ASSESSMENT OF WATER POLLUTION USING FIELD OBSERVATION AND STAKEHOLDER SURVEY: A CASE STUDY IN NAM LA STREAM, SON LA CITY

Abstract

In the northern mountainous regions, the water quality of the watersheds is vulnerable, especially in densely populated areas due to socio-economic activities. Son La city (the Northeastern province of Vietnam) is a typical mountainous urban area which faces water quality deterioration in the watershed. Our study tests a novel approach to water quality assessment through the integration of field observation and stakeholder survey. Field observation data shows the main types of waste in the study areas to be wood waste, where the amount is 2-4 more times than that of plastic waste, fabric waste, and mental waste. Furthermore, the amount of waste released into bodies of water near the most developed area of Son La city is about 20-40% more than that in other areas.  This illustrates the strong impact of socio-economic development on water quality. The result derived from the stakeholder survey allowsthe sources of water pollution to be identified as waste from construction and daily household activities. Our study contributes to a comprehensive and multi-dimensional assessment of water quality, warning risks of pollutions in the Nam La steam