Located in the Mekong Delta, An Giang province has a dense network of rivers that provide access to water year-round. However, for years An Giang residents have been suffering from a lack of clean water for daily use, especially in rural areas. This is primarily due to saltwater intrusion and the recent onset of prolonged drought in the dry seasons. To address this, since 2020, USAID’s Local Works for Environmental Health project has supported An Giang to enhance local capacity, apply advanced technologies, and mobilize resources to improve access to safe water for domestic use. As a result, over $180,000 was mobilized from local governmental organizations, the private sector, and the community to build one community water supply system and three school drinking water systems. On June 2 and 3, 2022, these were inaugurated in Tinh Bien, Tri Ton and Phu Tan districts and were officially handed over to local stakeholders for their operation and management.
With the completion of these water supply systems, nearly 3,000 students, teachers and citizens in the province now have access to safe, clean water for their daily use, helping to reduce the risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases, thereby improving health and quality of life. This strategy of leveraging local resources and capacities will continue to be scaled up to address critical environmental health issues in Vietnam.
PHAD