Research Article Open Access Open Access Special Issue Environmental & Analytical Toxicology J o u r n a l o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l & A n a l y t i c a l T o x i c o l o g y ISSN: 2161-0525 Andrew and Huong, J Environ Anal Toxicol 2015, S7 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-0525.S7-003 J Environ Anal Toxicol Toxicology & Environmental Safety ISSN: 2161-0525 JEAT an open access journal *Corresponding author: Lo Kwong Fai Andrew, Graduate School of Earth Sciences, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan, Tel: 886-2-28617201; E-mail: andrewlo@faculty.pccu.edu.tw Received July 02, 2015; Accepted July 16, 2015; Published July 22, 2015 Citation: Andrew LKF, Huong LT (2015) Fresh Water Struggle in Two Vietnam Regions. J Environ Anal Toxicol S7: 002. doi:10.4172/2161-0525.S7-003 Copyright: © 2015 Andrew LKF, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Fresh Water Struggle in Two Vietnam Regions Lo Kwong Fai Andrew* and Luu Thien Huong Graduate School of Earth Sciences, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan Keywords: Rainwater harvesting; Surface water; Groundwater; Salinity; Environmentally-friendly Introduction Vietnam has about 85 million inhabitants. According to the data of United Nations [1], from 1990 to 2004, the access to improved drinking water increased by 20% (from 65% to 85%). Furthermore, from 1990 to 2004, the access to improved sanitation increased by 25% (from 36% to 61%). Vietnam is a tropical country with a long coastline. Because of the long stretch of the country’s territory (Figure 1), Vietnam has a diversiied culture and social background. Moreover, the complicated topography created multiform of climate and separated into three distinct regions including the North, the Central, and the South. In the South and the North, two regions are chosen in this study that includes: Soc Trang Province in the South and Cu Khe Village in the North. Figure 1 shows the location of these two regions. Each region has a broad range of diferences not only in climate condition but also in soil and water supply condition. Soc Trang Province Soc Trang is a coastal province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. It is about 231 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. Soc Trang is located in a tropical climate region, which is oten inluenced by monsoons. he season is divided into the dry season (from November to next year April), and the rainy season (from May to October). he average annual temperature of Soc Trang is about 26.8°C, and the average annual rainfall is 1,864 mm, concentrating in the August to November months. Cu Khe Village Cu Khe Village is located 15 km southwest of Hanoi (the capital city of Vietnam). Cu Khe is a well-known riverside ancient village. Abundant antique feature remains are the most unique characteristics of this northern village. his village covers an area of 5.76 km 2 with nearly 5,000 inhabitants. Water Status in Soc Trang Province According to Herbst et al. [2], Soc Trang province has about 1.3 million inhabitants with over 75% living in rural areas without public water supply systems. Nearly 1/2 of the residents in Soc Trang Province lack improved drinking water supply and 2/3 lack improved sanitation. Surface water: Due to the proximity of living habitat of the local people, they use surface water (river water) for the demands of daily activities such as bathing, laundry and washing dishes. he typical housing model in this area is garden-pond-livestock (Figure 2). Surface water is usually not it for domestic use. Ground water: In recent year, the intrusion of sea water in the Mekong Delta is at an alarming level. It has exerted great negative impact not only on the quality of the soil but also on the groundwater. he salinity of groundwater is becoming higher and not suitable for drinking purpose. Bottled water: Bottled water comprises the highest quality drinking water. However, it is expensive compared to other sources. herefore, bottled water is inadequate as a sustainable water supply. Rainwater: Rainwater is the suitable choice for the local people. It is also the traditional water supply option in Soc Trang Province (Figure 3). he average annual rainfall in Soc Trang is about 1,864 mm, which is much higher than the global average (880 mm). Facing with the current shortage of fresh water in this region, the eicient rainwater harvesting is extremely necessary. Water status in Cu Khe village Cu-Khe Village is only about 15 km southwest of Hanoi City. However, it has no centralized water supply. An alternative safe water supply system is necessary. he villagers can obtain water from four diferent sources: surface water, ground water, bottled water, and rainwater. Surface water: Due to the population growth and lack of infrastructure in Hanoi, large amounts of untreated domestic sewage have leaked into the nearby Nhue River. In addition, villagers oten discharge their waste to the river. Eventually, the river ceased to function as a water supply option. It now resembles a huge sewer pool (Figure 4). Abstract Water is one of the most valuable natural resource, and most people are aware of the limited supply and importance of water. In Vietnam, public water systems have not been spread to all of the regions yet. Using surface water and groundwater remains the common solution for most residents. However, in some areas, surface water and groundwater is unsuitable for drinking purposes. Rainwater is considered to be a unique alternative for alleviating this problem. This study, therefore, aims at tackling the issues of the water supply encountered at two Vietnam regions, and to propose solutions not only to protect the environment and human livelihood but also for cutting down economic cost.