Economic reforms and the New Master Plan of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Implementation issues and policy recommendations

The economic reforms or `doi moi' introduced in 1986 have transformed Vietnam's planned economy to a more market-oriented one. Rise in international capital, market liberalisation and greater population mobility have contributed towards a greater concentration of squatters in the city centre, and extended metropolitan development in the fringes of Ho Chi Minh City. Rapid urbanisation and, to a lesser extent, industrialisation have converted large tracts of farmlands to urban use, and greater rural exodus. Such dramatic changes have drawn the city government's attention to face the new challenges. As a very important political and economic centre in the south, Ho Chi Minh City has prepared for itself a new Master Plan, approved in 1997, to provide a legitimate and institutional framework to guide its future spatial development. This paper introduces the background and explains the rationale behind the drafting of the Master Plan, and highlights the constraints that are expected in implementing it. The administrative framework in planning is also examined in terms of its advantages and disadvantages in a planning system with four levels: national, provincial, district and local. Land availability in the city centre, source of funding and technical expertise are all parts and parcels of the challenges in the process of modernising HCMC to accommodate the need of its residents and rapid global change. Ho Chi Minh City's strong relationships with its hinterlands have equally required the planners to look at the planning field using the whole national and regional scenarios. Policy recommendations aimed at improving the implementation capability are finally presented. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Optimization of water resources management using SWOT analysis: the case of Zakynthos Island, Ionian Sea, Greece

Zakynthos, an island of 408 km² in the Ionian Sea, is completely dependent on its groundwater resources for fulfilling the demands of the water supplies. The use of groundwater resources has become particularly intensive during the last decades because of the intense urbanization, the tourist development and the irrigated land expansion that took place. The main aquifers are developed in limestones (karstic), sandstones of neogene deposits (confined) and alluvial deposits (phreatic). This paper focuses on the assessment of their hydrogeological characteristics and the groundwater quality. For this investigation, groundwater level measurements, drilling data, pumping tests and chemical analyses of groundwater samples were used. The average annual consumption that is abstracted from the aquifer systems, is 4.9 × 10⁶ m³ year⁻¹. The exploitable groundwater reserves were estimated to be 3.3 × 10⁶ m³ year⁻¹. In the last decades, the total abstractions exceed the natural recharge, due to the tourist development; therefore the aquifer systems are not used safely. The results of chemical analyses showed a deterioration of the groundwater quality. According to the analyses the shallow alluvial aquifer and the confined aquifer are polluted by nitrates at concentrations in excess of 25 mg L⁻¹. High sulphate concentrations might be related to the dissolution of gypsum. Seawater intrusion phenomena are recorded in coastal parts of aquifer systems. The increased Cl⁻ concentrations in karstic aquifer indicate signs of overexploitation. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis was applied in order to evaluate the SWOT of the groundwater resources. Moreover, some recommendations are made to assist the rational management that aim at improving the sustainability of the groundwater resources of Zakynthos Island.     

Altered landscapes, altered livelihoods: The shifting experience of informal waste collecting during Hanoi’s urban transition

A growing body of literature is concerned with urbanization processes in contemporary Vietnam and how the country’s globalizing cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are increasingly becoming spaces of consumption. However, much less is known about how these changing spaces accommodate labour, and in turn support livelihoods. Using published empirical data on Hanoi’s informal waste collectors from 1992 [DiGregorio, M., 1994. Urban Harvest: Recycling as a Peasant Industry in Northern Vietnam. East–West Center, Hawaii, pp. 1–212] and my own data, including a survey of 575 waste collectors and 44 interviews, collected on Hanoi’s informal waste collectors in 2006, I explore the experiences of informal waste collectors (waste pickers and itinerant junk buyers) in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi. I argue that Vietnam’s globalizing economy and urban transition have been a catalyst for the growth of the informal waste collector population in Hanoi as well as a partial player in the gendering of this group and the work they undertake.     

State of seawater intrusion and its adaptive management countermeasures in Longkou City of China

Longkou City is a coastal area,and lacks water resources.The overexploitation of groundwater causes seawater intrusion.At present,seawater intrudes an area of 68 km2.With the decrease of groundwater extraction,the seawater intrusion area has generally declined.The paper expounds the development process of seawater intrusion as well as the corresponding prevention and control measures of using groundwater replenishment and groundwater throttling in Longkou City.In view of the seawater intrusion problem in Longkou City,some adaptive management countermeasures are put forward,which include:Adjusting industrial and agricultural structure,promoting economic and social development to match water resources;improving water usage structure,optimizing the utilization of water resources;advancing the construction of a water-saving society,using water resources efficiently;implementing inter-basin water transfer,using water resources rationally;developing and utilizing unconventional water sources,making full use of water resources;strengthening water infrastructure construction,increasing the development and utilization potential of water resources;carrying out ecological restoration,protecting water resources and ecological environment;improving the management informationalization level,strengthening the capabilities of groundwater monitoring and management;increasing publicity,improving public awareness of participation.     

Emergency Plan for Water Supply in Consecutive Droughts and Sustainable Water Resources Management in Beijing

Beijing, the capital city of China, has suffered from acute water shortage, with only 300 m3/a of water resources available per capita. In addition, Beijing has experienced a prolonged period of consecutive droughts from 1999 to 2010. Water crisis has constrained the socio-economic development of Beijing. Meanwhile, the national "South-to-North Water Transfer"(STNWT) project, which is expected to provide some relief to the water crisis in Beijing, is still under development. In order to ensure the security of water supply in Beijing before the completion of the STNWT project, several measures have been implemented to cope with droughts, including pumping groundwater from emergency well fields,water saving, recycling of water, rain and flood water harvesting, and the diversion of water from neighboring rivers and groundwater basins. Groundwater from four emergency well fields contributes the most to the public and domestic water supplies in Beijing, supplying a total volume of 1.8×10~9 m~3.The water crisis is supposed to be mitigated by the completion of the STNWT project. After the completion of this project, more sustainable management of water resources will be implemented,including the use of aquifers as groundwater reservoirs and conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources.     

Transnational companies as a source of skill upgrading: The electronics industry in Ho Chi Minh City

Employment and training in TNCs constitute a potential route through which FDI-led industrialization can contribute to national and regional development and economic growth. The article explores this link through the case of TNCs in the electronics industry in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The skill upgrading contribution of TNCs is related to the type of factories located in Vietnam and the role they play in regional production networks using a model combining the reverse product cycle and regional waves of FDI. Most electronics factories in Vietnam are ‘reproduction factories’ with mature technology and a narrow role in basic component manufacturing; it is shown that their contribution to skill upgrading is correspondingly narrow. Training for the majority of employees is very simple, and those who receive additional training do this especially in labour management, not in technical fields. Only a small group of engineers receive advanced technical training, in Vietnam and in the parent company abroad. The best prospects for increased skill upgrading are found in those companies that are more than reproduction factories for assembly; however, such companies are still few. The TNCs also represent a potential contribution to skill upgrading in local firms through supplier linkages and movement of staff, but when they operate in isolation from a local economy with little absorptive capacity, as in this case, this potential is not realized.     

黑河中游水土资源开发利用现状及水资源生态环境安全分析

黑河流域水资源产生于南部祁连山区,主要消耗于中游农业灌溉区。对黑河流域水文资料分析计算发现,流域出山水资源量多年变化比较稳定,最枯年和最丰年水资源量之比为 1:2,丰枯变化幅度与长江以南丰水河流相当。多年平均水资源量为32．31×10⁸ m³／a,近10年中游水资源开发利用量稳定在34×10⁸ m³／a以上,仅中游地区对水资源的开发利用率达120％左右。目前国际上公认的人均水资源量紧缺线为 1000～1700 m³／a,黑河流域水资源开发利用具有反复转化多次重复利用的特点,用这个指标无法全面评价黑河流域水资源的安全状况。     

Trends of water resource development and utilization in arid north-west China

 From an analysis of the current water resources and their development and utilization in arid north-west China, the authors conclude the extent of channelled water accounts for only 56.0% of the total, exploitable surface-water resources of arid north-west China. The utilization ratio of canal systems is 42%, and farmland use is 0.8. When the ground and surface waters of river basins in the region are comprehensively developed, the channelled water will reach its climax, accounting for 80% of the total, exploitable surface-water resources, which would constitute a 91% increase over current levels in surface-water resource development. In the future, the utilization ratio of canal system as well as the utilization ratio of farmland water will reach 0.9 with the help of scientific and technological advancements. The channelled water is the same as the comprehensive development and utilization stages, but the total water use will be increased by 247×10⁸ m³, and will reach 756.8×10⁸ m³, accounting for 88.2% of the total, exploitable surface-water resources in arid north-west China. Also, the authors suggest that the scientific and technological measures to increase the water-use ratio include improving management, strengthening protection of water resources and the environment, and increasing studies of water saving techniques. Received: 11 January 1999 · Accepted: 6 July 1999     

Analysis on the situation and countermeasures of water resources supply and demand in the cities of small and medium-sized river basins along southeast coast of China — taking Xiamen City as an example

The small and medium-sized river basins along southeast coast of China hold comparatively abundant water resources. However, the rapid resources urbanization in recent years has produced a series of water problems such as deterioration of river water quality, water shortage and exacerbated floods, which have constrained urban economic development. By applying the principle of triple supply-demand equilibrium, this paper focuses on the estimation of levels of water supply and demand in 2030 at different guarantee probabilities, with a case study of Xiamen city. The results show that water shortage and inefficient utilization are main problems in the city, as the future water supply looks daunting, and a water shortage may hit nearly 2 × 10⁸ m³ in an extraordinarily dry year. Based on current water supply-demand gap and its trend, this paper proposes countermeasures and suggestions for developing and utilizing groundwater resources and improving the utilization rate of water resources, which can supply as a reference for other southeast middle-to-small-sized basin cities in terms of sustainable water resources and water environment protection.     

石家庄市地下水资源管理模型

本文把迭加原理应用于地下水流中,建立了地下水位响应函数,形成含水系统的响应矩阵,从而把有限元水流模拟模型和最优化模型藕合起来,并在微机上实现了两者的有机结合。用两种方法对单位脉冲值进行模拟,提高了水位响应系数的计算精度。最后根据石家庄市地下水管理现状,制定了地下水资源的现状管理方案和人工补给方案,并作出了综合决策方案,为石家庄市地下水资源科学管理提供了依据。     

The importance of protection and management of Karst water as drinking water resources in Iran

Karst water is one of important potable water especially in arid and semiarid zones. Due to its vulnerability and high sensitivity to pollution, water resources protection is one of important measures to be observed in karst resources management. One case study in the The Maharlu Basin, Iran is discussed. Findings are used to postulate regional guidelines for establishing protection and management measures in important karst pumping fields. Suggested locations for new wells in valleys or depressions should be selected on the basis of specialized hydrogeological investigation. Recommendations for first, second and third degree levels of protection based on European standards are suggested and then defined by model. The first degree protection zone around the pumping field is recommended to be 10 × 10 m². The second degree protection zone should be established to protect primarily from biological pollution. The third degree zone is defined to protect from chemical parameters.     

日照市水资源利用现状及可持续利用研究

分析了日照市的水资源现状以及在开发利用方面存在的问题,提出了解决水资源危机、确保城市可持续发展的策略和途径：实行地表水、地下水、城市雨水以及过境水的优化分配、联合调度;发展节水农业;配套高效、健全的保障体系;建设污水处理与中水回用工程;改善水库周边环境,提高水资源保护意识;采取有效的海水入侵防治措施等。     

沧州市经济持续发展水资源支撑能力研究

在对沧州市水资源现状分析的基础上,从水资源及其利用、区域发展和生态环境等三个方面选取了7类指标建立评价指标体系,并对沧州市所辖的15个县（市）的水资源支撑能力进行了分析评价。根据评价结果,得出以下结论：①沧州市的水资源和人口分布、经济发展、耕地资源以及生态环境需水等不相协调,水资源匮乏已成为沧州市经济持续发展的瓶颈;②沧州市所辖的15个县（市）中,有任丘、河间等12个县（市）水资源和区域发展极不匹配,水资源支撑能力明显不足。因此,沧州在未来的经济发展中应实施＂量水发展＂战略,对水资源进行科学管理和优化配置,确保沧州经济的可持续发展。     

Hydrogeochemical investigations and groundwater provinces of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Plain aquifers,northeastern Italy

Water resources are a key factor, particularly for the planning of the sustainable regional development of agriculture, as well as for socio-economic development in general. A hydrochemical investigation was conducted in the Friuli Venezia Giulia aquifer systems to identify groundwater evolution, recharge and extent of pollution. Temperature, pH, electric conductivity, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, total hardness, SAR, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, NO₃ ⁻, HCO₃ ⁻ _, water quality and type, saturation indexes and the environmental stable isotope δ¹⁸O were determined in 149 sampling stations. The pattern of geochemical and oxygen stable isotope variations suggests that the sub-surface groundwater (from phreatic and shallow confined aquifers) is being recharged by modern precipitations and local river infiltrations. Four hydrogeological provinces have been recognised and mapped in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Plain having similar geochemical signatures. These provinces have different degrees of vulnerability to contamination. The deep confined groundwater samples are significantly less impacted by surface activities; and it appears that these important water resources have very low recharge rates and would, therefore, be severely impacted by overabstraction.     

基于多目标模型分析法的秦皇岛市水资源承载力分析

水资源可持续利用是经济社会可持续发展的战略问题。以秦皇岛市水资源状况和数据资料为实例,运用多目标模型分析法和切比雪夫决策法对不同方案下秦皇岛市水资源承载力的变化进行预测和解释,通过对可供水量和宏观经济观测,对该市水资源承载力进行计算,为秦皇岛市水资源合理利用及沿海地区水资源承载力研究提供决策依据。     

The impact of the development of water resources on environment in arid inland river basins of Hexi region, Northwestern China

Water resources use is a key parameter in the hydrological cycle, especially in arid inland of Northwest China, groundwater movement and circulation processes are closely related to the surface water, while recoverable and renewable groundwater mainly comes from the conversion of surface river water, and there is extensive transfer among rainfall, surface water and groundwater. Human activity, in particular, large-scale water resources exploitation and development associated with dramatic population growth in the last decades, has led to tremendous changes in the water regime. There are misuse and wastage of surface water with traditional multi-channel irrigation for most rivers, which in turn leads to over-exploitation of groundwater to augment supplies. This situation has been exacerbated by rapid population growth and socio-economic development, with decreased irrigational systems return to groundwater due to the irrigation system in the middle reaches of rivers in the Hexi region becoming better. The investigations of this study revealed that over the last decades, man-made oases have developed rapidly in various inland river basins. With the increasing human demand for water, the contradiction between water demand and water supply is becoming increasingly acute and the amount of groundwater usage significantly increased. Notwithstanding the annual surface water from mountains is relatively stable in the Hexi region, the recharges of groundwater have been reduced by 11.1%, with a maximum reduction of 50% in the Shiyang River basin. Groundwater abstraction increased by approximately six times, particularly in the Shiyang River basin, groundwater abstraction exceeds recharge by 4.1×10⁸ m³ year⁻¹ in recent decades. Consequently, the groundwater level has declined widely by 3–16 m, with a maximum decline of 45 m in several groundwater observation wells in the Minqin basin on the lower reaches of the Shiyang River basin. These cause serious human activity-induced environmental problems, such as water-quality deterioration, vegetation degradation, soil salinization and land desert desertification, etc. It is suggested that modernized irrigation technology and new regulation to cover water resources management and allocation with the river basins are urgently needed to achieve a sustainable development. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of the development of water resources on the environment in arid inland river basins in Northwestern China, which were analyzed by comparing the three main river basins (i.e., the Shuilei, the Heihe and the Shiyang River basins) with different water resources development cases.     

Water-saving potential evaluation of water-receiving regions in Shandong province on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project of China

Taking 13 water-receiving areas on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (ERSNWDP) in Shandong Province as the study area, and comparing it with Jiangsu Province on the ERSNWDP and the Middle Route of the South-to-North (MRSNWDP), the current water-saving potential of the water-receiving areas within the municipalities of Shandong was analyzed. Different water-saving scenarios were constructed and analyzed with key water-saving indexes in various industries. These indexes include the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water, total water consumption of industrial sectors with an added value of over 10 000 RMB, average leakage rate of the urban public water supply pipe network and the penetration rate of water-saving appliances. Based on the scenarios, comprehensive water-saving potential of the 13 water-receiving area cities was calculated. The results show that the water-saving potential of the study area is at a relative high level. However, some cities still have a certain amount of water-saving potential for agriculture and industry to be elevated. Under the recommended water-saving scenario, the water-saving potential is 1.134 billion m³, accounting for 5.33% of the current total water consumption, of which 460 million m³ is in agriculture, 600 million m³ in industry, is and 74.20 million m³ in urban domestic sector. Comprehensive water-saving measures for the study area were proposed from the aspects of agricultural, industrial and domestic water uses. Agricultural and industrial water saving are more significant. The major cities for agricultural water saving include Jining City, Heze City, Weifang City and Jinan City; the focus cities of industrial water saving mainly include Weihai City, Jining City and Qingdao City and etc.; the key water-saving areas for urban use mainly include Zaozhuang City, Jining City and Heze City.     

Optimization and rationalization of karst groundwater resource in Feicheng Basin,China

Feicheng Basin is an important energy base in Shandong Province, China. The Ordovician limestone is the main aquifer for water supply in the basin. As a result of the current practice in which individual water users control the exploitation of the karst water, the regional groundwater level has dropped more than 30 m over the last 20 years. The groundwater is overdrawn in approximately 300 km² because of the poor management from 1981. A numerical model with distributed parameters is developed for the karst aquifer to help properly manage the water resource and sustain its utilization. The responding matrix method is used to couple the prediction model and the management model. The objective of the modeling exercises is to obtain the maximum amount of water while keeping the water level drawdown within an acceptable level. The optimum management scheme is selected among two proposed designs. The recommended measures from this study include (1) improvement of water use efficiency in industries, (2) comprehensive utilization of the water pumped from the mines, and (3) improvement of the irrigation practice. When the domestic water supply and corporates water demand take the top priorities, the numerical modeling provides a useful tool to help with the rational distribution of the karst water resources among different water users.     

Evaluation of the water resources carrying capacity of Shandong peninsula,China

Research on the carrying capacity and security of water resources is vital for its contribution to implementing sustainable development goals. The limitation of water resources is one of the most important factors that influence the sustainable utilization of resources. Studying the carrying capacity of water resources will not only facilitate monitoring and forecast of national resources and environmental carrying capacity, but also be valuable for building ecological civilization. According to the principles of evaluation system, the carrying capacity of water resources on Shandong peninsula is explored. A comprehensive evaluation model of the carrying capacity of water resources is constructed based on the carrying capacity of water resources index and the composite of water resources index. The results show that the capacity of water resources on Shandong peninsula is generally consistent with overexploitation, and that the development and utilization of water resources has reached a considerable scale under existing economic and technological conditions. The carrying capacity of water resources in this region is relatively small, and the contradiction between supply and demand of water resources is alarming. Relative countermeasures are put forward, to improve the water resources carrying capacity and to provide a basis for future sustainable development and utilization of water resources in this region.     

Variability of natural effluents as an indicator of groundwater retention in the Carpathian foothills (southern Poland)

 Research into the patterns of natural underground water effluents has been conducted in a small catchment basin (Wierzbanówka) that is representative of the Carpathian foothills. The aim of this study was to understand the long-term dynamics of the effluents and their responses to natural and artificial factors in order to estimate groundwater resources. High variability of the effluent patterns in the Carpathian foothills is a result of precipitation fluctuations, low ground retention capacity, a low rate of absorption in the flysch rock formation areas, and of the Quaternary covers. In addition, the dominance of agricultural land use, low forest coverage, and poor hydrological management are the main causes of this variability. Any local increase in underground water resources would only be possible if forests were planted on some of the agricultural land and changes were made to water management. Received: 16 August 1999 · Accepted: 12 January 2000