Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem has approved the negotiation result of a $160-million loan from the World Bank (WB) for a water resources management project in the Mekong Delta region, the online newspaper baocantho.com.vn reported. The State Bank of Vietnam’s governor has been assigned to sign the loan agreement and related documents with the WB representative. The project totaling $210 million is aimed to protect and boost the use of water resources for agriculture production, to supply clean water and contribute to tackling impacts of climate change. The project will be implemented in seven regional cities and provinces of An Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang. The WB pledged around $2.6 billion in ODA for Vietnam this year and also announced to fund over $6 billion for the Southeast Asian country in the 2011-2013 fiscal years. (baocantho.com.vn July 10, Tuoi Tre – Youth July 12)
