This year's report entitled "Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis" attaches great importance of water for people. However, in the world, over 1 billion people are still denied the right to clean water and 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation. The report suggests three solutions for the problems, including seeing water as a basic need and a fundamental human right, working out national strategies for water and sanitation and enhancing international aids.
In this year's report, Vietnam's human development index (HDI) measured for 2004 was 0.709, which gives Vietnam a rank of 109th out of 177 countries. Along with other countries in East Asia, Vietnam's HDI has been on the rise trend since 1990.
The report highlights remarkable progress of Vietnam's investment in water and sanitation. According to Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, to quickly increase accessibility to clean water and hygienic latrines, the Vietnamese government implemented the national target programme for rural clean water and sanitation in the 1999-2005 period and has proposed a similar programme for 2006-2010 period. Thanks to the programme, 60% of the rural population (about 40 million people) had access to safe water and 50% of rural households had access to hygiene latrines.
The UN agencies' representatives in Vietnam spoke highly of Vietnam's achievements in many fields, especially in the context Vietnam is still a poor country. Mr John Hendra, United Nations Resident Co-ordinator in Vietnam, said that Vietnam continues to record an HDI that is higher than much richer countries such as Algeria, Egypt, South Africa and Guatemala, although the income per capita in purchasing power parity is lower in Vietnam than in these countries. This shows Vietnam's impressive performance in life expectancy and education. Adult literacy is particularly high in Vietnam in view of the country's current level of income.
The UNICEF representative in Vietnam, Jesper Morch, also said that the achievements of Vietnam in water and sanitation are encouraging, however, more investment in the field is needed, especially for people in remote areas. only by doing so, Vietnamese children will have better conditions for life and growth. UNICEF is also committed to co-ordinating with the Vietnamese government to realise the goal.
