Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung on June 19 received Saroj Kumar Jha, global director for the World Bank Group's Water Department, and Mariam Sherman, WB Division director for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, to discuss cooperation in water security, climate resilience and sustainable development.

Photo: VGP

The DPM said he valued the WB’s role as one of Vietnam’s leading development partners over the past three decades. He noted that the bank’s support has made significant contributions to the country’s socioeconomic development, from infrastructure development and institutional reform to personnel development, green growth and sustainable development.

In particular, the WB-supported programmes and projects in agriculture and environmental protection have helped enhance water resource management, strengthen food security, improve livelihoods and boost resilience and adaptation to the growing impacts of climate change, he said.

He stressed that Vietnam is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta and major river basins. Ensuring water security is not only an urgent short-term priority but also a long-term strategic task crucial to food security, social stability, economic growth and people’s livelihoods.

Jha said that the WB was working closely with Vietnamese agencies, particularly the Ministry of Finance and relevant units, to formulate a new Country Partnership Framework for the next five years. He noted that Vietnam’s priorities in water security, climate change response and sustainable development aligned closely with the WB’s cooperation agenda.

According to Jha, the “Water Forward” initiative and water security programmes will be among the key pillars of collaboration between the WB and Vietnam. Beyond financial resources, the bank aims to provide knowledge, international expertise, technical assistance and high-quality advisory services to help the country address emerging development challenges.

The WB is carrying out numerous programmes in the Mekong Delta, with a focus on pressing issues like saltwater intrusion adaptation, livelihood protection, and climate resilience improvement. The bank expects to work closely with Vietnamese authorities to accelerate the implementation of projects that are largely ready, thereby creating additional momentum for the region’s sustainable development.

The WB stands ready to accompany the country in considering and mobilising climate finance and other international funding sources to support climate change adaptation, ensure water security and encourage green development.