Officials of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho had a working session with World Bank (WB) representatives on March 2 to discuss a water supply project for the region.

A view of part of Can Tho city (Photo: VNA) 

David Lord, WB specialist in charge of the project, said it is still under discussion among the Ministry of Construction and relevant localities, noting that the project has been debated for many years and relatively complicated.

The WB delegation will directly meet localities in the region to talk about this issue since it is related to their water security. The WB will also keep giving technical assistance to the Construction Ministry in project implementation, he said.

The bank is planning to carry out this project at the local and regional levels, the specialist noted, adding that this is a large water resource security programme of the Mekong Delta.

Aside from supplying water, the project will also deal with wastewater collection and treatment and drainage infrastructure, according to Lord.

The municipal Department of Construction reported that in the first phase from 2025 to 2030, Can Tho will need 30,000 – 50,000 cu.m. of water a day from the project, and 70,000 – 100,000 cu.m. a day after that.

The city also wishes to borrow capital from the WB to upgrade and expand its water supply network in the coming years, the department noted.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Dao Anh Dung said authorities of Can Tho have had many meetings with the Construction Ministry and other localities to look into this project.

He asked local departments and sectors to ensure the effectiveness of their working sessions with the WB delegation since this is a very important issue on which decisions will be made in the near future.