Dr Timothy, or Tim as his friends often call him, first came to Vietnam in 1993 to participate in research on agricultural policies. Four years later, he decided to move to the Southeast Asian country, where he took part in a series of programmes organised by non-governmental organisations to foster the development of Vietnam, particularly rural areas. One of the projects that left significant impressions on Tim is the AusAID-funded Mekong Delta Poverty Analysis.
Tran Huy Chuong, an expert from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), recalled that during the 2002-2003 period, Tim was one of the first foreigners to make field trips to all 12 provinces in the Mekong Delta.
At that time, people in the provinces of An Giang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau were extremely surprised to see a tall foreign man who spoke Vietnamese fluently and was ready to roll up his pants to sail in a boat and wade into local houses in the flooding season.
There were no other foreigners like Tim who were willing to speak to farmers and teach them how to preserve fruits in order to increase their value when entering the market, Chuong said. He hailed that the comprehensive research results carried out by Tim made donors pay more attention to the Mekong Delta. “Tim is the pioneer in opening up new door for development of the Mekong Delta,” he stressed.
Dr Tim McGrath has established himself as a special friend of people in the Mekong Delta region.
Throughout more than 20 years working in the Mekong Delta, Tim has been directly involved in numerous projects on developing the Mekong River in various areas ranging from urban flood control and responding to climate change to early warning of natural disasters and increasing regional linkage.
These projects have not only facilitated the Mekong Delta’s development but also benefited the local people. Accordingly, as of 2020, the Mekong Urban Flood Resilience and Drainage Programme has benefited 6,000 people in three cities of Rach Gia, Ca Mau and Long Xuyen through the pilot implementation of the sustainable drainage systems (SUDs), which have helped to reduce flooding, enhance environmental sanitation, and improve the landscape in public places.
In addition, 5.55 million people in the three provinces of Kien Giang, An Giang and Ca Mau have been assisted in enhancing their disaster preparedness and response capacity, and received training on early warning and planned relocation during disasters.
Such projects and programmes have also helped to improve capacity for flood monitoring and early flood warning for 7.2 million people in the Mekong Delta in general.
Tim (first from right) at a workshop held in 2003 to review the AusAID-funded Mekong Delta Poverty Analysis.
In 2020, Tim was awarded the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction’s medal for the cause of construction. Previously, in 2017, he was also honoured with a medal for the cause of Vietnam's water and wastewater sector.
Sharing his thoughts about the Australian expert, Tran Quang Hoai, Director General of the General Department of Disaster Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development described Dr. Timothy McGrath as a very dedicated, enthusiastic and responsible person who has dedicated his life to his second homeland - Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau provincial People's Committee Lam Van Bi hailed that Dr. McGrath is a pioneer in bringing the programme on urban drainage and flood control in response to climate change and natural disasters to Ca Mau Province. “We highly appreciative his contributions to Ca Mau Province over the years,” he emphasised.
Echoing the same view, Le Quoc Anh, Vice Chairman of the Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee, asserted that Kien Giang authorities and people always value Dr McGrath’s contributions, especially in the field of drainage and anti-flooding, climate change adaption and mitigation.
He stated that during his working time in Kien Giang, Tim showed his dedication and a high sense of responsibility and understanding by joining hands with local authorities to improve the living conditions of local people.
In 2020, Tim was awarded the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction’s medal for the cause of construction
Tim has entered the final journey of a meaningful life as he has metastatic cancer in the final stage. Le Hoai Duong, Tim’s wife, said that since Tim’s health fell into bad condition, his family has been receiving much love and sympathy from everyone. Tim is not only a colleague but also a sincere friend and brother to everyone. “People’s love and respect for him that will stay with us forever,” she said.
Tim has always kept his love for Vietnam and the Mekong Delta in his heart. He has told his family he would like to be cremated, with his ashes to be divided into three parts, with one will be sent back to the Mekong River, the second stay with his beloved wife, and the rest to be returned to his motherland of Australia.
