Emergence of Integrated Water Resources Management: measuring implementation in Vietnam

IWRM can be defined as “a process that promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems” (GWP, 2012). Recently, the changes in laws and regulations, such as the 2012 revised Law on Water Resources (LWR 2012), have sought to provide a legal framework for internationally recognized practices of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Vietnam (Nguyen, 2012). IWRM is a novel approach for Vietnam. This Research Bulletin evaluates how well water resources plans adhere to the principles of IWRM, to learn and further tailor these principles to the Vietnamese situation.