Topic: Ensuring Access to Potable Water
Country: Vietnam
Delegate Name: Amanda Margolis
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Vietnam position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
As more and more people need to share an already limited supply of clean water, the need of establishing a way to deal with this problem is more vital. Developing nations, such as Viet Nam, must work hard to address this. A dramatic increase in access to improved drinking water, 97.6% (CIA), has shown hope in worldwide fulfillment of the MDG. However, this does not mean that Viet Nam has overcome this challenge. (As of 2015) Only 10% of piped water is accessible by the rural population, and 68% by the urban households. (WHO) This fact is a reminder of the ways to go.
The Millennium Development Goal was developed as a plausible goal to work towards, and as of last year, Viet Nam has exceeded this goal. This success is due to the National Rural Clean Water Supply And Sanitation Strategy to 2020, a plan developed by the government of Viet Nam in order to not just meet, but also exceed the goal (WHO), part of which included mandatory safety plans to be enforced by Viet Nam’s water suppliers. However, several other forces threaten this success.
One obstacle to this includes a long dry season that can span from 6-7 months (WEPA). This impact limits the already limited supply of clean water. In addition, the water supply is also devastated by widespread pollution and ground water contamination (CIA). As a result, much of Viet Nam’s water (two thirds WPEA) is taken from water sources and rivers outside of the country, mainly the Mekong River. This, however, makes Viet Nam heavily impacted by the effects of water management of other countries. To deal with this, Viet Nam wishes to place heavier consequence on countries that fail to adhere to laws the protection of international water sources.
In addition, countries that share water supply with Vietnam have been using more water, and thus Vietnam is struggling with further limits on the amount of water available. This overconsumption of water from other nations is making it increasingly more difficult to manage this water. If unaddressed, this problem, will only get worse.
There is also the problem of managing the effects of natural disasters. Though all countries can relate to the problems that arise when rebuilding after disaster, developing countries in particular experience some of the greatest problems when dealing with this. Viet Nam’s location makes it particularly susceptible to natural disasters such as typhoons. Dealing with these effects severely inhibit Viet Nam’s success, and the success of developing countries that have the same problem. ()
In conclusion, Viet Nam feels that all countries could benefit from stricter enforcement of laws that protect water sources, and (). This would allow not just security of the progress made so far, but the ability to further help other nations achieve success. Although substantial progress has been made as a whole, in order to achieve a common goal of potable water for everyone, no country should be forgotten. Success can be met through the participation of all nations and equal effort towards this goal.
