On 20th May 2022, in Ca Mau city, the Mekong Delta Climate Resilience Programme (MCRP) organized the workshop on “Technical transfer and handing over the water resource monitoring system”. Aimed to enhance local capacity in water monitoring, forecast and management, MCRP supports three provinces in Ca Mau Peninsula (Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, and Soc Trang) to set up a system with 21 stations (07 stations in each province) to monitor the water level (H), salinity (S) and pH (pH).
The workshop was attended by representatives from DARDs, DONREs and Hydromet Stations of 03 beneficiary provinces, Southern Institute of Water Resources Research (SIWRR), Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning (SIWRP), Bach Viet Company and GIZ/MCRP. At the workshop, the local agencies were given a thorough guidance to operate, manage, and maintain the monitoring system. The representatives of local authorities who receive the monitoring system (Sub-Departments of Irrigation of Ca Mau and Soc Trang, and Center for Management and Exploitation of Irrigation Works of Bac Lieu) and of GIZ/MCRP also signed the handing-over note of the system.
Mr. To Quoc Nam – Deputy Director of Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development speaking at the workshop
Speaking at the event, Mr. To Quoc Nam – Deputy Director General of Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) shared “With complex changes in the overall pattern of the water resources as well as the salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta, this surface water monitoring system of 21 automatic stations helps to enhance local authorities’ capacity in water monitoring and forecasting and enables them making sounder and more timely decisions on water management and natural disaster prevention at local level”.
Representing the beneficiary institution of Soc Trang province, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh – Vice Director of Soc Trang Irrigation Sub-Department – highly appreciated the advanced architecture and technology of the monitoring system supported by GIZ/MCRP: “The system uses equipment and technology that can be considered highly robust at the present. With its design, this system provides real-time data directly “from sensors to users". Aided by the SCADA software and mobile application, we as local managers and operators can now be timely informed of the water conditions form any location and time – a management requirement that has never been fulfilled before. In addition, the possibility to configure and operate the monitoring stations via SCADA or mobile applications is also a great advantage of this monitoring system”.
Representatives from Ca Mau Irrigation Sub-Department and GIZ/MCRP at handing over ceremony
Besides supporting the managerial and operational mandates of local authorities, this monitoring system also directly benefits local communities. With real-time data been provided online and continuously via mobile apps and displayed instantly on electronic panel (LEDs) right at stations, local communities can now access water data on a proactive, timely and transparent manner. This helps to minimize the water-related risks to their business and livelihood. Some stations at critical locations are also equipped with emergency warning devices.
At the workshop, representative of three receiving agencies committed to allocate and mobilize local resources to continue operating and maintaining the system after being handed over from the project.
After the handover ceremony, participants visited Tan Phu station located in Tan Phu commune, Thoi Binh district, Ca Mau province.
Tan Phu station, in Tan Phu commune, Thoi Binh district, Ca Mau province.
