On 3rd March 2009 took place in Hanoi the kick-off Workshop of IWAS Vietnam project. With about 80 invited guests from various ministries, local authorities and universities, the workshop allowed the participants to learn about the main objectives of the project and exchange ideas and suggestions for the difficult challenges expected.

The project has received positive appreciations from Ministry of Science and Technology in Vietnam, through the presence of Dr. Pham Huyen, former Deputy Director for the Department of International Cooperation. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Bao Tam from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment address encouragement words for the project consortium, offering his help for a good progress of the work.

The People’s Committee has been represented by Mr. Do Manh Hai, Deputy Director of People’s Committee in Long Bien district, who emphasised the need of urgent action on further development of the master plan for sewage management in the district. The project has received a very warm encouragement also from the highest level in German diplomacy in Vietnam, Mr. Ambassador Rolf Shulze giving his welcome address at the beginning of the workshop.

After rounds of presentations and intensive discussions on the main three workshop topics (optimization of the master plan for the management of wastewater in Long Bien district, scientific research on artificial groundwater replenishment, and advanced training measures), the workshop has been closed but the work will continue by now with even more intensity.

(Special thanks to Prof. Luu Van Boi from Hanoi University of Science for the excellent arrangements).

The visit organised on 12-16 January 2009 in Hanoi consisted of a series of meetings and field trips appointed with the support of local partners Hanoi Sewage and Drainage Co., Ltd. (HSDC) and Duc Minh Co., Ltd (DUC). The main objective – verification of preliminary data about the existing and planned wastewater system in Long Bien – was reached by conducting detailed discussions with staff members from HSDC by desk work and site visits. The results obtained consist in basic understanding of the wastewater drainage system included in the draft master plan and a preliminary SWOT analysis of the project in the actual phase.

On 9-10 Oct 2008 a Vietnamese delegation visited Dresden and the Institut of Waste Management and Contaminated Site Treatment (IAA). Among the members of the delegation was also present Mr. Nguyen Le - Managing Director of the Hanoi Sewerage and Drainage One-State Member Co., Ltd. (main Vietnamese project partner in IWAS Vietnam project), as well as Mr. Le Hung Anh, Director of the consulting company Duc Minh Co., Ltd. The German side was represented by TU Dresden and Dresden Sewerage and Drainage Co., Ltd. (Stadtentwässerung Dresden GmbH - SEDD) with one of its Managing Directors - Mr. Johannes Pohl, as well as Mr. Frank Männig, Head of Sewer Network Dept.

The meeting has started with a welcome address by Prof. Peter Werner who gave a short introduction on structure and activities of the TU Dresden and IAA, followed by Mr. Pohl who introduced the  activities of SEDD. Mr. Le described the main difficulties in managing the wastewater in Hanoi, with special focus on the newly developed Long Bien district. This represents the core of IWAS project, its objectives being introduced by Prof. Werner to the present delegation. All parties agreed on close colaboration with local authorities in Vietnam, whose support is very important for the later implementation of the project results into practice.

On the 10th Oct 2008 the delegation made a visit to Mr. Dirk Hilbert, the Mayor of Commerce of Dresden Municipality.

Here it was once again underlined the strong collaboration between Germany and Vietnam in the field of water management and Mr. Hilbert expressed his big interest in IWAS Vietnam project, offering his full support for the well development of the project.