The Asia-Europe Cooperation Forum agreed to strengthen coordination of actions in water resources management - an important content of the post-2015 development agenda.

Following the important topics discussed on the first working day about the role of water resources in the post-2015 development agenda, ensuring water - food - energy security, clean water and environmental sanitation, water management in the context of climate change, applying science and technology in warning of water-related disasters, cross-border water management, strengthening public-private partnerships, the Workshop continued to discuss and propose solutions. Measures to strengthen actions to promote cooperation between the two continents Asia and Europe in sustainable management of water resources.

Experts and delegates attending the Conference all agreed with the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, saying that the challenges in sustainable water resource management are becoming more severe and complex than before, requiring increased global cooperation efforts. More than ever, in the year of global action for sustainable development, with great potential, ASEM needs to strengthen coordination of actions so that water resources issues have a worthy position in the post-2015 development agenda.

The statements at the Conference all said that the interactive relationship between water, food and energy will continue to be a major global trend in the coming decades and affirmed the practical significance of the Mekong - Danube inter-regional cooperation model within the ASEM framework to turn water - food - energy challenges into cooperation opportunities for equitable and sustainable development. Delegates also shared many experiences and lessons, including bilateral, sub-regional and regional cooperation agreements; emphasizes the importance of capacity building, application of science and technology, scientific research, strengthening public-private partnerships, funding, enhancing adaptation and recovery after water-related disasters, and the role of the communityresidential community... The cooperation project between Ben Tre province of Vietnam and Tuscany of Romania is considered a specific example of cooperation at the local level in sustainable management of water resources between the two sub-regions Mekong - Danube in particular and Asia - Europe in general.

After two consecutive working days with nearly 40 presentations as well as opinions from 180 experts, speakers and delegates, the Workshop proposed many solutions to promote specific actions in sustainable management of water resources towards sustainable development, such as integrating the issue of water resource protection into the sustainable development strategy, balanced, equitable and creative growth of each country; Develop new thinking and a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to sustainable water resource management, soon put the "ASEM Specialized Collaboration Group on Sustainable and Effective Management of Water Resources" into operation, connect initiatives, projects and ASEM Specialized Collaboration Groups on water resource management, response and mitigation of natural disaster risks, energy, and water safety.food and poverty reduction; exchange experiences, examples and policy recommendations on sustainable management of water resources, including the use and sharing of transnational water sources; Organize ASEM Seminar to exchange experiences in managing rivers in two continents; Support efforts to narrow the development gap and sub-regional and regional cooperation of ASEM members, including Mekong - Danube cooperation; Encourage the sharing of corporate social responsibility, public-private partnership programs, transfer and use of clean, green technology in water resource management and use; replicate cooperation models between localities such as the cooperation project between the two provinces of Ben Tre in Vietnam and Tunisia in Romania; Set up a connection and sharing networkinformation between centers and research institutes on sustainable water resource management; ASEM's developed members support and build capacity for developing members in water resources monitoring.

The Workshop agreed to approve the Report to submit to the 12th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Luxembourg in November 2015, and the 11th ASEM Summit in Mongolia in 2016 on the 20th anniversary of the Forum's establishment (1996 - 2016) and welcomed Bulgaria to host the next Workshop within the framework of this Dialogue mechanism this year. 2016. During the workshop, delegates visited Chau Hoa commune, an area heavily affected by climate change in Ben Tre province, and visited Thoi Son Ecological Dune.

The ASEM workshop on "Strengthening coordination of actions in water management to shape the post-2015 development agenda" was a great success and was the most important ASEM activity that Vietnam hosted in 2015, contributing to improving the practicality and raising the level of ASEM's contribution to sustainable development and responding to global challenges, including sustainable management of water resources. This initiative also continues to demonstrate the policy of proactively contributing to the common concerns of the international community, affirming Vietnam's role and positive contribution to ASEM as one of the founding members of the Forum and co-initiating the ASEM Dialogue mechanism on sustainable development.

Source: Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs./.