Community Involvement in Urban Watershed Management: From the US Pacific Northwest to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

摘要

Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) is facing serious water pollution. Environmental agencies in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam are incapable of solving the water pollution problem on their own. Reflecting on the experience in the Pacific Northwest (U.S.), with successful stories of community involvement in urban watershed management, this research aims to facilitate the transfer and adaptation of best practices of community involvement in urban watershed management from the Pacific Northwest to Ho Chi Minh City. In order to do so, this research included four major steps: Selecting best practices of community involvement in urban watershed management in the Pacific Northwest; analyzing factors behind the success of these best practices; assessing the relevance of the U.S. experience for Vietnam; recommending strategies to apply the U.S. experience to Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, several factors that determine the success of best practices of community involvement in urban watershed management were identified and grouped into policy, organizational, social, cultural, and economic factors. Although Ho Chi Minh City faces several constraints in applying the lessons from the Pacific Northwest, opportunities do exist. Recommendations were advanced to facilitate the implementation of community involvement in urban watershed management in Ho Chi Minh City.