Researchers from the Goyder Institute for Water Research recently completed the first of two in‑country visits to Vietnam under the Australia Awards Fellowships – Training and Capacity Building in Irrigation and Water Management program.
Delivered by the Goyder Institute for Water Research with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the visit coincided with World Water Day (22 March) and the 2026 theme “Water and Gender”, highlighting the importance of inclusive and gender‑responsive water management.
The program focus was on a range of priorities, including:
- Adaptive water and irrigation planning
- Water accounting and allocation
- Economic valuation to support pricing reform
- Rural wastewater treatment solutions
- Resilient infrastructure design.
Across all activities, foundational themes including community participation, GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion) integration, science‑to‑policy pathways, and digitalisation for decision‑making were embedded to support long-term capacity building and collaboration. Fellows and researchers exchanged knowledge to help Australian experts better understand the contexts in which Vietnamese fellows are working. This shared understanding will inform the tailoring of the remaining program and strengthen capacity across the Fellowship to support effective irrigation and water management decision‑making.
During the visit, researchers held meetings in Hanoi and undertook field‑based activities in Hai Phong and Tuyen Quang provinces, engaging directly with local partners and stakeholders.
A series of online workshops will follow enabling deeper collaboration and supporting the joint development of case study areas, ahead of a second in‑country visit later in the Fellowship.
