Heineken Vietnam funds WWF’s water conservation program

The program for water conservation in Xuan Son national park in Phu Tho Province, Dong Nai culture and nature reserve in Dong Nai Province and Dong Thap Muoi ecological reserve in Tien Giang Province will be conducted over four years, with a funding of VND30 billion ($1.28 million) from Heineken Vietnam.

The program is set to strengthen water resources management in these critical river basins.

According to the plan, the ecosystems in these river basins will be restored, and forests replanted with the aim to maintain and improve their ability to regulate and supply water to local communities, while supporting agricultural activities in these areas.

The program is part of Heineken Vietnam’s efforts to protect watersheds, and an important step toward Heineken Vietnam’s ambition of 100% water balance by 2025, whereby the company seeks to return to the environment the amount of water that goes into its beers.

The program aims to restore the integrity of the ecosystem and the biodiversity in the basins of these river, which is also high on WWF-Vietnam’s agenda.

The basins of the Red, Dong Nai and Tien Rivers has a high biodiversity and economic value for local communities. However, the overexploitation of water, forests and land; and the ineffective management of waste sources; coupled with the impact of climate change have reduced the amount and quality of water in these regions.

“Protecting water is one of the top priorities in Heineken Vietnam’s sustainability strategy, especially when beers are 95% water,” said Holly Bostock, corporate affairs director of Heineken Vietnam.

“In our production, we are constantly increasing our water efficiency and improving water circulation. The water conservation partnership program with WWF Vietnam will improve water quality and restore water management mechanisms in 3 critical river basins which feed in to where three of our breweries are, in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Tien Giang. This program with its positive and comprehensive impacts on the environment and community will be a crucial part of our ‘Brewing A Better Vietnam’ sustainability strategy.”

The partnership announcement ceremony. Photo by Heineken Vietnam

Hoang Viet, freshwater lead at WWF-Vietnam, said: “The program is designed with a comprehensive approach to address water security issues with nature-based and community-based solutions.

“With the strong commitment and close cooperation of the Department of International Cooperation, the Department of Water Resources, the General Department of Irrigation and the Department of Special-Use Forests Management, the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the participating localities, and the funding from Heineken Vietnam, WWF-Vietnam believes that the ecosystem in these critical water basins of Vietnam will be protected and developed sustainably, providing more water supply in the area, and addressing water shortage in the lower rivers, especially in the dry season.”

By 2025, the program aims to have the freshwater ecosystem in Dong Nai nature reserve, cultural heritage, Dong Thap Muoi ecosystem reserve and Xuan Son national park restored and protected, and local communities to form new habits and contribute to the goal of replenishing a total 3 billion liters of water per year.

Approximately 2 billion liters of water is expected to be increased each year through nurturing and enriching 1,100 hectares of natural forest in all three river basins.

A total 200 million liters of water will potentially be increased each year through the planting of 32.3 hectares of large timber forests and native trees.

Nearly 800 million liters of water is expected be replenished each year specifically in Dong Thap Muoi Ecosystam Reserve through water management in wetlands in Dong Thap Muoi.

Additionally, communities living in the core and buffer zones of Dong Nai Nature and Cultural Reserve and Xuan Son National Park will receive training to adjust their living and farming habits to help reduce negative impacts on water resources.

The partnership program between WWF-Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Heineken Vietnam, if implemented successfully, can become a model for public – private cooperation for forested watersheds protection, and water resources conservation, and a showcase of collaboration to reverse biodiversity loss in Vietnam.

For more detail, visit http://heineken-vietnam.com.vn/