-         Policy- makers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Ministry of Industry and Trade;

-         Energy Group of Vietnam (EVN);

-         Related research institutes and university: Institute for Water and Environment, Institute for Water Resources Planning, Water Resources University;

-         Professional Associations: Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE),Vietnam Water Resources Association, Large Dam and Water Resources Development Association, Irrigation and Drainage Association, etc.

-         Independent experts and scientist;

-         Media;

-         VNWP Standing Board members.

3.3. The main results of the Workshop.

1.           The workshop agenda was divided in different sessions including paper presentations and discussion sessions. There were six paper presentations and many discussion during the workshop. The participants also discussed about the technical aspects of inter-reservoir operation regulation (IROR) in river basins as well as reality experiences and current legal framework, regulations of legal documents of water resources management related to IROR at present. Presenters analyzed and assessed thoroughly based on real experiences and scientific base as well as current legal of natural resources and environment related to management and operation of the large electric generation reservoirs and irrigation reservoirs under the adjustments of existing IRORs. The assessments and analysis of implementing legal documents and IRORs showed the advantages and issues in integrated  management, exploitation and use of water resources in large reservoir in Vietnam. In which, the special focuses are on issues and constraints of IRORs and propose specific measures to adjust and upgrade existing IRORs and as references for formulating new IRORs.

2.           The aspects of integrated management, protection, exploitation, effective and multi purposes and sustainable use of natural resources, environment and ecosystem and social-economic development in the large reservoir basins were analyzed comprehensively. The recommendations will be delivered to related state government responsibility on water resources, management agencies, scientists to determine the issues need to be considered and assessed as scientific and actual base for completing policies and legal frame work for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in river basins in Vietnam. Firstly, it’s necessary to adjust and complete IRORs in order to achieve the objectives of integrated and effective exploitation of reservoir water resources for sustainable social-economic development, environment protection and response safety to natural disasters such as heavy rain, storm, flood, drought and water shortage to ensure security of water and energy in river basins.

3.           The workshop agreed that:

-  In the short-term period of the implementation of Law on Water Resources, the state management agencies of related ministries, sectors, local government and reservoir managers have great coordinated with technical agencies and scientists to formulate 11 IRORs of 11 large river basins in Vietnam. The new and important issues were stated in the IRORs in order to deal with the shortcomings and weak management and operation of reservoir systems in river basins which cause many urgent matters recently. 

-  However, some operation objectives and criteria need to be considered and clarified in terms of scientific base and actual situations. It is needed to special focuses on inter-reservoir operation for flood control or water supply for downstream to avoid the inter-reservoirs  is operated as single reservoir. It should assess in a scientific base manner of the operation criteria to ensure proper capacity of flood control or downstream water supply and harmonization benefits of electric generation, environment protection and meet water use requirements. 

-  The existing IRORs have just considered to meet the objectives of flood control and supplement water sources for downstream uses in specific terms. However, the provisions on integrated natural resources exploitation, especially water resources, in reservoirs have not yet mentioned clearly. It is also incapable to resolve conflicts of water uses in downstream, especially in the drought and water shortage time.

-  It still lack of institution frame work of provincial level and no decision support system as required. Therefore, the reservoir operation faces many problems in reality and the purposes of flood control and downstream water supply has not yet achieved.

IV. Conclusions and recommendations

-  A software of Decision Support System (DSS) should be studied and developed for inter-reservoir operation. In which, the basic is the connection between mathematical models of meteorology-hydrology-hydraulic model; economic-environment model; multi-purpose optimization problem. 

-  Designate responsibilities of reservoir owners in implementing legal regulations of water resources management such as developing meteorology-hydrology observation systems and applying related technology for data collection, save, and processing; warning and prediction for effective operation of each reservoir and coordination of inter-reservoir operation.

-  Continue to adjust and complete existing IRORs, single reservoir operation regulation to ensure the inter-reservoir operation throughout the year, do not separate in flood and dry seasons respectively. Develop new IRORs for the other remaining river basins. The participation of stakeholders and public consultations are needed during developing inter-reservoir operation regulation.

-  Develop a strong enough coordination mechanism, coordinating experts, managers and reservoir owners to ensure effective implementation of IRORs. In addition, the mechanisms for coordination, regular monitoring and evaluation of IWRM in river basins is needed to develop soon. In which state the inter-reservoir operation for improving effective management, protection, exploitation and use of water resources, natural resources and environment in reservoir systems.

This workshop results were reported and approved at the workshop.