Hanoi, Viet Nam. Today, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Viet Nam joined hands to mark the 43rd World Food Day (WFD), 78th anniversary of the FAO and the 45th Anniversary of Viet Nam-FAO cooperation.

To mark this event, a ceremony was held at Thuy Loi University in Hanoi today and attended by Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Vice Minister of MARD, Ms Pauline Tamesis, UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam and Mr. Rémi Nono Womdim, FAO Representative in Viet Nam together with leaders and representatives of several government agencies, international and non-governmental organizations, development partners as well as university lecturers and students.

The theme of this year’s World Food Day is ‘Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind’, with the goal of raising global awareness on the importance of managing water wisely. This initiative is critical as the availability of this precious resource is threatened by rapid population growth, urbanization, economic development, and the impacts of the climate change.

Water is a driving force for people, economies and nature and the foundation of our food. Indeed, agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of global freshwater withdrawals, but like all natural resources, fresh water is not infinite. Partnerships are crucial to achieving sustainable water management and advancing progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Viet Nam is an agricultural country with tens of millions of people relying on freshwater sources for their livelihoods. In Viet Nam, along with a quite complete legal system, water infrastructure systems are rather synchronously built and developed for management, exploitation and use of water resource for socio-economic development and prevention and control of floods, inundation and other water-related harmful effects. Viet Nam is facing many different forms of water scarcity – too little, too much, poor quality and overuse. In response to these challenges, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 36-KL/TW dated June 2022 on ensuring water security and safety of dams and reservoirs by 2030, with a vision to 2045”, said Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Sustainable integrated water resources management is a key point in Viet Nam, leveraging water-related initiatives to support agrifood systems transformation and achievement of the SDGs.

" In the face of the climate change, we must transform agrifood systems to simultaneously nourish people, nurture the planet and build resilient livelihoods", said Ms Pauline Tamesis, UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam.

FAO is also working with Viet Nam and other countries on implementing key points of the United Nation’s Water Action Agenda relating to National Water Road Maps, water tenures, drought risk management, water data, and evaporation monitoring. This agenda is part of the 2023 UN Water Conference, which FAO played a central role in.

“All of us need to value water, the food it produces, and the planet it nourishes”, said Mr. Rémi Nono Womdim, FAO Representative in Viet Nam.

Achievement of agriculture-related SDGs is also one of the key features of FAO’s work in Viet Nam that builds on the solid foundations set during the 45 years of FAO engagement in the country. Having entered the country since 1978, FAO is an key partner and main contributor of technical assistance in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors in Viet Nam.

Student and lectures of Thuy Loi University had an opportunity to share with other guests on knowledge, data on water and practical activities to promote water management at the ceremony.