Climate change and water crisis are putting unprecedented pressure on Vietnam’s water infrastructure, putting the pumping industry at the center of the response. From severe drought in the South to unusual flooding in the Central region, the need for efficient, sustainable and reliable pumping solutions is more urgent than ever, requiring a strong transformation from businesses and managers to ensure operational safety and stability for key infrastructure projects.
Vietnam, with its long coastline and heavy dependence on water resources, is one of the countries most severely affected by climate change. Extreme weather events such as El Nino and La Nina are occurring more frequently, causing record droughts, extensive saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta, and historic floods in the Central and Northern regions. This situation not only threatens the food security and livelihoods of millions of people but also poses existential challenges to infrastructure systems, especially water supply and drainage infrastructure, industrial production and fire prevention and fighting (PCCC).
Water Challenge: Drought, Floods and Saltwater Intrusion
The year 2024 will witness prolonged heat waves, causing serious water shortages in many areas, especially the southern provinces. The Mekong River water level has dropped to a record low, pushing saltwater deep into canals, severely affecting agricultural production and domestic water sources. In this context, irrigation pumping systems, pumping water from reservoirs or wells, have become key factors to maintain production activities and ensure basic needs of the people. Large-capacity centrifugal pumps, vertical pumps and submersible pumps are operating at full capacity, facing the risk of overload and damage if not properly maintained.
In contrast, in urban areas and some mountainous provinces, unusually heavy rains lead to localized flooding and flash floods. Urban drainage pumping systems must operate continuously to release huge volumes of water, prevent property damage and ensure traffic. Submersible sewage pumps, large-capacity horizontal pumps, or emergency mobile pumping systems have become important “shields” in the fight against natural disasters. However, the response capacity of existing infrastructure is still limited, requiring strong investment in new technology and system upgrades.
Industrial Pump Industry: The Pillar of Ensuring Safe Operation
In the harsh context of climate change, the industrial pump industry plays an indispensable role in maintaining the operations of factories, industrial zones and infrastructure projects. From providing clean water for production, industrial wastewater treatment, to cooling systems and especially fire protection systems (PCCC) – all depend on the stable operation of pumps.
Water Supply Pumps & Wastewater Treatment: Manufacturing plants need large amounts of water for their processes. Water shortages or water quality affected by saline intrusion and pollution make water supply pumping systems have to operate in more difficult conditions. At the same time, wastewater treatment pumping systems also need to be upgraded to meet increasingly stringent environmental standards and handle the increasing amount of wastewater from production activities.
Cooling Water Pumps: During record heat waves, the need for cooling machinery and equipment increases, requiring cooling water pumping systems to operate efficiently and continuously to avoid overheating, equipment damage and production stoppage.
Firefighting Pump System:“The Heart” of Every Project: Notably, in the context of increased fire and explosion risks due to extreme weather (prolonged drought, overloaded power systems) and incidents from production activities, the role of firefighting pump systems becomes even more essential. A stable firefighting system with sufficient pressure and water flow not only protects property but is also a vital factor in saving lives. Fire fighting pump systems (diesel, electric, jockey) must always be ready and operate reliably in all conditions.
With more than 30 years of experience in this field, Tai Phuoc, a strategic partner of EBARA Japan, has affirmed its position in providing fire fighting pump solutions that meet international standards. Tai Phuoc’s commitment is not only to products but also to ensure stable operation, ready to protect each project, like the way brave soldiers protect life.
Challenges for the Vietnamese Pump Industry
To meet the increasingly high requirements of the new climate and environment, the Vietnamese pump industry faces many major challenges:
Technology Upgrade: Many existing pump systems are outdated, consume a lot of energy and have low efficiency. The need to switch to new generation pumps with energy saving technology (variable speed control pumps – VSD), tSmart, remote monitoring (IoT), and corrosion-resistant materials (especially in brackish and saltwater environments) are very important.
Ensuring Energy Efficiency: With rising energy costs and Vietnam’s commitment to net zero emissions, optimizing the energy efficiency of pumping systems not only reduces operating costs but also contributes to sustainable development goals.
Maintenance & Operational Safety Strategy: Harsh operating conditions due to climate change require strategic, periodic and preventative maintenance programs. The lack of skilled personnel in the maintenance of industrial pumps, especially complex systems such as fire pumps, can lead to serious incidents, causing production disruption and huge losses.
Investment & Cost: Investing in high-tech, sustainable pumping systems requires large capital outlays. Incentive policies, support from the government and cooperation between enterprises are needed to promote the transformation process.
Emergency Response: The ability to quickly deploy emergency pumping solutions in natural disaster situations such as floods and prolonged droughts is limited.
Solutions and Development Opportunities
Despite facing many challenges, the water crisis and climate change also open up great opportunities for the Vietnamese pumping industry to develop in a sustainable and modern direction:
Development of Smart Pumps & IoT Integration: Applying digital technology to pumping systems helps monitor performance, predict failures and optimize remote operations, minimizing risks and maintenance costs.
Renewable Energy Pumps: Integrating pumps with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power not only helps reduce electricity costs but also increases the independence and sustainability of systems, especially in remote areas.
Durable Materials & Adaptive Design: Research and application of high-quality anti-corrosion and anti-abrasion materials, as well as flexible pump designs that adapt well to fluctuations in water levels and water quality.
Invest in Strategic Maintenance: Shift from corrective maintenance to preventive and predictive maintenance. Professional pump solution providers such as Tai Phuoc can play an important role in advising and implementing comprehensive maintenance programs, ensuring the longevity and performance of the system.
Public-Private Partnership & Experience Sharing: Strengthening cooperation between the government, businesses and research organizations to share technology, experience and resources, together building a solid and modern pumping infrastructure.
Engineer Tran Minh Khang, an expert with 15 years of experience in the industrial pumping industry in Vietnam, shared: “In the context of complex climate change, investing in pumping systems is not just about purchasing equipment, but also a strategy to ensure operational safety and sustainable development. A well-maintained pumping system can reduce the risk of incidents by up to 70%, especially with fire protection systems, where every second of delay can cause disaster.”
Conclusion
Water crisis and climate change are not the future but an ongoing reality, putting the Vietnamese pumping industry in a pivotal position. The initiative in upgrading technology, optimizing performance, and especially building long-term maintenance strategies for pumping systems – from water supply and drainage pumps to fire fighting pumps – is a decisive factor for the safety and sustainability of infrastructure projects and production and business activities.
To ensure that the “fire fighting heart” of the project is always strong, ready to deal with all situations, helping firefighters have more confidence in fighting, choosing and maintaining a standard fire fighting pumping system is of utmost importance. Vietnam Pump Industry
