HANOI, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment launched for the first time a comprehensive report on its water environment which focuses on river pollution.

    "Quality of water in many rivers, especially in sections running through urban areas, industrial parks and craft villages, is degrading seriously. The launch of the Environment Report of Vietnam 2006 will help improve the situation," deputy minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen said at the launching ceremony on Thursday.

    The report points out that the unsustainable socioeconomic development in many areas is pressuring environment in general and water environment in particular, he said, noting that a large volume of untreated industrial and domestic wastewater is charged into water sources, especially rivers in major economic zones nationwide.

    The five-chapter report introduces characteristics of Vietnam's river basins, pollution at the three basins of Cau, Nhue-Day and Dong Nai, negative effects of the pollution, water quality management, and measures to protect water environment at basins.

    Vietnam has 2,372 rivers which have running flows and length of at least 10 km each, of which 13 large rivers have basin area of more than 10,000 square kilometers each, says the report.