HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT   Link to website

On 28 January 2013, the Water Resources University of Viet Nam decided to establish a Water Security Centre of Water Resources University (WRU-WSC) on to promote research, education and application of good practices in water security in Viet Nam and in South-East Asia.  This decision was made on the basis of regional priorities and various national efforts.

Regional priorities:  The First Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Beppu, Japan in 2007 generated a great deal of interest in water security in the region.  In parallel to the regional efforts of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF), Viet Nam took an active role in the promotion of water security, since late 2010, by leading a task force of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) to examine water security in the context of regional cooperation in South-East Asia. At the 8th General Conference of CSCAP, held in Hanoi in November 2011, a member of Viet Nam CSCAP delegation proposed the concept of building up “water-secured culture” in cooperation.

National efforts:  Building on the concept proposed at the 8th General Conference of CSCAP and other efforts on water security in Viet Nam, Water Resources University, Danang University and Center for Integrated Water Resources Management (CIWAREM) drew up a proposal on “Building a Water-secured Culture in South-East Asia” for submission to FAO and UN-ESCAP as one of the world’s initiatives on water security. This proposal was selected for presentation at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille in March 2012.  These national efforts on research and education as well as various cooperative initiatives with APWF partners have helped building up a firm foundation for action as part of a concrete and consistent programme on water security.

To promote research, education and application of good practices in water security in Viet Nam and to initiate collaborative activities in South-East Asia as well as within the framework of Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF).

To become a knowledge hub on water security in Viet Nam and a leading agent for linking national initiatives in South-East Asia with those at the Asia-Pacific region and global initiatives on water security.