Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng has approved the funding of nearly US$224 million for a ground-breaking sustainable cities project.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide the loan to fund the Secondary Cities Development Project (Green Cities).
The project is scheduled to take five years and will cover three secondary cities including Hà Giang in the northern-province of Hà Giang, Vĩnh Yên in the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc and Huế in the central province of Thừa Thiên - Huế.
The initiative will focus on urban services, flood protection, urban sewerage, and urban solid waste management, and is also designed to improve traffic systems and infrastructure, promote socio-economic development and tourism and increase the income of citizens.
The project will also be aimed at reducing pollution by improving drainage systems, waste treatment and sanitation.
Vietnam is experiencing rapid urbanisation and a shift from agriculture to industry and services which poses the challenge of maintaining its development prospects and minimising risks associated with urbanisation, according to Việt Nam Economic Times.
Vietnam’s construction ministry and the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) signed a deal in 2015 to establish the Green City Master Plan.
As part of the agreement, KOICA assists Vietnam developing green city indexes and a Green City Planning Decision Support System and also recommends a legal framework for green city planning.
Through the project, the Vietnamese government is aiming to establish green cities like Curitiba in Brazil, Stockholm in Sweden, Freiburg in Germany and Singapore that meet international standards of green space, constructions, transport and industry.
Source: http://www.climateactionprogramme.org
Keywords: Vietnam, confirm, funding, green cities, project
