43rd World Food Day observed in Vietnam

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Vietnam on October 16 joined hands to mark the 43rd World Food Day (WFD), the 78th anniversary of the FAO and the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-FAO cooperation.

The theme of this year’s World Food Day is ‘Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind’, with the goal of raising global awareness on the importance of managing water wisely. This initiative is critical as the availability of this precious resource is threatened by rapid population growth, urbanisation, economic development, and the impacts of the climate change.

Nguyen Hoang Hiep, MARD Deputy Minister, said that water is a driving force for people, economies and nature and the foundation of food. Indeed, agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals, but like all natural resources, fresh water is not infinite. Therefore, partnerships are crucial to achieving sustainable water management and advancing progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to him, Vietnam is an agricultural country with tens of millions of people relying on freshwater sources for their livelihoods. In the country, along with a quite complete legal system, water infrastructure systems are rather synchronously built and developed for management, exploitation and use of water resources for socio-economic development and prevention and control of floods, inundation and other water-related harmful effects.

Vietnam is facing many different forms of water scarcity – too little, too much, poor quality and overuse. In response to these challenges, the Politburo issued Conclusion No.36-KL/TW dated June 2022 on ensuring water security and safety of dams and reservoirs by 2030, with a vision to 2045, shared Hiep.

Sustainable integrated water resources management is a key point in Vietnam, leveraging water-related initiatives to support agrifood systems transformation and achievement of the SDGs.

FAO is working with Vienam and other countries on implementing key points of the UN’s Water Action Agenda relating to National Water Roadmaps, water tenures, drought risk management, water data, and evaporation monitoring. This agenda is part of the 2023 UN Water Conference, which FAO plays a central role in.

“All of us need to value water, the food it produces, and the planet it nourishes”, said Rémi Nono Womdim, FAO Representative in Vietnam.

Achievement of agriculture-related SDGs is also one of the key features of FAO’s work in Vietnam that builds on the solid foundations set during the 45 years of FAO engagement in the country. Having entered the country since 1978, FAO is a key partner and main contributor of technical assistance in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors in the country.