Nanotechnology may just provide the solution to Viet Nam’s struggling water and sanitation sector. A small-scale study assessed the potential of nanotechnology as a cost-effective and efficient means to improve water and sanitation services delivery.
Introduction
The Viet Nam water sector has made significant strides for urban water supply since 2015 with the government fast tracking equitization (corporatization of state-owned enterprise into a privately-owned company) of financially sustainable water companies supported by the ADB-financed Water Sector Investment Program. While Viet Nam met the MDGs, the country needs massive investments supported by the development partners to develop the water and sanitation sector to increase service coverage currently 98% for urban water supply (but only 61% with house connection) with 15% of urban wastewater centrally treated and 67% for rural water supply with 70% access to improved sanitation through onsite sanitation.
In 2015, ADB approved a small-scale water pilot and demonstration activity to assess the potential development of nanotechnologies in water treatment and sanitation. The assessment concluded that nanotechnology can be a cost-effective and efficient means to improve water and sanitation services delivery in Viet Nam.
ADB’s water pilot and demonstration activities are small-scale, short-term projects that test and validate innovative approaches, methodologies, and technologies for replication or scaling up. The activities are supported under the Water Financing Partnership Facility.
Interventions
The pilot project undertook various activities to build the case for the applicability of nanotechnology in Viet Nam’s water and sanitation sector.
Extensive review of nanotechnology. The pilot project reviewed a range of cost effective and efficient nanotechnology solutions. It noted specific water conditions in the country that may be addressed by nanotechnology, such as arsenic pollution, saltwater infiltration, and heavy metal contamination.
Assessing applications in water and sanitation. The pilot project highlighted the potential application of nanotechnology in large-scale water and wastewater treatment. Nanotechnology products and solutions could be cheaper and more efficient alternatives to traditional technologies. Applications of nanotechnology include:
- Nanomaterials for absorption of substances for water purification;
- Photocatalytic nanomaterials for enhancing reactions taking place in water;
- Nanomaterials for water disinfection;
- Nanodevices in sensing for water monitoring purposes;
- Nanostructured materials and nanomaterials in membranes for water filtration.
Of these applications, the nanofiltration membranes have the largest share in the global nanotechnology market, with water and wastewater treatment, the most dominant market segment for these technologies. The pilot study, through a comprehensive market survey, identified key stakeholders, forecasted demand, and determined infrastructure requirements for developing nanofiltration in Viet Nam. It also identified actions needed to develop a white lab for nanotechnologies for water and sanitation applications in Da Lat City, Lam Don Province.
Exploring applications in related sectors. The pilot project also explored possible applications of nanotechnology in other sectors that may be upscaled. These include uses in agriculture, such as nanomaterials for disinfecting harvested fruit or nanodevices for monitoring water quality in fishponds. Applications of nanotechnology for point-of-use in households and industries were also explored.
Results
The project produced a definitive assessment of the applicability of nanotechnologies in Viet Nam’s water and sanitation sector. It also generated a comprehensive view of Viet Nam’s national water and sanitation strategy, its challenges, and institutional and governance environments. The study was enriched by a comparative review of other countries, identifying best practices, as well as determining information gaps that need to be addressed to complete a market study of nanotechnology solutions in Viet Nam.
The assessment concludes that there is a huge potential for nanotechnology applications in water and sanitation in Viet Nam, particularly for distributed systems and for rural areas.
The pilot project supports the implementation of the ADB’s Viet Nam: Water Sector Investment Program. The results of the pilot also supports technological improvements to water and sanitation projects proposed for financing by ADB such as Viet Nam: Improving Operational Performance of the Water Supply Sector Project and Viet Nam: Support to Central and Local Governments to Implement Urban Environmental Improvement Programs.