Having acquired electricity only last year, Vietnam’s Ly Son Island is to build a VND 264 billion (US$ 12.5 million), 2,000 m³/d desalination plant to provide potable water to 16,000 islanders.
The project will be financed with non-refundable funds from the Korean International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) later this year.
Vice-chairwoman of the island’s People’s Committee, Pham Thi Huong said: “The plant will ease the serious shortage of fresh water in the dry season (between April and May) on the island, when the Thoi Loi reservoir has limited water supply for farming and daily use, and the wells used for farming become saline.
“The district used 83% of its total groundwater reserves in the worst drought in the island’s history last year.” The district has 414 traditional wells and 132 drilled wells to provide water to homes and for more than 100 ha of vegetable farms. The island grows 3,500 tonnes of onions and 2,000 tonnes of garlic each year.
Three years ago, South Korean heavy industry conglomerate, Doosan Vina gave US$ 1 million for a desalination plant that would provide 200 m³/d of fresh water each day to the inhabitants of An Binh Islet.