Vietnam Develops Green Cities from Foreign Funding

Vietnam has signed a number of agreements with foreign governments and organizations to develop its urban areas with snapshots given to a number of criteria focusing on the presence of green space, green constructions, green transport and green industry. Under the government-level agreement, the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and last year signed an agreement on a technical-assistance project for establishing Vietnam’s Green City Master Plan. Accordingly, it helps Vietnam develop a set of green-city indices and a Green City Planning Decision Support System and recommends a legal framework for green-city planning to the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction. In the same year, the Vietnamese government signed an agreement to develop green urban areas in Vietnam with the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). Accordingly, Japanese agencies and organizations will assist the Vietnamese ministry in making policies attached importance to on energy-saving and green-space construction projects. Japan’s Tokyu Corporation is investing in a number of real estate projects with total cost up to more than $1.2 billion in the southern province of Binh Duong which focus on developing green space. The latest financial support came from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) when it approved a $224-million credit package to the country for Secondary Cities Development Project (Green Cities). The project will emphasize on solving issues relating to urban services, flood protection, urban sewerage, and urban solid-waste management, the project aims to improve and expand traffic systems and infrastructure, promote socio-economic development and tourism and increase people’s incomes. It will also help cut pollution by improving drainage systems, waste treatment and environment sanitation arisen during the country’s rapid urbanization. (Baoxaydung.com.vn April 10, VnEconomy.vn April 9)