-    Decree No.02-CP dated January 16, 1961 by the Government for the establishment of the Committee for Red River Water Resource Management and Exploitation

-    Decision No. 1428 QD/TC dated October 2, 1976 by the Minister of Water Resources for the establishment of the Institute of Water Resources Planning and Management

-    Decision No. 36 QD/TCCB dated April 17, 1995 by the Minister of Water Resources to change the Institute of Water Resources Planning and Management into the new Institute of Water Resources Planning

-    Decision No. 100 QD/TCCB on October 26, 1995 by Minister of Water Resources stipulating regulations on operation and organization of the Institute of Water Resources Planning

-    Decision No. 341/2005/QD-TTg on December 26, 2005 by the Prime Minister to upgrade the Sub-Institute of Water Resources in the South, previously under the Institute of Water Resources Planning, to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

-    Decision 36/QD-TCTL on May 10, 2010 of the Director General of the Directorate for Water Resources stipulating functions, responsibilities, powers and organizational structure of the IWARP

-    Decision No. 3908/QD-BNN-TCCB dated 12 September 2014 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development stipulating functions, responsibilities, powers and organizational structure of the IWRP under the MARD.